More sustainable tourism

The Liège Expo 2017 Masterplan was developed for the city of Liège, as part of their bid to organize the International Expo of 2017. In this plan, the Expo was not just an exciting stand-alone event, but rather the start of a sustainable transformation and an ecofriendly future of the city. The proposed development on both banks of the River Maaswill aimed to create new access to the river and improve the quality of life and the sustainability of the city, all at the same time (Ref. 1). While Liege was not awarded the 2017 Expo, the decision was made by the City to continue the competitive dialogue procedure initiated with a view to developing the Coronmeuse site into an eco-district (Ref. 12). Construction was launched in 2020 (Ref. 14).

The project provides some improvements in the first part of the itinerary of the Navile river. In particular, it focuses on the restoration of the green system and the recovery of historical-architectural components in the area stretching between the Park of Villa Angeletti, the ancient village of Corticella and the municipality of Castel Maggiore. Restoring the route along the canal is the first step in an ambitious retraining hypothesis that sees Navile and its rich cultural and environmental heritage as the privileged axis for the recovery and development of the adjacent urban area (1).

The reserve is a biodiversity hot-spot within Cardiff Bay. The reedbed and other aquatic plants, are very productive vegetation and a habitat for birds. Prior to the construction of the Cardiff Bay Barrage, it was made up of mudflats and salt marsh. (Ref 1) The site was chosen by Cardiff Harbour Authority to create a new environment and compensate in part for the loss of the mudflats which were submerged after completion of the Cardiff Bay Barrage. Floating timber structures serve as breeding areas for birds, an underwater bund prevents wave erosion, and a boom keeps out waterborne debris (Ref 5).

The Interpretation Centre at the Cardiff Castle is displaying a green roof of wildflowers. As well as changing the look of the roof, the wildflower meadow has increased the biodiversity of the area. The nectar-rich species of wildflower turf attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The roof had a simple irrigation system built into the substrate where the maintenance would be minimal (ref 3).

"The proposal is to create a leisure landscape in the countryside to the south of Wakefield, Featherstone and the South East Rural Renaissance areas. The project looks at integrating a series of existing environmental and historic attractions such as Nostell Priory Estate, Newmillerdam Country Park, Haw Park and Anglers Country Park in a landscape that is shaped by reclaimed open cast mining, and features e.g. an innovative forest planting scheme". The proposal is part of the ‘Strategic projects’ to deliver Wakefield’s vision for green infrastructure. (Ref. 1, 2)

Belfast is located within the River Lagan Catchment and is at risk from flash floods caused by storm water unable to drain away into the combined storm and sewerage network. The Local Development Plan will facilitate the development of green infrastructure resource or ecosystem services such as the green wedges in Lagan Valley Regional Park (ref 2). Lagan Canal is one of the emerging partnership projects to produce plans to restore and revitalise the Lagan Canal corridor. The river Lagan and the canal is an asset for the city, and for the wider region (Ref 1).

"Walking pathway located on the banks of the river of the Arc which flows to the south of the city. It follows the meanders of the river and includes games for children, a fitness trail, meadows in the shade of tall trees that border the stream. It covers an area of 10 hectares." (Ref. 1)

The Aa promenade, created in 1950 to provide the citizens of Muenster with a green experience trail in the inner city, was redeveloped in the 90s with several planting measures on riverbanks, walls and in adjacent areas. Next to a brochure, a nature trail which combines the existing recreational with an educational component was created with 18 site-specific signposting points. They cover multiple benefits and ecological functions of urban green spaces, city trees and green facades/walls (microclimate regulation, air quality, CO2 capture), anthropogenic threats, unknown biodiversity hotspots and natural monuments (Ref. 1, 3 and 6).

Bute Park is a riverside green spot with an arboretum and gardens, containing a broad range of ecosystems supporting a wide variety of living species (ref 4). The historic Mill Leat had been dry since the 1970s."The word "leat" refers to "an open watercourse conducting water to a mill". The Mill Leat sits on the same site as a former millpond at the end of the original medieval millstream. It supplied water to corn mills located to the south of the Wst Gate and contained water well into the 1970s." (Ref 10) .Mill Leat Restoration or the re-flooding of the dry water body was a major deliverable under the Bute Park Restoration project (ref 2). In 2013 the overgrown channel was excavated, lined and refilled with water as part of the Bute Park Restoration Project (Ref 2). It enhanced the character of the park and provided a new habitat for wildlife (ref 1). Now re-flooded, Mill Leat is self-contained, self-regulating and self-circulating. It has reduced the risk of flooding and created a sustainable water feature (ref 2).

Wigan Flashes Project is encouraging natural re-colonisation to a site of very high conservation value and an enormous asset for recreation for the local community. The Wigan Flashes are a group of eight shallow wetlands, formed originally as a result of mining subsidence, which extend south from near Wigan's town centre. Over time, the industrial landscape has evolved in to a mixture of open water, reedbed, mossland, willow carr and fenland (ref 1).