Viewing and outlook points

The NBS includes the establishment of a new country park, Elba Park, with the goal to create a haven for wildlife and a space for people to enjoy nature. 52 hectares of former coal-mined were transformed under the management of Groundwork NE (Ref 2 & 3).

MFO park is one of the green infrastructures in the city of Zurich. Instead of designated space between paved streets, MFO-Park uses the structure of an old factory building as its skeleton, taking the form of a multilevel building that seamlessly fits into the surrounding structures. The basis for MFO-Park comes from an old industrial building which used to be a weapons production and testing complex. MFO has received a series of awards, including recognition as the “Most Innovative Contemporary Park or Garden”– a prestigious designation from the European Garden Heritage Network (Ref 1).

Landscape Park Neckar is a multi-place NBS intervention that is being realized along the banks of the river Neckar in 27 cities, including Stuttgart. Along the river axis, the free spaces between the dwelling buildings, industrial areas, and transport terminals are identified to be transformed into green areas, parks, and new recreational facilities. With this step-by-step approach, it succeeds in regenerating green areas for natural and social functions and helps drawing attention to the diverse benefits of Green Infrastructure. There are now eight master plans for the different landscape areas, which fit together like pieces of a puzzle to form the Stuttgart Region Landscape Park. Each sub-concept is tailored to the characteristic conditions. Since 2005 the Verband Region Stuttgart has been calling on cities and municipalities to submit project ideas. From this, the projects are selected in a competition in which the region pays up to 50 per cent of the costs. In this way, total investments in the Stuttgart Region Landscape Park of around 45 million euros have been triggered in recent years and around 200 projects have been co-financed by the region. The redevelopment of the landscape is in the ongoing phase. (ref. 1, 2, 7).

The reserve is a biodiversity hot-spot within Cardiff Bay. The reedbed and other aquatic plants, are very productive vegetation and a habitat for birds. Prior to the construction of the Cardiff Bay Barrage, it was made up of mudflats and salt marsh. (Ref 1) The site was chosen by Cardiff Harbour Authority to create a new environment and compensate in part for the loss of the mudflats which were submerged after completion of the Cardiff Bay Barrage. Floating timber structures serve as breeding areas for birds, an underwater bund prevents wave erosion, and a boom keeps out waterborne debris (Ref 5).

In 2015, 20,000 British Pounds have been raised to help wildlife in the Elba Park in Sunderland. The funding was granted to create new habitat for priority species in Shiney Row in Elba park. Community groups and schools were one of the major parts of the project. People were engaged to enhance their learning experience. This project was partly crowd-funded (Ref 1).

"Walking pathway located on the banks of the river of the Arc which flows to the south of the city. It follows the meanders of the river and includes games for children, a fitness trail, meadows in the shade of tall trees that border the stream. It covers an area of 10 hectares." (Ref. 1)

The largest park that Craiova has (third in Europe and second in Romania), the Nicolae Romanescu park is a historical area which includes green space, a hippodrome, a lake and a zoo. In 2015 the park went into rehabilitation with money allocated by the EU (1).

The Restoration of degraded wetlands in Wolfschlugen (in the administrative district of Stuttgart) was conducted within the wider regional level of sustainable urban development to enhance resilience, protect the city from flooding, support sustainable development, and safeguard biodiversity. Ditches and craters line the 700 metres long and 50 - 70 metres wide strip of landscape northeast of the development boundary behind the Wolfschlugen forest cemetery. This is formed by the Riederwiesen, which absorb water to protect the place from flooding. The wetland should protect people at least during a so-called hundred-year flood and at the same time offer animals and plants a habitat. (ref 3, 11)

The 40-storey mixed-use skyscraper will serve as an economic catalyst for the French city’s central business district and comprise offices, a hotel, a restaurant, and residences. The tree-covered areas of the tower will give the building its iconic appearance and a portion of that green space will be open to public use (Ref. 1). Trees will line the platform of the building and a ribbon of gardens will curl around the glass facade to its full height (Ref. 2).

The project introduces an urban park in the place of a formerly derelict area and a landfill, located by the river valley of Bystrzyca. The park would increase access to the green recreational area in the city, which is a part of a longer-term plan to make the river’s banks citizen-friendly and easily accessible. The initiative includes: clearing the land and planting greenery, construction of the 'sensory' garden for the youngest users, building walking and cycling paths and infrastructure adjusted to people with disabilities, as well as installation of the nesting boxes, feeders and insect hotels [1].