Increased protection against flooding

With the decline in industrial use, the grey harbour landscape of Frankfurt am Main became a habitat for rare plants. In 1986, the city council ordered transformation of the former industrial area into a public green space between the Main and the new residential area in the Ostend. The bright, spacious park with 2.1 ha surface was finished in 2000 (1) now welcoming locals for recreation and exercise while it also hosts a cultural summer festival and gives a home for local wall and fence lizards (1).

The project area comprises the morphological floodplain of the Rhine to the north and south of the city of Karlsruhe and sections of the river Alb, covering an area of about 7.665 hectares in total. Alongside Karlsruhe, five smaller communities in the neighbourhood contribute to the project as partners. Due to the channelling of the Rhine, the construction of dykes and the isolation of river channels, the area has lost its natural floodplains and precious habitats and became more vulnerable to flooding. Major objectives of the project are the re-introduction of natural floodplains and the enhancement of natural habitats for local flora and fauna. (Ref. 7). The project included an exceptionally wide range of measures including species protection measures, the complete desludging of parts of the Rhine, the re-establishment of softwood and hardwood forests typical of the floodplain, the construction of bridges, the natural remodelling of the entire river Trench systems and the creation of new bodies of water. (Ref. 9) The project also provides environmental education, informing the public about activities and encouraging their participation (Ref. 7)

The Mab Lane Community Woodland was planted on a former playing field at Mab lane and Croxdale Road West in Liverpool. It is a part of the larger Mersey Forest initiative which has been increasing the amount of woodland and green spaces across Cheshire and Merseyside since 1991.
The new woodland which has a network of native trees, wildflower meadows a community orchard as well as seasonal wetland areas and footpaths, was officially opened by the local community in 2010. It also includes new pathways for walkers and cyclists and areas for family picnics (Ref. 2, 10). Mab Lane Community Woodland is a partnership project involving the Forestry Commission, Northwest Development Agency, Mersey Forest, Big Lottery, Riverside Group, Liverpool City Council and the Local Community (Ref. 10).

Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century and is on UNESCO's list of the world's cultural heritage. For about 30 years, large amounts of groundwater leaked, threatening the survival of the ancient site. In order to address this, sustainable water treatment and climate adaptation measures (involving the largest rain garden of Norway, swales etc.) at Bryggen were used to restore the water balance at Bryggen. (Ref. 1)

"Nancy Grand Coeur" is the name of an urban renewal planning project in Nancy, which included several blue and green interventions. This area of Nancy received in 2009 the "EcoQuartier" (Eco-District) French label even though the renewal planning works started later, and are still ongoing. "Completely remodeling this district to make it an engaging "facade", adapted to the lifestyles of the time and to the evolutions of modern town planning (diversity of activities, fluidity of travel, sustainable development ...): that is all aims of the Nancy Grand Coeur operation" (Ref. 3).

Carillion-igloo, a joint venture company formed between The igloo Regeneration Partnership and Carillion plc was selected by Newcastle City Council and the Homes and Communities Agency to work in partnership with them in the redevelopment of a number of sites in the Lower Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle.
The regeneration project has been carried out in line with the sustainable investment policy of Igloo and consists of 5 phases. Phase 1: The Mailings focused on the transformation of a former industrial brownfield into a vibrant residential area on the banks of the Ouseburn promoting sustainable, low-energy living, flood protection and community building. These objectives were achieved by green areas creation, sustainable drainage system application and unique urban planning measures. (2, 15)

46.5 hectares of nationally-important habitat was restored in Doncaster as part of an Environment Agency-led project benefiting communities and wildlife. The work across seven woodland areas was designed to help improve water quality, reduce flood risk, and enhance natural habitats for protected species. By providing additional flood storage the project is able to help attenuate both peak and flood flow from rainfall events, reducing flood risk and damage and reducing the financial and carbon cost of pumping water from the Torne catchment. Although this project extended beyond Doncaster, Sandall Beat in Doncaster was part of the key sites (Ref 1).

The Desjoyaux ZAC in the Crêt-de-Roc district, was created in 2005. Since then, this three-and-a-half-hectare site, which is involved in the process of receiving the "eco-district" national label certification since 2015, has metamorphosed (Ref. 1). Some works aim to renew and embellish the public spaces located near the residences of the street and the impasse Desjoyaux to preserve biodiversity in the city center of Saint Etienne and for the well-being of citizens. (Ref. 1, 2 and 3). Community gardens, park, ephemeral gardens, swales and sustainable water filtration system are being developed in this project (Ref. 1, 2 and 3).

The restoration of the Nesttun watercourse was made in order to secure the watercourse’s surroundings against damaging floods and to develop its urban qualities as a blue/green structure traversing this part of the city. The City of Bergen has exploited possibilities in flood control measures to develop the watercourse’s natural qualities and improve accessibility. A number of measures were completed in order to give the watercourse a positive ecological status and make it into an attractive recreation corridor, learning arena and secure ‘blue-green’ urban structure. (Ref 1, 2)

The Brunton Park residential area in the northern part of Newcastle had a history of flooding as a result of urban growth in the local area and developments in the upper parts of the Ouseburn catchment. A total of 62 properties were at risk of sewer flooding whilst 74 properties were located within a flood zone. In 2014, the collaboration of the Northumbria Water, the Environmental Agency and the Newcastle City Council created the Brunton Park Flood Alleviation Scheme with the strategic objective to reduce the potential for flooding of adjacent properties from surface water and the Ouseburn, whilst also developing a sustainable, self-maintaining channel which supports environmental, social and economic purposes at the same time. (12)

The project included physical measures of embankment building, diverting part of the Ouseburn river, installation of sewage storing tank, and creating new water-dependent habitat (12)