Previous derelict area

There are various projects under the Den Grønne Kile initiative or the Green Wedge. The Green Wedge passes through all 4 subdivisions of the new district Aarhus K, and has a building percentage of 25% within the boundaries of the "wedge". (Ref. 3) Citizens are invited to contribute with green projects through the municipal innovation project "Green Citizen" (Grøn Medborger). (Ref. 1) The first and most prominent is a park created by citizens on an old railway track. The park has the nickname 'Kilen' and is a new city park for everyone, including upcoming residents and companies in the new district 'Aarhus K'. The park helps to promote the creative energy in the area and is in line with the development of the new district; it differs from the other city parks in Aarhus by offering space for many different activities and temporary projects that give life to 'Kilen' and make the trip along the railway track an exciting experience. (Ref. 1)

The Leonardo Garden was a community garden in an empty building site of 8th district of Budapest, that implementation was initiated by KÉK, the Contemporary Architectural Centre. (Reference 3)
The recultivation of two neglected, empty plots of land created one of the earliest community gardens in Hungary. Plants for consumption, spices, herbs and ornamental plants were planted. The 95 plots in the Garden were cultivated by young people, families and pensioners, but the Garden also served educational purposes, as it frequently received school groups. The Garden has hosted a number of public community and cultural, gastronomic and musical events, which were well attended by both the neighbourhood and the general public. The community garden was closed in March 2018 because the company that owns the land wanted to start construction on it. (Reference 5)

Hellenikon Metropolitan Park will be a large urban park located in Hellinikon, Athens, Greece. The park will be the central attraction of the Hellinikon project. It will provide Athens with a much needed ecological boost. When finished the park will be the largest in Europe. It will be approximately 200 hectares spanning the site of the former Hellenikon International Airport (Ref 4). The project will follow an integrated approach to sustainability. The objective is to boost greenery and create high-quality spaces while minimizing the natural resources used, protecting and enhancing the ecosystems in the region, and also raising awareness and educating the public on sustainability issues (Ref 1). Initially, the project was planned to start in 2008 and to be completed by 2013, but with the unfortunate and unseeing financial crisis worldwide, was shelved. A part of the project has been completed in the first 5 years. In 2013, a new design strategy for the project was submitted as part of The Hellinikon Project. The team included Foster & Partners, Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture, ARUP and a group of Greek design consultants. The design was revised and resubmitted to the Greek government in 2018 (Ref 3). The project is now under the consideration of the Greek Ministry of Culture for infrastructure and monuments (Ref 1).

On the derelict industrial plant in Brackwede, which was independent until 1973, a large leisure facility with an extensive range of leisure activities was planned. However, due to more recent findings, this direction was rejected and a natural green corridor was created with unique biotope areas that had developed over time from the abandoned bleaching ponds and meadows. The Luttertal is located in Bielefeld Quelle, south of the
The industrial plant in Brackwede was intentionally abandoned since 1973, due to the local municipality recently cancelled the project of the redevelopment of the area and kept it intact. Till now, a “natural green area developed with very interesting biotope areas, which had evolved over time” at the abandoned site.

Along the 'Green Belt' (Grünen Band) in Bielefeld, which connects several urban grave lands with a continuous path, the organisation of Transition Town Bielefeld created a community garden to replace the permaculture garden in Bleichstrasse. (8) Thanks to its location, apart from the food production, the garden increases the environmental quality of the site serving as a green transition between the grey areas and the city. This function is in line with the overarching mission of Transition Town Bielefeld to promote energy and cultural transition in the city through different initiatives. (7) The community garden initiative was started in 2013 and welcome citizens to take part in the maintenance, planting and other gardening work of the garden or simply to enjoy its beauty since its launch in 2015. The project has a bigger goal towards sustainable development of urban infrastructures and social equity (1,2).

The garden was established in 2012 by self-management of the community of Exarcheia. The site is a former parking lot in public land, historically reclaimed by the neighbourhood as a green zone. People occupied the space, designed the park, and constructed it. The former parking lot was owned by the Technical Chamber of Greece (TCG). A weekly assembly manages the site and activities. The aim of the community garden is formative, to show how to grow food, reproduce and collect seeds. The park has encompassed multiple functions in addition to community food-producing garden, such as children's playground, a place for cultural events, gathering and emancipation (Ref 1, 2, 3).

Restructuring a public derelict land into few private vegetable and fruit gardens. The gardeners practice organic gardening making it more sustainable. This provides foods as well as increasing the soil fertility, and reduction of the soil erosion. This also creates some extra vegetable and fruit market in the city. 20 % of the food produced is donated to the food bank. The project is a community project which also helps to bring people together. Started in April 2012 (Ref 1,4). The project is one of the initiatives by the Greek municipalities allotting land to local citizens with the purpose of increasing food security for the underprivileged, educating the younger generation, and providing their citizens with a retreat from city life (Ref 3).

Before the intervention, the dam was a derelict former industrial and recreational area. (Reference 6) It was transformed into a green recreational park of the southern part of Budapest. 40,000 square metres of grass was laid, 700 trees, 20,000 shrubs and 20,000 perennials were planted. (Reference 4) The park now is a home to a biodiverse population of wild birds. It is one of the few places of the city that have direct connection to the Danube, giving space for strolling, doing sport, playing and relaxing. In 2018, a large-scale development began next to the dam, with the aim of creating a new city center. This would make the park a place for leisure for much greater number of people, but may be detrimental to the ecosystem of the dam. (Reference 6)

Opened in 2019, the René-Dumont Park which runs adjacent to a railway is "a centerpiece of the urban composition of the Nouveau Saint-Roch neighborhood" in Montpellier. (Ref. 1 and 2). This north/south 1.2-1.3 ha vegetation corridor represents a major of the city's urban renewal plan and "allows a great articulation among existing habitats, infrastructures and a contemporary neighborhood" (Ref. 2). The large area is considered to be exceptional for dense urban centres (Ref. 2). "The Nouveau Saint-Roch district is an example of a social, generational and functional diversity" (Ref. 2).

In 2009, the city of Montpellier launched a large census project to valorize its abandoned areas. The study gives guidance on the management of abandoned areas in Montpellier, particularly in connection with environmental education and awareness objectives (Ref. 2). The strategy aims to preserve and promote the natural heritage of Montpellier; promote wastelands as reservoirs of biodiversity, tools for connecting natural spaces; protect and enhance the great green flows accompanying watercourses (biological links and privileged sites for fauna and flora); and develop a network of soft transport throughout the city based on the green network (rivers, agricultural, natural and park areas) (Ref. 4). "The spaces have been classified according to their context, their origin, their potential. This sometimes subjective typology presents a classification of the wasteland and makes it possible to take a particular look on each land. Surfaces of all shapes and sizes fall within this operational classification." Four Experimental projects include: Zenith Friche, Promenade of the Lironde, Pastourelle, Combemale" (Source: uploaded document).