Corporate investment

The aim of the project was to extend and cover one of Germany’s busiest highways, the south-north highway (A7). The highway had divided neighborhoods from each other and had had negative environmental effects like noise and air pollution. The new green roof will have three parts that connect the existing green surfaces to each other, these parts constitute the three phases of the construction. The urban areas in the vicinity of the noise-reduced motorway will be developed for residential construction. The project also includes the reconstruction of the Langenfelder Brücke in a way which makes the bridge wider, and also provides better noise protection for locals. (Reference 10) In September 2020, only the first phase has been completed, and the final completion is planned for 2028. (Reference 1, 3, 12).

The water treatment station in Marquette-lez-Lille had a makeover in September 2014. The facility was renovated and rebuilt with cutting-edge technologies and included a new energy production unit. The plant serves 37 municipalities with treated water. The renovation project enabled the station to be integrated into an urban environment. Almost 17 acres have been transformed into a wetland with the planting of more than 20,000 trees and shrubbery. Encircled by a high-speed road, the Deûle canal, a forest and homes, this classified site is marked by exceptional biodiversity. The Marquette station is recognized as a leader in its industry and was nominated by Global Water Intelligence (GWI) as one of the four projects of the year worldwide for 2014 (Ref 1).

The Eco-District at the Banks of the Bohrie Ostwald is structured around water with the Bohren pond, the river Ostwaldergraben and the seasonal and permanent wetlands (Ref. 2). The project covers 50 hectares and was initiated by Strasbourg Eurométropole with 2 developers: CM CIC SAREST and Nexity-Foncier Conseil (Ref. 1, 7). The district will integrate its structures into the surrounding water land and vegetation to provide for agricultural water management and flood preventing procedures (Ref. 2). It will also have green roofs, public green spaces, (Ref. 4) vegetable gardens, (Ref. 7) and composting, while on-site vegetation will participate in the deployment of green infrastructure (Ref. 5). "An eco-district of 48 hectares (17 urbanized hectares) is being created" (Ref. 11).

Since the decay of the former DDR, the lignite industry had a major downturn. Most of the mines were closed and its remaining craters re-naturalized and flooded with ground- or rainwater to be revived as recreational lakes. In the Leipzig area of "Neuseenland" up to 23 artificial lakes were created since the nineties by the respective mining company "Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH" which has the obligation to securely and sustainably redevelop the area into forestry, agricultural, natural or recreational areas and reintegrate it into the adjacent landscape. The lakes have become important recreational areas for citizens (4, 8).

In 2014, the Marseille Provence Métropole Urban Community commissioned five new stormwater retention basins in order to preserve the quality of coastal waters and reduce the risk of flooding (Ref. 4). In the past, in the event of severe thunderstorms the sewage networks became saturated and a portion of the water was then directly discharged into the sea without going through the sewage treatment plants (Ref. 1). This is seen as "one of the most important documents of recent years in terms of environmental protection. It foresees in the next 5 years, 185 million euros of major works" (Ref. 1).

Green roofs were installed on two buildings the Wellness Hotel in Maximus Resort in Brno. The roofs have technical, ecological, and aesthetic functions. The main objective was to integrate the buildings of the Wellness Hotel to the surrounding greenery in order to create a quiet and undisturbed place for relaxation (Ref. 1; Ref. 2).

Kronsberg was built as a model district of sustainable urban development for the EXPO 2000, which motto was 'Humankind-Nature-Technology'. In the previously intensively farmed area, 3200 new dwelling unit was built. Among other sustainable technologies, the planners of the district developed a quasi-natural drainage system that aimed to provide the municipalities a sustainable alternative for traditional drainage (Reference 1, 2).

20 years after planning started in 1992, EXPO district of Kronsberg has proven its viability in terms of sustainable urban development and provided important foundations for advanced urban planning of new buildings in Hannover and elsewhere. The project was showcased in the ‘Crystal’ exhibition pavilion in London as a global standard for integrated construction. The ‘World Cities Summit 2012’ in Singapore also paid tribute to the residential area as one of the world’s hundred most innovative infrastructure projects (Reference 1, 2013).

This NBS is part of a building complex which includes also a mall. The PALAS urbanization complex, developed by IULIUS in Iasi, introduces the "lifestyle center" concept in the "mixed-use developments" market in Romania. Designed as a large urban, economic, social and cultural development project, PALAS contributes to the development of Iaşi by attracting foreign investors and repositioning the capital of Moldova in the national and international tourist circuit, bringing also new concepts to the Romanian business market. More than being a public garden, this green space is viewed as an endowment to the development of the city (1)

From 2009 to 2018, a green wall including 1,700 mediterranean perennials (agapanthus, valerian, fern) fed by a water-saving watering system was in place in a heavily frequented part of Marseille (Ref. 3, slide 4). JC Decaux Advertising offered the 70 m² of space for advertising display around the green wall. The project was abandoned in 2018 when the vegetation was completely removed to allow for advertisements to take up the entire surface of the wall (Ref. 1).

The river Emscher is the symbol of one of the internationally most renowned industrial regions: the Ruhr area with its 5 million inhabitants and an important location of key industries such as steel, chemical, and materials industry. The revitalisation of the Emscher over the last 20 years marks a new phase in the region‘s history and is an impressive example of ecological and socio-economic transformation affecting all aspects of life along the river (Ref. 1).