Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature

The project RUIS (Riqualificazone Urbana Infrastrutture e Sicurezza), stands for the regeneration of urban infrastructure and safety. The initiative is carried out by the municipality of Palermo, in order to improve the urban resiliency of the intervention area, with the creation of further green areas in neighbourhoods dealing with problems of heatwaves and environmental degradation. The main areas which will be the focus of the regeneration process will be those considered to be in degradation state. It is expected that the quality of life of the residents will significantly improve (Ref.1.).

The city of Leipzig initiated the project "Für eine Baumstarke Stadt" in 1996 to integrate community support into the greening of Leipzig through tree planting. Citizens can become tree sponsors with a donation of 250 Euros or more supporting the increase of the tree stock in parks, on the street and at squares since they are planted in addition to the tree stock determined by the city department for urban green. The sponsorship includes a sign with the indication of the tree species and a personal message. This programme contributes to a greener city landscape and strengthens the attachment of citizens to their urban environment (1, 2, 3).

In 2013, St Davids shopping centre, which has over 200 stores and restaurants (ref 5) completed the installation of a green roof, which included bird boxes and beehives and the centre is looking to expand its green roof further. The city shopping centre has become the home of a 60,000-strong colony of bees. A second green roof was developed in 2015 in the parking garage to expand educational programs (ref 4). School children from Cardiff were involved in the planting of seedlings to create pollinator habitats for bees, butterflies and other local wildlife around the ‘Hayes’ area (ref 3). The customers and local community, with the help of this project, have been taught about the value of adopting an eco-friendly approach to public space. (ref 1)

The project involves the BBC Drama Village - a combination of studios and stores with associated offices and technical suites. It was the requirement for all buildings to achieve a BREEAM Excellent standard (ref 1). GreenBlue Urban structural RootCell systems were used for this development to create adequate tree root volumes, to ensure optimum tree establishment and growth in a demanding coastal location (ref 2). A Living Wall has been made which has a number of functions including the provision of a new home for solitary bees, lacewings and other invertebrates. A rainwater harvesting system has been installed (ref 1). Speaking generally, the studio, stores and office amounted to over 18,000 square meters and 900 new meters of HV, gas water drainage and telecoms (ref 1). Areas of eco-design include transportation, energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials, indoor environmental quality, waste reduction and biodiversity (ref 1).

In the new district ‘Kop Zuidas’, water green strip is created along the sidewalk in which stormwater is temporarily stored by means of high-grade vegetation and a drainage system. The stormwater slowly infiltrates into the soil and only reaches the sewage system in case of extremely heavy rainfall. It is a pilot project for stormwater retention and will be upscaled throughout Amsterdam when successful. (1,2)

As an open root space, climbing plants usually only need a small floor area. Such planting areas can be cut out in a semicircular shape
directly on the facade, for example in the eaves strip of the roof overhangs (irrigation may be necessary). The city department for urban development initiated a funding programme for green facades and walls on private property in the city district of Wolbeck. It formed part of the proposed measures of the urban redevelopment programme for the district to improve its attractiveness and enhance green spaces. It included the reimbursement of up to 70 per cent of the arising material costs provided that the owner commits to maintaining the green façade for ten years. Although only three parties participated in the programme, public awareness of the multiple benefits of green space were raised (ref. 1, 2, 3 and 4).

The renaturalization of streams is a common strategy for improving the ecological quality of water bodies as mandated by the European Water Directive. For that reason, parts of the Aa stream in Münster upstream until its flow into the Aa lake covering 2.6 km were renaturalized from 2012 to 2013. Renaturalization is a means to restore the natural river banks, local ecosystems of the Aa rive and improve the water quality of the Aa lake (Ref. 1 and 3).

The Tineretului Park is a special vegetation and touristic area, a forest park stretched over an area of ​​over 60 hectares, on the left bank of the Jiu River. It was rehabilitated in 2009 by the municipality and it is the second-largest park in the city. Before its rehabilitation, it was seen as a dangerous area, high in petty crimes. Its rehabilitation was also much needed since Craiova is one of the Romanian cities with the lowest number of green spaces (1,2) .

Forests fulfil several important climate functions, they are carbon sinks, regulate the local climate or buffer heatwaves and cloudbursts. Based on climate projections, longer dry periods are to be expected during summer months which have major implications for local humid forests. The “fit for climate change” project was initiated to develop and implement climate adaptation measures for the latter, for instance via hydrological regulation, the use and reinstatement of resilient, adapted tree species or revitalizing moors and swamps. It was administered by the regional forestry authority and the nature conservation station Münster (Ref. 1 and 2).

The Knowledge Mile Park initiative in Amsterdam aims to transform the long, busy and traffic-heavy street in downtown Amsterdam into an environment greener, more sustainable and more livable through the implementation on various Nature-based Solutions (9). Smaller projects include the creation and maintenance of pocket parks, green walls and facades, green roofs and living labs. The idea of the initiative came from the Knowledge Mile Community that aims at making Amsterdam more green, clean and smart by means of innovative solutions regarding air quality, climate change resilience, biodiversity and social cohesion. (1) municipality of Amsterdam and the business investment zone BIZ Knowledge Mile are working together with partners on the realization of the project (9)
The project is still ongoing, although parts of the Knowledge Mile Park are already created in 2016 including one living lab, two green roofs, a green canopy and a pocket park and other parts are planned such as the smart green wall (1)