Green densification model

“The Living Environment Trust is an environmental charity based in Coventry, which aims to promote environmental and sustainability awareness within local communities. Accordingly, the Trust uses the restoration of neglected inner-city green spaces as a way to engage a range of community groups, whilst also serving to enhance and expand the existing biodiversity and develop important community and educational resources.” (Ref. 1) “The Living Environment Trust was formed in 2007 to transform the neglected land around the Alan Higgs Centre into a community ecological and leisure resource.” (Ref. 2)

The project “Un parco da vivere” (a park to live) within the regional natural park of Lama Balice underlines the social, economic and environmental potential of the place. The project aims at reactivate green spaces in the park and at the same time improving the accessibility for disabled people, through the creation of innovative practices such as sensorial and social gardening. This results in promoting the naturalistic value of the area, to improve the health of people and to enhance biodiversity preservation. (Ref.1.)

With an area of ​1.7 hectares, "Jardim da Cerca da Graça" (Graça garden) is the largest public green area in the historical area (Ref. 4). It's a green space located inside the fence (cerca) of the old convent of Graça, building previously occupied by the Republican National Guard. The garden was created from the requalification of part of the fence and its opening to the public, also has a function of passage, with new green spaces: a central lawn, a picnic area and an orchard. There is also a kiosk with a terrace and a children's playground (Ref. 2).

Liko-Noe is a business office building that meets all of its energy demands on its own and has a sophisticated system of water reuse and management. The building features a green roof, a green facade, and water storage ponds on the outside (Ref. 1). The building has a constructed treatment wetland for the wastewater treatment, uses solar energy for photovoltaic panels as well as thermal wall (Ref. 4). The aim of the project is to demonstrate that nature-based building techniques can significantly help address the challenges of soil and water degradation, and climate change (Ref. 1).

The Petuelpark is an approximately a 7,4-hectare large park in the north of Munich, situated on a section of the Petuelring between Belgradstrasse and Leopoldstrasse and partly over the Petueltunnel. The park was created as part of the complex transportation development project that aimed to reduce above-ground traffic with the help of the tunnel and improving the quality of life in the area with the help of green development. The park was also aimed at creating a space for recreation: several playgrounds, a water playground, a fountain, a café and several artworks can be found there. (Reference 1) The park also includes the “Generation garden” which is designed to serve as a meeting place, and a place for gardening, as garden beds have been laid out in the garden for free use by the residents. (Reference 3) The elevated parts that situate above the tunnel are implemented as extensive grassy areas, while the other parts are dominated by thematic gardens and the Nymphenburg-Biedersteiner canal (Reference 3).

The Leeds Parks and Green Space Strategy is a park protection, improvement, and creation program in Leeds under their Cultural Strategy. Main priorities are set out to achieve a vision where good quality and accessible parks and green spaces are at the heart of the community and meet the needs of everyone who lives, works, visits or invests in Leeds, now and for the future (Ref 5). The Parks and Green Space Strategy looks at the contribution made to priorities nationally and locally, and how it fits within the Leeds Cultural Strategy to develop parks and green spaces (Ref 3). Consultation is being undertaken to develop a vision for the future of Leeds City Council owned and managed public parks and green spaces beyond 2020, and a strategy for how to deliver that vision over the next 10 years. The new strategy will replace the previous strategy which runs to 2020 (Ref 9).

The municipality initiated to realize a healthy and climate-proof 'city island' which includes a large variety of projects, including the City Island Park Tour, which is a cycling/walking tour around the island that includes multiple green-blue infrastructure elements along two canals. Together it can be recognized as a large city park (ref. 2, 6). The tour contains the sights of green banks, recreation possibilities, bridges and boulevard-ways, thereby promoting environmental quality, mobility and attractiveness of the area (ref. 6). A food park at Leeuwensteyn is envisioned for 2050 (ref. 7).

Malls Mire is an area of mixed woodland and wetland habitat situated between Toryglen and Rutherglen. People from the surrounding communities have been working with Urban Roots to manage the woodland since 2009, improving its value for wildlife and working on the paths so that more people can enjoy it(Ref 1). It was declared a Local Nature Reserve in March 2015(Ref 2). Surveys by entomologists showed that the site is valuable for a number of rare beetles and a spider, the latter, Southern Motherphage (Coelotes terrestris) having only been found at one other site in Scotland(Ref 2).

The Friargate is a major regeneration project that covers 37 acres around Coventry train station. This includes enhancing the Greyfriars Green (the only green space in the city), the development of Station Square Boulevard (a new tree-lined public realm), and a number of green belt sites around the city. (Ref. 3) The Friargate is expected to vastly improve the area’s public spaces and create new jobs (Ref. 1).

In 2017 the City of Bari provided funds to citizens and non profit associations to promote the regeneration of an abandoned area. Eventually an area of 4500 sqm was rehabilitated and the authorities plan to extend the area until the green space reaches 10,000 sqm. Among the planned interventions are the maintenance of greenery and trees, as well as the redevelopment of the side wall that borders the buildings. For the 4500 sqm intervention which was designed by the local community and migrant volunteers, the first multifunctional furniture was built at Bari. It was made with recycled wood, stones, fabrics and lots of goodwill during the natural architecture laboratory.The NBS allowed to have a green area where different activities were implemented such as green and educational laboratories. Also a shared gardening project (in order to promote the importance and the culture of preserving green areas) and social labs were organized(promoting school and sport activities outdoors). (Ref.1, 2, 3, 4)