Lowered local temperature

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 Hetton Lyons Primary School's green roof is designed to evolve and flourish over the coming years, helping to combat a number of climate change issues facing the next generation. Aims were ecological benefits, providing a natural habitat for plants and wildlife while helping to reduce air and noise pollution, cutting carbon emissions and assisting with rainwater retention and attenuation (Ref 1).

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 Green Ventilation Corridors network in Stuttgart, Germany is an implemented nature-based solution coupled with regulatory policies and incentives. Within this initiative, Green ventilation corridors were created to enable fresh air to sweep down from hills surrounding the city (4).

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)

The first external green wall in Lublin was installed at the University of Natural Sciences in September 2015, and it was later followed by two smaller installations inside and outside in 2017 [5]. Apart from their decorative and aesthetical functions, the walls serve educational and research purposes, as the suitability of the chosen plants for the Polish climate conditions will be evaluated for similar urban projects in the country. Finally, the project promotes urban greenery and certain offsetting for grey infrastructure [1, 2, 3, 5].

In 2008 the new building of the WGV-Insurance has been opened in Stuttgart. Since then customers and employees of the WGV have enjoyed the beautiful courtyards which contribute to a good working environment. The approx. 3.6 ft. (1.1 m) high, built-in planters have been provided with an automatic irrigation system with the irrigation pipes installed below the elevated concrete slabs. The four courtyards have been planted with a total of 58 small crowned trees. In addition, several extensive green roof areas of approx. 21,600 sq. ft. (2,000 m²) total were installed to improve the Stuttgart climate. (1, 6).

In 2008, a green wall of more than 500 m^2 using a hydroponic watering system was developed on the side of the Max Juvenal bridge. Designed by Patrick Blanc, french botanist and pioneer in the development of green walls, it is considered an "authentic work of art, which evolves over time and the seasons and contributes to "renaturing" the urban space" (Ref. 4, page 7). The wall is intended to illustrate the benefits that green walls can bring to the environment, such as the reduction of heat islands in urban areas and their contribution to cleaner air due to the production of oxygen and the reduction of CO2 rate by photosynthesis (Ref. 1).

It is the most extensive green roof in Lublin, designed to cover 16,700 square meters rooftop area of the shopping mall 'Castle Terraces' (Tarasy Zamkowe). Its purpose is to serve as a green recreational area for relaxation and public events, as well as an ecological solution for heat mitigation and water retention. The roof is divided into two parts: 1) an area accessible to the public with flower meadows, walking paths, viewing points from which the visitors can see Lublin’s old town 2) ‘intensive cultivation area’ with endemic trees, bushes and succulents which are not directly accessible to the public [1,2,3,8].

The Polder Roof is a green roof originally installed on the top of the Old School Amsterdam, Gaasterlandstraat, Amsterdam with innovative controllable water storage and drainage system on which crops are grown, solar panels are installed and that provides space for recreation. (1,2) Thereby, it combines multiple benefits including the reduction of heat stress, noise reduction, sustainable energy provision, biodiversity, food production and climate change adaptation (2,7). The Polder Roof was a pilot project that won an innovation award and is viewed as an example for urban climate change adaptation solutions. (2).

In 2019, due to the renovation of the former Old School building, it was necessary to relocate the Polder roof to a different place. The Polder Roof is a completely de-mountable system, made up of crates with a sedum layer on top, thus it could be removed quite easily from the Old School roof and put somewhere else. In the name of circularity, the sustainable drainage system was moved to the roof of the South Food Bank building. (10,11,12) With the relocation of the Polder Roof system, however, the size of the green roof has decreased to 1200 sqm from 2010 sqm (2).