Formal coordination mechanisms to oversee project implementation and decision-making (e.g., multi-stakeholder steering committees, working groups)

Iasi has limited access to green-blue open spaces and fails to meet national and European standards for per capita green space and proximity to larger green areas. Additionally, the city experiences significant fragmentation in its green spaces. To address these issues, the municipality of Iasi launched a project in 2020 to restore a vacant and degraded area, transforming it into a park. Funded by European resources, the project aims to rehabilitate the neglected land by constructing a green park and introducing local vegetation. The primary goal is to provide a leisure and relaxation space for local citizens and visitors while improving the quality of the surrounding air by converting much of the terrain into green space. The vacant land is situated in the historic Ticau neighborhood, which has been affected by municipal neglect, characterized by poor infrastructure and limited connectivity to the city's main areas. Furthermore, the project aims to reduce the heat island effect by creating green oases in a city marked by many “hard surfaces,” such as paved areas, which contribute to this phenomenon expected to intensify in the coming years. Originally scheduled for completion by the end of 2022, the project has been delayed due to a lack of funds and is now expected to be finished by the end of 2024 (Refs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11).

Reforestation project for the "Cerro de la Popa", which is Cartagena's highest point and one of the main tourist attractions because of the view and its colonial convent (Ref 6). The hill currently faces illegal occupation and environmental deterioration caused by deforestation, poor solid waste management, burning, logging, and the loss of vegetation cover (Ref 4, 5). The intervention in La Popa consists of reforestation activities, environmental education activities with children, and awareness-raising activities with adults about caring for fauna, flora, and water bodies (ref 2, 3). SSince 2020, the Establecimiento Público Ambiental (EPA Cartagena) has led the recovery initiative, prompted by the urgent need to counter the increasing encroachment by migrants and vulnerable populations (Ref 4). The project comprises reforestation efforts, environmental education sessions with children, and community outreach to raise awareness among adults regarding the protection of local fauna, flora, and water bodies (Refs 2, 3). As part of a broader municipal agenda, the initiative remains active, with the most recent intervention conducted on July 11, 2024 (Ref 2).

The Grangegorman Community Garden is a collaborative project involving several stakeholders in restoring a neglected space within the TU Dublin campus and transforming it into a community garden. The project emerged from a partnership between academic and service departments of the university, a primary school, a land development agency, a multinational organization, and a property estate agent.
The project's ultimate goal is to establish a permanent community garden with strong investment, ensuring ongoing support for current users and welcoming a new, diverse group of participants. (1,6)
Launched at the start of 2024, the project focuses on rejuvenating the space, with restoration efforts continuing until December 2024. The garden features four allotment-style beds separated by gravel paths and is surrounded by 12 foliage beds (Ref 1). The initiative aims to provide educational opportunities centered on sustainability and horticulture, while also developing a sustainable, collaborative governance framework for the garden (Ref 6). It aligns with various national, local, and inter-organizational frameworks, strategies, and plans related to community engagement, biodiversity, and climate action (Ref 1).

Lomas are endemic seasonal ecosystems found in Peru and Chile. They provide a variety of benefits such as soil stabilisation, air purification, recreational spaces, water retention, and are habitats for endemic and threatened species (Ref 7). They are of great ecosystem value to the city of Lima, as green areas have been reduced in the urban area, occupying up to 24% of urban green ecosystems. These ecosystems are threatened by unplanned urban growth, traffic, pollution and lack of government regulation. Given this context, Eab Lomas is a project that focuses on the conservation, management and rehabilitation of the ecosystems found in the Lomas of Lima (Ref 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). It focused on 4 lines of action: conservation of Lomas' ecosystems; implementation of territorial planning; economic diversification focused on the conservation and recovery of vegetation through low-impact recreational activities; and management of water resources (Ref 1, 2, 3, 4).