Urban (main city)

Bring Nature Home project, partly financed by and implemented under the New European Bauhaus programme by the organisation "UrbanizeHub", is an initiative focused on encouraging and helping the city of Iasi to become more green while strengthening urban communities (1 & 3). More concretely the project sought to transform an unused space in a residential area of a neighborhood in Iasi through a "biophilic design", with the involvement of the local community (1 - 5). The space was then transformed into a green area that would help the residents reconnect with nature (1 & 4). The implementation later helped develop a handbook that could be used to reproduce the methods of the initiative in other urban settings (4 & 5).
Involving the local community, including children from the nearby daycare, the project conducted five workshops. These workshops focused on educational activities, improving the connection with urban nature, and ultimately creating an urban garden which included perennial plants, and insect and bird houses (5, pp. 53 to 58).
Beyond community engagement and inter-generational dialogue, the project highlighted the importance of natural elements and biodiversity in urban settings. It also facilitated knowledge exchange among public institutions, NGOs, and private companies. With additional funding from IULIUS and municipal approval, the initiative successfully transformed the unused space into a thriving green area (4 & 5, p. 67 & 71).

The project for Tricentennial Park involves a series of improvements aimed at enhancing its overall infrastructure and appeal. Among the planned upgrades is an enhancement of the pavilion, along with the addition of other site amenities (Ref 1). A lake is also being created as part of the project (Ref 2). Currently, work is underway on phase two, which includes landscaping, the construction of a group picnic pavilion, walking trails, a parking area, and even a misting machine to provide relief during hot weather (Ref 2).
One of the key highlights of the project is the opening of a new playground in 2024, featuring a unique design. The park is laid out in a figure-eight pattern, and a sign within the park highlights its recognition for following “best practices in youth fitness,” encouraging children to stay active through sliding, swinging, spinning, climbing, brachiating, and balancing (Ref 2). This park is the first in Mobile designed exclusively for passive use, without ball fields, providing a space for families and individuals to enjoy the playgrounds (Ref 4). The park fosters social interaction, allowing children to build friendships and create lasting memories while spending time with their families (Ref 4). The park also boasts beautiful scenery, adding an aesthetic dimension to the overall experience (Ref 2).
Tricentennial Park is part of the larger Three Mile Green Trail, a 6.5-mile linear park. A one-mile segment of the trail is located within Tricentennial Park. The trail will be expanded east to MLK Boulevard and west to Bush Park by 2024 (Ref 1).

Rainwater management in Gdańsk presents significant challenges due to the city's hydromorphological conditions, including high groundwater levels and steep terrain. These factors, coupled with the periodic inefficiency of the storm sewer system and the intensification of extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, have necessitated innovative solutions. Gdańsk has responded by implementing a climate change adaptation policy that promotes the use of open drainage systems, including small retention facilities like rain gardens. These gardens help mitigate the risks associated with excessive rainfall while enhancing urban sustainability.
The first rain garden in Gdańsk was established in the Stogi district at the Flood Control Warehouse on Kaczeńce Street. This facility collects and utilizes rainwater from nearby paved surfaces, aiming to manage rainfall of at least 30 mm during intense, short-term downpours. Utilizing a variety of perennials such as marsh marigold, common loosestrife, comfrey, hemp agrimony, common calamus, and arrowhead, the garden retains and filters rainwater naturally, increasing efficiency and ecological benefits. Rain gardens absorb water up to 40% better than traditional lawns. They reduce rainwater runoff, mitigate flood risks, filter pollutants, improve biodiversity, and enhance urban air quality while lowering temperatures.
The garden was created as part of a broader investment in the Flood Control Warehouse in Stogi, a facility opened in 2017 at a cost of over PLN 5 million. Strategically located near the Sucharski Route and the Martwa Wisła tunnel, the warehouse supports rapid response to flood emergencies, storing over 100 types of equipment, from shovels to large generators. This combination of infrastructure and green solutions demonstrates Gdańsk's commitment to urban resilience and environmental sustainability. (1-4)

The Torre Sevilla is a commercial building complex with extensive green roofs. The green roofs cover 11000 or 12000 m2 (different sources report different numbers) and aim to contribute to thermal isolation and energy efficiency of the building, improve air quality and provide an urban green space for relaxation and recreation [Ref. 1-3]. The green roofs include a mosaic of different vegetation types and about 60 mostly native plant species. There is a rainwater recovery system that allows the gardens to be irrigated in a sustainable way [Ref. 1-3, 6]. The building finished construction in 2017 and the gardens were initially not available to the public. In 2023, the owner applied for a permit to host events in the gardens, which will allow the public to visit on occasion [Ref. 1, 3-5].

In Phoenix, over half a million people are facing hunger, including schoolchildren, working parents, seniors on fixed incomes, and other marginalized groups. Factors such as limited food access and poor food quality—commonly referred to as 'food deserts'—worsen the problem. Food deserts are areas where residents have little to no access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Of the 55 food deserts in Maricopa County, 43 are located in Phoenix, affecting nearly half of the city's population
Agave Environmental Contracting, an NGO, is working to address food scarcity through education. The organization founded the Urban Farming Education (UFE) program to teach people how to grow their own food as a solution to food insecurity and to promote agricultural opportunities throughout the Valley. The goal of UFE is to educate individuals on creating their own gardens for sustenance, ecotherapy, social impact, and even urban farming for profit.
The program specifically targets schools, domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, foster care prevention centers, and communities with disabled or elderly residents. In 2024, UFE partnered with the Valencia Newcomer School to install raised garden beds filled with roses and fruit trees. This project provided hands-on STEM learning during the installation, fostered networking opportunities through industry experts and community members, and helped promote the UFE program. It also highlighted how the initiative contributes to urban farming education and empowers local communities. (1-5, 7)

The Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin is a community garden in the New St Jacobi Cemetery in Berlin-Neukölln that invites people to join in gardening and experience nature. As part of open gardening days, people can participate in the design of the garden areas and gain experience in the local, ecological cultivation of useful plants. The main aim of their work is to provide opportunities for education and participation. Activities are open to everyone and range from sowing, planting and harvesting to seed production, processing and preserving vegetables, keeping bees to questions of community-based urban habitat design.The community also has its own farm shop where seeds, food and processed products are sold. (Ref. 1; Ref. 4) Numerous projects for recycling and upcycling, innovative cultivation methods, organic beekeeping, composting methods and post-fossil mobility use the Prinzessinnengarten as a platform for sustainable urban living. Artists also work in the garden with participatory methods on the question of how cities and their coexistence can be designed in a sustainable and resource-saving way. Outside the Prinzessinnengarten, offshoot gardens are set up and collaborations are developed to build nationwide and European networks. Through lectures, workshops, study visits and participatory research in the garden, we endeavour to include and further develop the topics associated with the Prinzessinnengarten in discussions and education. (Ref. 7)

The project is located on a cemetery, which has been partially closed since 2016. This means that burials are no longer carried out on the site and the existing rights of use of the 500 or so remaining graves will no longer be extended after expiry. The church association lends the land to the project in exchange for maintenance work on the surrounding grounds. (Ref. 6)

The revitalization and environmental recovery initiative in the Almirante Colón neighborhood of Cartagena focused on transforming green spaces and addressing environmental hazards posed by improper waste disposal and urban degradation. The primary goals of the project were to enhance urban green spaces, improve community well-being, and mitigate environmental hazards such as pollution and improper waste management (ref 1,2). The initiative involved multiple stakeholders, including the local government, community leaders, and private sector actors. The Gerencia de Espacio Público y Movilidad led the revitalization of three parks, focusing on cleaning up waste, maintaining green areas, and upgrading recreational facilities. Parallelly, Veolia, a private sector partner, worked with community leaders to recover neglected areas that were previously used for dumping mixed waste and beutify the environment. These efforts included planting activities, installation of solar lamps, and community education on proper waste disposal practices​ (ref 1,2). The revitalization of the parks benefited over 400 families, providing them with safe and clean recreational spaces. The project also successfully eliminated a significant dumping site, reducing pollution and enhancing the neighborhood's aesthetic appeal. Moreover, the initiative fostered a stronger sense of community ownership and responsibility towards maintaining the improved environment​ (ref 1,2).

The Ringsend Open-Air Laboratory project in Dublin, Ireland, is part of a broader effort to adapt urban areas to increasing climate change risks. This initiative focuses on installing green roofs and deploying a network of environmental sensors to enhance urban resilience. Launched in 2018 under the Horizon 2020 OPERANDUM project, the effort seeks to find nature-based solutions for climate change impacts worldwide. Led by the University of Bologna, OPERANDUM involves over 20 partners, primarily in Europe, working together to address environmental challenges like flooding, drought, and coastal erosion through the establishment of ten "Open Air Laboratories" globally.
In Dublin, the project aims to bolster flood resilience in Ringsend, a critical economic area near the city’s tech district, which faces substantial flood risks due to its low elevation and proximity to the Dodder River. This river, which flows through both rural and urban areas before meeting the River Liffey near Ringsend, has caused property and infrastructure damage from extreme rainfall and combined river and tidal flooding.
Green roofs play a key role in mitigating urban flood risks in this project. These rooftop gardens absorb large volumes of rainfall before it reaches the streets, easing the load on existing flood prevention systems like storm drains and gullies and reducing the need for additional "grey" infrastructure. Based on community insights and recommendations, construction has begun on a green roof on top of the CHQ building in Dublin’s Docklands, in partnership with Dogpatch Labs.Complementing this, over 100 sensors have been deployed in recent research trials across Dublin. OPERANDUM researchers are now building on this foundation to create a denser, more reliable, and cost-effective sensor network, with data from earlier low-cost sensor trials made publicly accessible via Dublinked, Dublin’s open data platform, and exploring the use of LPWAN for environmental sensing. (1-5, 7)

Alexandria is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable cities, facing serious environmental challenges that threaten its landscape, culture, and livability. The city is grappling with rising sea levels, pollution, extreme fluctuations in temperature, and the intensifying urban heat island effect, all of which are worsened by climate change. The past decade has seen a steady decline in Alexandria’s parks and green areas, a trend that has raised significant concerns among environmentalists and the public. The shrinking green spaces are largely due to rapid urban expansion and the development of commercial projects, which are gradually pushing Alexandria's environmental balance and cultural heritage to the edge.
In recognition of these pressing issues, Egypt launched the "100 Million Trees Initiative" in 2022 as part of its Egypt Vision 2030, a national plan for sustainable development. The initiative aims to increase the per capita share of green space throughout the country, with objectives that include improving air quality, enhancing public health, countering the urban heat island effect, and reducing greenhouse gases. The initiative is also focused on improving the beauty and cultural value of Egypt's urban areas, aligning with broader goals to build sustainable and climate-resilient cities. Alexandria, being a coastal city that is both environmentally sensitive and culturally significant, has been a focal point of these efforts.
As part of this national campaign, the Governor of Alexandria was tasked with overseeing the enhancement and expansion of green spaces across the city, focusing on both the aesthetics and cultural aspects of the urban landscape. In 2023, these efforts took root in the Al-Muntazah 2 neighborhood, where 596 trees were planted as a contribution to the 100 Million Trees Initiative. This project included the Al-Samad Preparatory and Secondary Schools campus as one of its primary planting sites. (1-5)

The initiative consists of an afforestation campaign promoted by the local government of La Paz, with the objective of planting 10,000 trees and shrubs (1 & 2). Carried out between 2023 and 2024, the campaign included plantations across all the macrodistricts of La Paz (1). To ensure the campaign's success, the municipality encouraged the participation of volunteers from various institutions, such as public services, environmental groups, schools and universities, neighborhood associations, church groups, and even Army and Navy units (1 & 2). The trees play specific roles in mitigating climate change, improving air quality, reducing odors from nearby landfills, and decreasing the risk of landslides and soil erosion (3 & 4). Furthermore, the campaign aims to foster environmental awareness among citizens and replace trees lost due to illegal deforestation (1).

The species selected for planting were provided by EMAVERDE, the public company responsible for managing green spaces in the city. The selection included primarily native species, along with a few introduced ones, all chosen for their resilience to La Paz's varying climate conditions (1, 2 & 4). Given the challenging climate and difficult soil conditions, the municipality informed volunteers about the importance of maintaining the saplings, particularly during drought periods, to ensure their proper growth (1 & 2). The campaign also supported the municipality’s urban development plan (Plan Territorial de Desarrollo Integral "Para Vivir Bien") and the "Plan Integral de Recuperación de la Tormenta a la Esperanza," the latter developed in response to extreme rain events and floods that occurred during the campaign months (5).