Reduced emissions

The initiative is comprised of a project to recover the coastal line of Alicante, from El Campello to Elx (approx. 21 km long). The Municipality called an ideas' competition with the aim of developing a sustainable coastal corridor project that includes an intervention on the entire Alicante coastline and generates a continuous itinerary integrated into the landscape with new places of opportunity for the residents of the city (Ref. 7). The two-stage competition sought proposals for a new ‘coastal passage’ featuring the creation of new multi-purpose public spaces promoting biodiversity and accessibility (Ref 13). The winner was announced on the beginning of 2019 and the Municipality planned to start the development of the first 2 parts of the project. The winning project of the competition bears the slogan "My connected archipelago" and is the work of the Grupo Aranea and Subarquitectura studios from Alicante (Ref 14), a project that considers ecological and sustainable principles (Ref. 9).

FutureBuilt is a program running between 2010-2020, with expectations to continue from 2021-2030 (Ref. 9). One of its projects consists of the construction of a large greenhouse in between a housing complex in an old industrial building. The greenhouse will be the centre of the building and provide a Mediterranean climate with a lot of green facades, green roofs and indoor vertical greeneries (Ref. 1). The nave of the complex will become a greenhouse and the natural gathering point for the residents. (Ref. 1, 3)

The first " ecological zone" in Ljubljana was established in 2007 in the old city centre. This led to the closure of a 100,000 m² area to motor vehicles, and the renovation of the main traffic axis to make it attractive for pedestrians and cyclists. The new transport regime in this area reduced black carbon levels by 58%. Additionally, the city administration has planted 63 ash trees. Biking and sustainable mobility have been promoted, in line with providing new green areas for social and sporting activities in formerly degraded areas. The "renaissance“ is not focused only on the city center and the implementation of the car-free zone, but it is expanded throughout Ljubljana and covers different fields, such as the revival of degraded areas, the establishment of green public spaces, playgrounds for children, eco-renovation of schools and kindergartens, cultural and sports facilities, etc. Finally, the river Ljubljanica has been the focus of an ecological restoration project. This was done with the aim of reducing pollution and returning the city centre to the citizens, by incentivizing pedestrian and bicycle commute. The "ecological zone" project has been completed. After the completion of the project, further initiatives were taken which is directly related to the project itself. Some of them focusing on converting the city to a sustainable one is still going on. (1, 3, 4 and 8).

The Alicante City Council will receive 11 million euros from the European FEDER sustainable growth program 2014-2020 to carry out this project, the Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategy of Alicante DUSI Las Cigarreras. This funding will allow the integral transformation of an area that extends between The Castles of Santa Bárbara and San Fernando.” (Ref. 1). The specific transformation includes the recovery and dynamization of an important urban area that includes four historical neighbourhoods and two of the most emblematic mountains of the city, surrounded by two castles and with extensive green areas and rehabilitation of the existing city from the social and environmental sustainability, facing new urban development (Ref. 2)

This large urban and peri-urban corridor crosses the area of Sevilla and connects the city to neighbouring towns. It is 68 km long, starting at the Bridge of the V Centenario it continues to five end points in the area. (Santiponce, Los Palacios, Dos Hermanas, Parque del Alamillo, Parque de La Corchuela) (Ref 1)

”Gothenburg is now greener and more beautiful. Urban farming is the name of the investment that Göteborgs Stads Fastighetskontor (The property office) makes to stimulate small-scale and residential/urban farming. The goal is to get new crops, crops in unconventional places, plants/farming that provide joy and help to spread knowledge and create contact between generations and people from different parts of the city and the world. But also to develop the already existing cultivation and colony areas.” (Ref. 1)

The project involved the redevelopment of old military infrastructure at the periphery of the Zagreb city (Boronaj) into a green and carbon-negative university campus. The Boronaj campus has planned to be the green campus of the university and includes the use of renewable energy (biomass, geothermal and solar), treatment cell for wastewater and a huge green area (with trees and shrubs). The buildings (constructed and to be constructed) are planned to be carbon negative (Ref 1). A significant portion of the campus is the green areas (with trees and shrubs). This was created with the aim to contribute and maintain the native species diversity (Ref 3, 4). In addition to increasing the biodiversity of the city, the tree species has improved the air quality of the area and reduced the local air temperature. The project is partially completed. Some buildings are yet to be constructed. The Campus was officially opened on October 12th 2007 and for now, it hosts 4 university units: Centre for Croatian Studies, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Traffic Engineering and Faculty of Economics and Business (only vocational study programmes in economics and business). Five other faculties are also planning to relocate to the Campus in the next few years. Besides the (re)construction of university buildings, campus will be home to a sports centre, student residence hall and a number of institutes. The project is partially completed, some of the buildings are completed while some are yet to be constructed. (Ref 1, 3, 7).

'Grey to Green' is one of the most invested projects in Sheffield, to transform the Riverside Business District. In Phase -1 this project will transform a 1.2 km unused road to attractive new public space, which will include innovative perennial flower meadows, an interlinked sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS), rain gardens, public art and high quality paved footways (ref 2). The whole project and landscape have been designed by the City Council, partnership with the University of Sheffield Landscape School, Amey and Robert Bray Associates. The SUD was designed by leading national experts on landscaping, and it is believed that SUD will help in flood relief in this part of the city by soaking up run off to the river within the ‘flood zone’ (ref 2). In Phase-2, the scheme will link Castlegate to the under-used Victoria Quays area and transform the almost redundant former inner ring road with sustainable drainage, floral meadows, segregated cycle lanes and public art. (ref7)

The main aim of this program is to address the lack of green roofs across South Yorkshire. Greening bus shelter's roofs is indeed an innovative idea, as it provides an attractive green space in urban streets and also offer much-needed shade for waiting passengers. The living vegetation installed on the bus shelter will filter pollution and particulates from transport exhaust; will, in turn, reduce the pollution - protect passengers health. Greening of the bus shelters highlights the value of integrating sustainable design and green travel in attempts to reduce rates of climate change. (ref 1) Each bus shelter roof is 6sq m in size and all over the city, there are several such green roof bus shelters (ref 1).

The conservation of agricultural activities allows for the preservation of the landscape for all, with the possibility to offer to Milaners a place of leisure, tranquility, nature and tradition within the city, where to taste - also while tasting the products of the earth - what is the the Milanese agricultural world. It is located in the South West of Milan, within the Parco Agricolo Sud, in an area between the two Navigli, the Grande and the Pavese (1).