Improved waste management

"Formerly a 10 hectare market gardening site, the Repainville area is rich in environmental potential: ponds, streams, springs ... the aquatic environment is present everywhere. There is a great variety of fauna and flora. As an ecosystem that is particularly rare in urban areas, protection and recovery measures are being undertaken" (Ref. 1). The restoration of the wetland of Repainville is part of a flagship project of the municipality in terms of safeguarding biodiversity in urban areas. With arrangements allowing the public to walk there without harming the biological and natural diversity of the place, the site has an educational dimension in order in particular to make young audiences aware of the preservation of the ecosystem (Ref. 7).

The 'Painting The Town Green' project worked in urban and suburban areas of Medway, Swale and Thanet. They improved or created green spaces in these areas, adding color and enhancing biodiversity together with locals from many different backgrounds. They specifically worked with schools, nurseries and community groups to improve neglected environments. The project aimed to increase participants' well-being as well as leaving improved spaces for local communities to enjoy (ref. 1).

The community garden "Les Hauts Sèment" is located in Rouen in the district of Lombardy, being the first community garden of Rouen animated by the city in 2011. It is "an educational garden which has been created and is maintained by the gardener in association with users wishing to invest in the association. It is supported by different animations" (Ref. 1 and 2, page 12).

The 'Painting the Town Green' project got to work with Blossoms Day Nursery, based at Wayfield Primary School. Working with parents of the two-year-olds who attend the nursery, they added more wildlife-friendly areas to the outdoor play space. The grounds are now home to colorful planters hung on the low fences, filled with bulbs which will flower in the Spring, and topped with miniature firs and winter pansies; a beehive-shaped compost bin. All of these things provide rich wildlife habitats and educational opportunities (Ref 1, 4).

After Local Community consultation, a pocket park was created in Luton Millenium Green to facilitate community engagement and a sustainable legacy for future generations. The project included the installation of pathways, clear invasive vegetation, common vegetable planters, wildflower and enclosed areas and an orchard with 30 trees (ref 1, 3).

Fil vert aims to help green the streets in Normandy and raise awareness among citizens of the importance of being an actor of their daily life with regard to the occupation of public space. They aim to "embellish our streets, which are often devoid of vegetation, but also to train responsible citizens" (Ref. 7). "Operation "Fil Vert" was launched at Croix de Pierre (District) in Rouen in September 2013 to beautify and revitalize the district by mobilizing residents and tradespeople. It aims of installing planters in front of the inhabitants and the merchants (subject to obtaining the agreement of the owners in case of hiring), along the pavements, provided that it makes at least 1.40 M width to allow strollers and wheelchairs to pass." (Ref. 3)

The scheme of the single storey extension building ‘the Irene Kennedy Centre’ (Wirral Churches’ Ark Project, known as, Wirral Ark; a registered charity) includes a sedum roof which provides a more pleasant outlook from the existing upper floor bedrooms, whilst also maximizing environmental potential. (Ref. 1)

‘De Schilde’ in The Hague was the former factory of Philips Telecommunication that had been empty for years. In 2016, it become the home to the largest commercial city facility for food production in Europe: a 1,200 m2 roof greenhouse for specialized vegetables, a 370 m2 covered fish farm and a 250 m2 area for integrated processing and packaging. In addition, 250 m2 within the farm was exclusively reserved for events and guided tours. (5) The farm comprised two-storey greenhouses on the roof and uses the UF system for the sustainable production of fish and vegetables. (5) The urban farm was initiated by the the municipality of the Hague and realised by Urbanfarmers, a Swiss technology company focused on building food production facilities in cities (5).

However, the initiative wasn't successful. In 2018, the company declared bankruptcy and terminated production in the rooftop farm as it did not produced any revenues. (12,13).

The Green Corridor Bernetal developing on the site of the former sewerage system will link the downtown of Essen with the districts of Altenessen and Freiräumen in the North of the city. New green and blue infrastructure will be introduced along the modernized way available also for pedestrians and cyclists. The project is developed along with the city policy towards environmental regeneration of the Emscher region (Ref. 1).

The Strasbourg Grandeur Nature Plan is engineered by Strasbourg Metropole and is focused on optimising the actions and resources and resources of local authorities in the maintenance of local biodiversity and improving the living environment (Ref. 7). It combines with local associations and citizens through organising interfaces (e.g. workshops, online tools) that allow relevant local authorities to engage with local projects and make interventions on the basis of proposals made by the community. The project aims at improving the maintenance and development of green spaces and biodiversity due to the environmental issues surrounding urban sprawls (Ref. 4).