Eco-district in Ulaanbaatar
Eco-district creation in Ulaanbaatar comes under the Ulaanbaatar Green Affordable Housing and Resilient Urban Renewal Project (AHURP). The planned development areas are hotspots of greenhouse emissions and air pollution, mainly due to the widespread use of coal for heating and cooking. The project will transform the highly climate-vulnerable and polluting "ger" areas (traditional Mongolian tents) into zones that are low-carbon emitting, climate-resilient and affordable. This will be done through low-cost urban infrastructure, public facilities, and social housing units. The project's five phases will deliver about 20 eco-districts or sub-projects, with each covering an average of 5 ha. The project is a large-scale demonstration initiative that will leverage private sector investment to deliver affordable and green housing stock, and redevelop "ger" areas into urban areas that are resilient to climate change, contribute to decreased air and soil pollution, and will provide a liveable urban environment to "ger" area residents. It will also establish policies, mechanisms, and standards for sustainable affordable housing and green urban redevelopment. [1, 2, 3]
Natural Regeneration of Nidda River
The once rich in fish Nidda river in the north of Frankfurt was canalized and dammed in the 20th century. River loops were pierced, filled in or made into oxbow lakes. Newly built weirs stopped the fish migration. The expansion provided good protection against flooding, but the river became a canal (2).
In the 1990s, the Nidda neighbours developed a program for the renaturation of the river, the concept "Natural Nidda". It was decided by the city council of Frankfurt am Main in 1998 (2). The project consisted of many measures aiming at the restoration of the natural course and ecosystem of the Nidda river, the creation new habitats for flora and fauna, the expansion of the floodplain area and thus the river's retention capacity, the deconstruction of weirs, the renovation and building of bridges and the reconnection of disconnected branches of Nidda. Besides the environmental aspects, another project goal was to make the riverside more accessible for local offering various ways for relaxation and recreation. (2,7)
In the 1990s, the Nidda neighbours developed a program for the renaturation of the river, the concept "Natural Nidda". It was decided by the city council of Frankfurt am Main in 1998 (2). The project consisted of many measures aiming at the restoration of the natural course and ecosystem of the Nidda river, the creation new habitats for flora and fauna, the expansion of the floodplain area and thus the river's retention capacity, the deconstruction of weirs, the renovation and building of bridges and the reconnection of disconnected branches of Nidda. Besides the environmental aspects, another project goal was to make the riverside more accessible for local offering various ways for relaxation and recreation. (2,7)
