Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature

This NBS site is part of the Bratislava Zelenaj Project. This particular NBS involves the creation of vegetation on buildings as a means to mitigate the effects of climate change in cities due to urban overheating caused by global warming. It targets the residents of the Archa House of Seniors (Domove seniorov Archa) in Bratislava as part of the citywide project “Bratislava is preparing for climate change” with the aim of protecting and promoting the welfare of the city’s vulnerable citizens from climate change effects. The roof's main function is buffering the discharge of excess rainwater. (10)

The area was planned to be the Öresund Region's most climate-smart city district: an energy efficient, resource-saving and green district with a hundred percent renewable energy use.” (ref. 2). The area's development program focused on the ecological aspect of sustainability and took responsibility for that part of the city's sustainability work (ref. 7).

Bastion Theresia Timisoara was built as a defensive perimeter for the Romanian town of Timisoara and has languished for decades in the center of the city. The bastion was rehabilitated and it incorporates green spaces and a community center. The old fortress' location in the middle of town makes it a natural hub for transportation and assembly, and the extensive green roof incorporates it into the city's urban green belt. (1)

Ecological parks are parks that reduce stormwater runoff and pollutant emissions. It refers to a number of techniques applied at the same time to reduce the total impervious surface of a parking space, the decrease in the surface temperature and maintain a green island in crowded areas. In Timisoara, until the date of this completed intervention (2009), there were located 11 ecological parking spaces, placed throughout the city, most of them near building blocks in former industrial quarters (3)

The first " ecological zone" in Ljubljana was established in 2007 in the old city centre. This led to the closure of a 100,000 m² area to motor vehicles, and the renovation of the main traffic axis to make it attractive for pedestrians and cyclists. The new transport regime in this area reduced black carbon levels by 58%. Additionally, the city administration has planted 63 ash trees. Biking and sustainable mobility have been promoted, in line with providing new green areas for social and sporting activities in formerly degraded areas. The "renaissance“ is not focused only on the city center and the implementation of the car-free zone, but it is expanded throughout Ljubljana and covers different fields, such as the revival of degraded areas, the establishment of green public spaces, playgrounds for children, eco-renovation of schools and kindergartens, cultural and sports facilities, etc. Finally, the river Ljubljanica has been the focus of an ecological restoration project. This was done with the aim of reducing pollution and returning the city centre to the citizens, by incentivizing pedestrian and bicycle commute. The "ecological zone" project has been completed. After the completion of the project, further initiatives were taken which is directly related to the project itself. Some of them focusing on converting the city to a sustainable one is still going on. (1, 3, 4 and 8).

The restructuring of the main road Gran Via Fernando el Catolico has seen a rehabilitation of its green areas in two distinct plots: one occurring at its intersection with Calle Lagasca, and one at its intersection with Corona de Aragon. The intervention is connected to relieving the heat island effect that occurs in the city center, increase greenery with the planting of 114 new trees and making the main traffic artery more accessible and pleasant to pedestrians. (Ref. 1-5)

This project was the first green roof in the city of Bologna, and it has been carried out by the University of Bologna in collaboration with the Columbia University of New York with the aim to prove more evidence on green roof stormwater performance. For the Engineering School of Bologna University the existing roofs had a load capacity that was able to host only an extensive roof, without the costly need of being reinforced. In the extensive roof type the vegetation is usually very drought resistant and plants can adapt to difficult environmental conditions, therefore sedum was chosen (1).

The project aimed to tackle two environmental problems through an integrated policy: climate change (both the mitigation and adaptation effects of urban forestation) and air quality. The project foresaw the dissemination of public-private partnership tools, developed within the framework of corporate social responsibility experiences, and the distribution of specific guidelines. Specifically, the project planned to develop a public-private partnership model for urban forestation through the adoption of the ‘green areas inner-city agreement’ (GAIA). This was expected to include three specific protocols for green urban areas covering management, monitoring and mapping resulting in 3000 trees planted across Bologna (1).

The ‘Art Natura’ design was a submission to an ‘Ideas Competition’ for the Headquarters of the College of Architects of Córdoba. The design plan aimed to include nature in public spaces, through the use of a vegetal facade with a low irrigation system to transform the enclosure into a skin capable of compensating the differences of temperature and humidity in the different building planes. (Ref. 2)

Pilestredet Park project was one of the largest urban ecology projects in Scandinavia and included redevelopment of a neglected inner-city quarter of Oslo while meeting high standards of sustainable construction. The project included energy efficient buildings with high quality indoor environments, plenty of green areas, as well as an extensive stormwater runoff management system for the whole site. Pilestredet Park also contributed toward the development of more sustainable construction techniques and products, much thanks to the strict requirements from the Environmental follow-up program developed by Statsbygg and Oslo Municipality's (Ref. 1)