Public local authority budget

Owing to European Funds, the University of Białystok opened a new modern ecological campus for the faculties of biology, mathematics and computer science. The new campus was designed to incorporate green and blue infrastructure elements, and embody the pro-ecological profile of the investment. Green vegetation covers the university's walls and roofs, which is nearly half of the 30,000 square meters big campus. There is a brook around buildings and small ponds in the university's inner courtyards. The campus uses a sustainable rain drainage system, which is located on the roof, and the rainwater flows to the artificial water tanks and is continuously filtered and redistributed. Finally, there is a publicly accessible centre for ecological education. Large decorative installations on each of the four courtyards enhance the aesthetic experience in the campus and inspire the faculty and students [1,2].

The project revitalized two old ponds – previous industrial and derelict area – and created two new ponds on the Marczukowska street in the city of Bialystok. The investment in its current shape is a tourist attraction and a valuable ecosystem for birds and amphibians. The project resulted in the increase of biodiversity in the area (additional ponds for the breeding of amphibians, two nesting islands not accessible to the public), and more effective management of the local water resources (cleaning and deepening of ponds, restoring an outflow for the excess water directly to the Biała river). Finally, it is a popular place with publicly open educational trails and bicycle paths [2,3,4].

Meadow orchards with fruit trees were an integral part of subsistence farming and form part of the cultural heritage of Wuppertal. To preserve and further develop these meadows as an important habitat for flora and fauna and promote their potential for sustainable consumption, 4 such meadows were sponsored, maintained and promoted by the city of Wuppertal in close collaboration with the working group for fruit meadows via events, communal harvesting activities and hands-on courses since 1999. Since 2015, these meadows have increasingly drawn the attention of "foodsharing" movements and during the nationwide research year "future town". (Ref. 1, 2, 6, 8). Enclosed between areas of intensive conventional agriculture and the federal motorway, the orchards as islands of biological diversity are important places of retreat and relaxation. (Ref. 5) Communal activities are also offered, such as the co-creation of “edible experience spaces”, joint harvesting and providing a base for additional social projects (Ref. 6).

The multifunctional Southern City Park in Nurnberg was organized in the place of the large car park alongside the railway. Construction of the new green area between Celtisplatz and Tafelfeldstrasse was built in three construction sections. In the western part, the green playground with cableway, slide and climbing rocks was arranged, the Karl-Bröger-Platz was equipped with benches and a fountain, whereas to the east a large green area with 76 newly planted trees was established (1, 4) Perennial plantings were arranged in eastern section of the park, which members of the Bund Naturschutz maintain on a voluntary basis. The park is also a place where social and cultural events are organized. (4)

There is a quickly growing number of residents, who want to grow their own food within a short distance of their locality, but new areas for allotments are not sufficient. The environmental NGO Dodo started a "guerilla gardening" movement, part of which is the temporary use of otherwise abandoned spaces. Specifically, at Kalastama area, an empty space waiting to be built upon, 36 farmers created an urban farm with recycled industrial bags to grow crops that can be removed afterwards (ref. 1). The garden in Kalasatama is a collaboration with the city of Helsinki, part of the temporary uses of the area, which in the next 20 years will be built into a new urban district of Helsinki (ref. 4)

The Zabalburu square is a square located in the city of Bilbao at the confluence between the streets Autonomía and Hurtado de Amézaga . In 2008, the creation of the square, situated on one of the main roads leading into the city, enabled the recovery of almost 3,000 m2 for leisure and recreation space. It was designed as a forest that protects citizens from road traffic, and has 77 different sized trees that act as a plant barrier. This NBS was necessary since it is located in a quite crowded area (Ref 1)

Situated on an area of 52 acres, Father Collins Park incorporates many sustainability-focused features and has won a number of awards. Over 1200 trees and 2000 native saplings were planted to help integrate the existing woodland, maximise biodiversity, and vastly increase the ecological value of the park. Also, wetland areas were created to filter and clean the water in the park as part of a recycling system that replenishes and helps clean the lake and water features. The wetland areas mimic the characteristics of natural wetlands and create a special ecosystem that encourages greater biodiversity in the park. (Ref. 1)

To test the newly developed Green Factor Tool for the City of Helsinki, with a focus on water management, two test sites (ätkäsaari pilot block and the three model yards in Kuninkaantammi) were created at residential blocks in Jätkäsaari and Kuninkaantammi. The tool itself is an Excel interface that calculates the quantity and quality of the city's green spaces per unit of area, It is part of the larger iWATER (integrated stormwater management) project (Ref 2). Specifically, after testing it on these two pilot sites, it is to support land use planning processes by providing a way to account for the quantity and quality of green space. The project aimed to analyze the cost-benefit of implemented sustainable stormwater solutions, compile stormwater-related planning tools as well as increase and strengthen the capacity of cities to work with stormwater issues (ref. 2).
One of the key objectives of developing the green factor method was to create green urban environments that have social value. Also, functionality was the second most important and cityscape (or landscape value) was the third most important category in green factor scoring.

Parque Central da Asprela is being designed by a team of specialists who see the great challenge of hydrographic control of Ribeira da Asprela and all other surrounding streams as an opportunity to create a unique landscape space in Porto, pleasant not only for the enjoyment of population but also as a crossing solution (pedestrian or cycling) for the academic community that daily studies and works in this area of ​​the city. The park is part of the green lung of the city. This NBS is a continuation of an action implemented in 2015 by the Municipality of Porto that had in mind the creation of a park which eventually had to be renovated and integrated and this is how this new NBS came to be implemented. (1)

As part of the EU Life+ CITYWATER project (of 3 cities), a sustainable stormwater management solution based on biofiltration was implemented in Maunulanpuisto Park in Helsinki, in order to purify rainwater and meltwater and improve water quality in the Haaganpuro Brook.
As the drainage area is heavily trafficked and paved with asphalt, high solid, nutrient and oil levels have occasionally been measured in the rainwater and meltwater entering the Haaganpuro brook. Such contamination is harmful to the fish stocks (e.g. trout) and other organisms in the brook. The biofiltration solution was the first of its kind in Helsinki. The solution also supported the City of Helsinki stormwater strategy, which aims at changing management towards sustainable solutions and states that stormwater should in first hand be infiltrated on spot, where it is created (ref. 1).