Educational and research amenities (nature protection centre, monitoring stations)

The Green Belt in Frankfurt am Main spans in the inner area of the city and covers almost a third of the city's wider area which is around 80 square kilometres, around half of which is the city forest (6). In 1991, as stated in the city council's Green Belt Constitution, the Belt has been declared a protected open space while it also outlined the long term goal of securing and developing it (1). The green belt with its landscapes, excursion destinations and the large network of paths is important for the quality of life in Frankfurt and at the same time offers a place of retreat for plants and animals. It is essential for a good urban climate (1).

The nonprofit organisation of Groundwork North East & Cumbria is working with partners from across the region to protect and preserve the upper part of the Ouseburn River. The Ouseburn River Restoration Project includes several physical measures and a number of enhancements to the river and the surrounding environment to slow the flow of the river, restore its ecosystem and improve water quality. The Project also works with farmers and landowners about how to manage fertiliser and sediment runoff, thus decreasing water contamination. The project will improve in-river and bankside habitats and provide with more water monitoring data and analysis.” (1)

LIFE VIMINE is a project that aimed to define and apply a new type of integrated approach to the management of the territory, based on the erosion protection of the most indigenous barns and marshes in the Laguna of Venice. These unique habitats are rapidly disappearing due to natural processes and human impacts of varying nature. The project has contributed to repair and protect salt marshes borders as soon as erosion starts, build micro soil bioengineering works that are able to absorb wave energy, reduce erosion, promote sedimentation with a low effort and cost and improve coastal resilience and protection (1).

The Edinburgh Living Landscape (ELL) is a partnership between the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust (EGLT), the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Green Surge and Edinburgh University, it aims to help make Edinburgh a city fit for the future by fashioning healthy and beautiful environments that are resilient to climate change as well as being highly valued and accessible to people. It is made up of a range of projects that will create, restore and connect green areas of the city to make attractive and biodiverse landscapes that are enjoyed by residents and visitors. One of the examples is the Holyrood park. Naturalisation was tested in Holyrood Park, where a once regularly mown grassland is now cut only once per year. It benefits both wildlife and public amenity and also reduces maintenance costs for the site, with the potential to spend elsewhere on greenspace maintenance. This is a part of the ongoing Edinburgh Living Landscape Case Study which aims to make Edinburgh a city with healthy and beautiful environments, resilient to climate change. A range of similar projects will create, restore and connect green areas of the city to make an attractive and biodiverse landscape (ref 2, 3).

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is endorsing - Edinburgh Adapts - the city’s first climate change adaptation action plan as a demonstration site of the ClimateXChange project. The 2012 persistent heavy raining incident brought flooding and damage to beds, lawns and paths at RBGE. A study is being carried out to see the impact of weather events on their gardens and how this can be used to best deal with projected climate change. Horticulture and visitor services staff at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and its Regional Gardens are already adapting to climate uncertainty. (ref 2, 3)

"Pending the creation of housing and new walks by 2020, the association Carton Plein and the EPA (Public Building Institution) of Saint-Etienne have created a temporary public space on the site known as "la Cartonnerie". A place for exchange and conviviality, the site hosts artistic installations, ephemeral installations and events. It is a laboratory conducive to imagining new ways of doing the city" (Ref. 1). The citizens also created shared gardens in this area called "Le Jardin Experimental"(Experimental garden) (Ref. 4).

Lisbon's Biodiversity Route is a pedestrian route of 14 km, marked according to the norms of the Portuguese Federation of Camping and Mountaineering. It connects the Forest Park of Monsanto to the Tejo river, which aims to contribute to raising the awareness of the value of the city's biodiversity (ref. 4). The position and dimension of these connected areas important in relation to the climate regulation, air quality and for the diversity of habitats that the city offers. The Biodiversity Route is a circular route, which can be done on foot or by bicycle where each species of fauna and flora that can be observed (Ref.1).

Blackburn Meadows Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) has a mesophilic anaerobic digestion facility, which enables the recycled sludge to be used on neighbouring farmlands as manure. It also enables the generation of renewable energy using combined heat and power units. All the upgrade works were to improve the quality of effluent being discharged into the River Don (ref 3). Sheffield City Council and Yorkshire Water leased an unused part of the former sewage works, to turn into a nature reserve which provides habitat for migrating birds. A water meadow created on vacant land promotes ecological biodiversity and floodwater attenuation (Ref5). In 2013, the works handle a dry weather flow of more than 158,000 cu m of sewage per day, with the treated effluent pumped into the river. It is one of Yorkshire Water’s biggest assets, but with a projected dry weather flow set to hit 368,000 cu m per day by 2025, it is in need of an upgrade (ref 6). The project is fragmented into two phases as the 1st phase was completed in 2013 and the 2nd phase will be completed by 2021 (ref 3).

The University of Sheffield has embraced green roof technology for its benefits to the built environment, and to support Sheffield City Council vision of Sheffield as the UK’s green roof capital. Most buildings the University feature intentionally vegetated green roofs and some existing buildings with suitable structures have been retrofitted with green roofs (ref 1). The first instrumented test plot for the green roof was installed on the Mappin Building roof. In 2009, Jessop West building and the Robert Hadfield – Green Roof Centre Demonstration Site are studied for replicating the model (ref 4).

The "Green Play City", a nature experience park on 4,500 sqm exists since 1999. Initiated and administered by the non-profit organization "Wissenschaftsladen" (short WiLa), it combines nature experience and recreation for kids and grown-ups with education about the environment and nature-based design while also serving as a place for social interactions through intercultural events (3,4). The initiative "Raus aus'm Haus" aims at expanding the educational and participatory component of the Green Play City. By closely collaborating with schools and kindergartens on options for related on-site workshops, project days or open-air classrooms will be explored and conceptualized (1).