Public Greenspace Area

The mangrove area of Morne Cabri, located in the municipality of Le Lamentin and sharing the bay of Fort-deFrance, is the largest mangrove area in Martinique. Since 2011, the municipality has led efforts to understand and better manage the area (Ref 1). The natural regeneration of the mangrove is threatened by fresh water run-off (from waste and rainwater), invasive species and pollution. However, it is an important protection against extreme weather events, operates as a carbon sink for the island and provides recreational activities (Ref 1). The municipality has led several initiatives supported by volunteers, local businesses, national subsidies and private donations (See: Ref 2, 3, 4, 11).

As part of the development of the neighbourhood around Opaltorget in Tynneryd, Gothenburg, a park has been thoroughly renovated. The area is being developed and renovated as part of a long-term, large-scale project to become more attractive, safe, and sustainable [Ref. 1]. The area has previously been classified as an exposed area, indicating socio-economic problems and relatively high crime rates [Ref. 7, 8]. The old park was considered an important part of the neighbourhood but was sometimes perceived as being unsafe or being used mainly as a passage area. The renovation aims to make the park safer, more attractive, and more accessible to residents [Ref. 1, 3]. The new park includes a playground, recreational areas, rainwater management and a diverse tree population promoting the delivery of several ecosystem services [Ref. 2]. Around the park, new residential buildings and a kindergarten have been constructed, and the adjacent square, a central spot of the neighbourhood for business and social interactions, has been renovated [Ref. 2, 4, 8, 10]

In January 2024, the municipality of Cagliari inaugurated three new green areas in the city, adding five and a half hectares of green spaces for residents to enjoy. These areas are located between Keplero, Avicenna, and Parigi streets, not far from the city center (Refs. 1 & 2).
The primary goal of this initiative is to mitigate the effects of climate change, particularly rising temperatures. The green areas are designed to reduce the city's heat island effect and contribute to carbon sequestration. The planting of new trees will also help maintain ecosystems and improve environmental conditions in targeted areas . Special attention was given to soil quality, with most projects incorporating walkways equipped with drainage systems (Refs. 1, 2, & 4). Additionally, the new infrastructure aims to foster social engagement and attract more citizens, who will benefit from these improvements. (Refs. 1 & 2).
This initiative is also expected to boost the local economy by encouraging the development of small complementary services (Ref. 3). It is part of a larger municipal project co-funded by the EU.

This project aimed to create an urban forest that will grow within Dublin’s Darndale Park, which is popular among students and sports clubs. The objective is to offer the community a green area where they can gather, appreciate nature, and enhance their knowledge about it. The new forest will act as a windbreak for the nearby fishing pond and aims to address challenges related to heatwaves that endanger the lives of young and elderly people. To foster a sense of inclusion and unity, the forest is designed in a doughnut shape, consisting of 3,000 native species like oaks, birch, willow, and hazel, with the trees forming the outer ring (1, 2). This urban forestation initiative is a component of the Uforest project, which is funded by the European Commission and supported by Etifor (environmental consulting company established within the Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry of the University of Padua) and Ersaf (an instrumental body of the Lombardy Region) . The Uforest project seeks to enhance Europe's innovation capacity by fostering collaboration among universities, cities, and businesses to develop a novel approach to urban forestry (1).

The project consists in creating an urban orchard at a juvenile detention center. Strickland Youth Center welcomes troubled youth with the final aim of the intervention is to ensure a successful reintegration of youth into the community (Ref 4). The orchard is aimed to be maintained by the youth of the center, providing them with skills and preparing them for the job market (Ref 2). The orchard harvests will provide healthy food options for low-income and minority residents (Ref 1) in the surrounding neighbourhood that has been identified as a food desert (lack of nutritional options available) (Ref 2). The project also has an educational purpose on healthy food for the youth and residents (Ref 3). Besides, the orchard's green space aims to contribute to beautification (Ref 1) and to sequester carbon dioxide (Ref 1).

The himmelbeet is an intercultural, inclusive community garden in Berlin that has been inviting people to garden and harvest their own produce since 2013. The garden offers around 200 raised beds that are communal and can be rented by neighbors, individuals and institutions (Ref. 1; Ref. 3). The project aims to familiarize children and adults with ecology, sustainability and healthy eating and to offer space for social exchange and education, while being inclusive to people with different (dis)abilities and backgrounds (Ref. 2; Ref. 6). The design and implementation of environmental education workshops are a vital part of the work. (Ref. 1; Ref. 6) With its own café and vegetable production, himmelbeet is strongly oriented towards the principles of the economy for the common good. The garden team also looks after other gardens in the city - on behalf of educational institutions, social institutions, housing associations and neighborhoods. (Ref. 1; Ref. 6)
Originally located in Ruheplatzstrasse, the garden moved in 2021 to Gartenstrasse, because of land disputes with the providing land owners and the demand of the space for other social projects. (Ref. 8; Ref. 11)

Lima Verde is one of the pillars of the metropolitan mayor's government plan and is supported by SERPAR. It aims to reforest hillsides, hills, and central berms of metropolitan and local roads, as well as public recreational spaces, to create urban lungs that generate oxygen and scenic beauty for the benefit of the health of all residents (Ref 1, 3). Its goal is to plant one million trees in four years (2022 - 2026) in different parts of North, East and South Lima (Ref 3, 5, 6). This project is being carried out to respond to the increasing problem of urban heat islands that are being generated, especially in the most vulnerable districts where there is no shade due to a shortage of trees (Ref 1, 4). It is therefore focused on areas where the environmental quality is low, where the pollution is high and where there is more danger of higher temperatures (Ref 1, 7).
This programme aims to include youth volunteers, district municipalities, educational institutions, grassroots social organisations, neighbourhood leaders, residents and other entities that favour environmental conservation (Ref 1, 2, 3, 5).

The Republic Services Garden is a one-acre garden created and located in Hance Park, a large urban park located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. As part of the larger revitalization of the park, the garden was created to showcase native desert plants, recycled materials, and shaded seating, serving as a model for eco-friendly urban landscaping. Its key goals are to enhance the park's appeal, create a welcoming community space, and demonstrate the potential of sustainable design in cities. By blending nature with urban infrastructure, the garden helps mitigate the urban heat island effect, addresses water scarcity, and supports habitat restoration. The project is a collaboration between the City of Phoenix and the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, with financial backing from Republic Services, the second-largest waste disposal company in the U.S. (Refs. 1, 5, 7, 12, 15).

Mehr Bienen für Berln - Berlin blüht auf is a project that aims to provide an example of how public green spaces can be upgraded to be pollinator-friendly, thus creating urban habitats for wild bees and other insect species (Ref. 4). The project was implemented by the German Wildlife Foundation in cooperation with the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and Environment and other stakeholders, in all 12 Berlin districts, whereby the districts support the allocation of the exact location for the NBS (Ref. 3; Ref. 4). Measures for each location are compiled based on the specific surroundings, use and existing vegetation with a low mowing frequency in all areas (Ref. 2; Ref. 4). Most of the areas are road median strips, roundabouts, designated areas in parks or residual commercial areas (Ref. 4). After the first phase (2018-2022), the project has now entered its second phase (2023-2025) and was renamed to “Mehr Bienen in Berlin - Aus Grün wird Bunt” (engl.: More bees in Berlin - from green to colourful) (Ref. 3). The main goals are to reach a minimum of 100 flowering areas in 2025, to halt the sharp decline in bees and other insects, and to inspire citizens to protect wild bees (Ref. 1,2, 3). The project has so far limited acceptance among the population, as the areas are regarded as unkempt due to the low mowing frequency. Public relations work, like the installation of information signs next to the areas, is intended to increase understanding among the public (Ref. 4).

The Tbilisi Urban Forest is an ecological restoration project of 5,5 ha spanning two pilot areas initiated in 2020. Located on Mtatsminda ridge around Tbilisi, it is part of a larger reforestation effort within the 700-ha forest territory (Ref. 1,2). The project is funded by the Cartu Foundation and led by the Development and Environment Foundation along with Tbilisi City Hall. Restoration is undertaken to addresses significant challenges such as forest dieback caused by pest infestations, climate change adaptation as well as the creation of recreational infrastructure (Ref. 3,5). Through collaboration among interdisciplinary scientists and urban planners, a novel reforestation strategy has been developed that integrates patches of locally sourced plant communities tailored to diverse soil and slope conditions. This approach incorporates existing trees with new saplings, carefully grafted into existing soil pockets, and focuses on a biodiverse palette of endemic and climate-adapted species (Ref. 1,5). While the project implementation could not be carried out as planned, lacking public participartory due to Covid 19, still 100 jobs were created locally (Ref. 2). Ultimately, the Urban Forest project will enhance ecological connectivity, biodiversity and tourism and also serve the public as an improtant recreational site (Ref. 1,2).