Reduced emissions

A modern office building in Poznan and a headquarter of a large company was designed to include multiple environmentally friendly solutions like cycling facilities, energy-efficient appliances in the building, roof gardens, the use of rainwater in the sanitary facilities, waste segregation system and the overall energy-efficient design of the building façade to let in as much natural light as possible [1].

"In order to make this center area attractive and dynamic, the EPASE (Saint-Etienne Public Development Agency) and the town hall of Saint-Etienne have set up an ambitious eco-neighborhood project. This project is based on public spaces that are built on an original urban park model where nature is the driving force behind the site. Nature is at the heart of this "park city" project, realized in record time: in a year and a half, the vast majority of the park's work has been carried out and the neighborhood has begun to change."(Ref. 1)

The petrol station is a result of a long-term project of MOL, called as the “The petrol station of the future”. The designers created a building with excellent thermal insulation, green walls, a green roof, solar panels, rainwater utilization and an alternative heating system. Even the interior of the building was created with as much environmentally friendly materials as possible. The building uses LED lighting only to save energy. These environmental efforts resulted in Energy savings of more than 50 percent, and the neutralization of 10 tons of CO2 gas emissions. (Reference 1)

The University of Sheffield has embraced green roof technology for its benefits to the built environment, and to support Sheffield City Council vision of Sheffield as the UK’s green roof capital. Most buildings the University feature intentionally vegetated green roofs and some existing buildings with suitable structures have been retrofitted with green roofs (ref 1). The first instrumented test plot for the green roof was installed on the Mappin Building roof. In 2009, Jessop West building and the Robert Hadfield – Green Roof Centre Demonstration Site are studied for replicating the model (ref 4).

The Community Supported Agriculture initiative in Bonn (SoLaWi Bonn) is an economically motivated arrangement between consumers, farm businesses and certified gardeners to improve the urban provision of local, organic food. Together they develop a concept for collaboration where the consumer group commits to pay an annual fee to cover all of the farmer's expenses for production (according to individual financial capabilities) and to work placements at the farm per year. In exchange, the customer members of the initiative receive a variety of fresh, seasonal, locally produced vegetables. The farmers profit from financial security and economic stability and the ability to apply environmental friendly agriculture practices without the pressure of the market economy (1,4).

The agriparc of the Mas Nouguier is an agricultural reserve entirely maintained by the city of Montpellier. Conducted in organic agriculture, the estate contributes to the preservation of the identity of the territory and to the valorization of the living environment. Accessible to all, it offers a beautiful walk in the middle of the vineyards. Apiaries are used to develop educational workshops and to collect honey with school children. Olive trees, centennial pines and a large meadow come to embellish this little bit of countryside in town (Ref. 1).

The city of Malmö works for a sustainable urban environment, e.g. through planning the city's new construction, working on existing buildings and at the same time striving to reduce the environmental impact. Västra Hamnen (Western harbour) is a new and ultra-modern district in Malmö. It is located on a former shipyard area right beside the sea, only less than a kilometer north-west of the medieval old town of Malmö (ref. 10). In the Western Harbour where land was available after the shipyard’s closure, high sustainability has been sought from the beginning. In dialogue with builders and other actors, Malmö City has developed guidelines for energy use, green structure, waste solutions and a healthy indoor environment. (Ref. 1)

"The HUERTAS LIFE KM0 project aims to recover the natural peri-urban Gardens of Zaragoza through the promotion of a ‘zero kilometre’ (km0) concept of local agricultural production. It expects to demonstrate a successful approach for implementing the European Territorial Strategy (ETS), delivering economic, social, health and environmental benefits. " (ref 4) in peri-urban green areas that have been neglected (Ref. 4).

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).

The Sprouting Building is an apartment complex which was built in 2000 in such a way as to have seeds grow from the exterior walls of the building. "There are "balcony-gardens" to dine in with many friends, "balcony-cabins" perched among the trees for more intimate encounters, "balcony-lookouts" to curiously explore the foliage of the treetops, and "balcony-terraces" for reflection and contemplation. The project could have been called “the balcony in all its forms" but instead it was named "the building that grows." The building "grows" thanks to plants on the building's walls. Its skin has become a kind of mini-ecosystem" (Ref. 1).