Public local authority budget

This is a co-management initiative fostered by the City Council of Barcelona that aims to involve civil society in defining, installing and managing unused spaces across all districts of the city. The city council provides temporary use for public entities or non-profit associations to develop temporary uses and activities (from one year to three renewable years) in order to promote social activism and cohesion in the neighborhood. Most part of activities are social urban gardens (Ref 1). The initiative had 2 editions, with 12 projects in the first one (2013) and 5 projects in the second one (2015) (Ref. 12). One of the most popular projects is the community gardens such as ConnectHort, in Poblenou, dedicated to permaculture, which has allowed the restoration of an abandoned area through sustainable urban agriculture practices (Ref. 12). Another project, the Illa dels Tres Horts project in the Font de la Guatlla neighborhood, is an orchard where work is done with vulnerable groups and allow the recovery of vulnerable species (Ref. 12)

Fil vert aims to help green the streets in Normandy and raise awareness among citizens of the importance of being an actor of their daily life with regard to the occupation of public space. They aim to "embellish our streets, which are often devoid of vegetation, but also to train responsible citizens" (Ref. 7). "Operation "Fil Vert" was launched at Croix de Pierre (District) in Rouen in September 2013 to beautify and revitalize the district by mobilizing residents and tradespeople. It aims of installing planters in front of the inhabitants and the merchants (subject to obtaining the agreement of the owners in case of hiring), along the pavements, provided that it makes at least 1.40 M width to allow strollers and wheelchairs to pass." (Ref. 3)

A 5256 m2 extensive green roof was installed to the Washington School in Sunderland as part of the environmental standard set by the local government’s “Building Schools for the Future” (BSF) programme. Besides being a learning tool and being aesthetically pleasing, the roof provides a habitat, helps reduce ambient temperatures, assist in rainwater management and air filtering. The Hetton Lyons Primary school intervention is also part of this city-wide project (Ref 1).

The Senate of Hamburg commissioned IBA Hamburg GmbH with the development of the project which aims at realizing two new, family friendly residential districts in Neugraben-Fischbek, the Fischbecker Heidbrook and Fischbeker Reethen, which will offer 3000 residential units in total. (Reference 10) Out of the two districts, Fischbeker Reethen is planned to be the "Garden City of the 21st century", which is why this NBS case focuses on that project. The Fischbeker Reethen project pays attention to sustainability, having a blue-green infrastructure (large green surfaces, waterways and a lake that serves as a basis for the rainwater management of the area). A further aim of the project is to create a new district for the growing city, that with its good infrastructure, public transport connection and educational offers will help the integration of refugees into German society. (Reference 12) The construction of the buildings followed by the green and recreational elements is will start in the second half of 2020, and the handover is planned for 2022 the earliest. (Reference 7)

The orchard of the Vallon was established by the city in an area that had historically served as an orchard fifty years previous (Ref. 9). A few pear trees had survived and gave rise to the idea of ​​reconstituting it. In 2014, the city planted apple, peach, pear, cherry, apricot and other fruit trees on one and a half hectares of greenery. "At the beginning of 2015, the association Le Verger du Vallon was born. With its members, its mission is to maintain these trees with a view to sharing knowledge and educational exchanges "(Ref. 9). "Called upon by the city of Rouen for the establishment of a participatory orchard, the social center wished to promote this project among the inhabitants within the framework of the arrow projects of the CAF (social security) de la Seine Maritime entering the field of financing "to support a cooperative project of residents initiated and built with them from a common concern " (Ref. 3, page Description).

The city of Rouen has been redeveloping the docks of the Seine River over a number of years. The Prairie Saint Sever (park) is one part of this redevelopment planning. Completed in 2017, this park "allows its inhabitants to reclaim their river and offer new spaces of use" (Ref. 5) with "generous alleys lined with six hundred trees, cycle paths, original children's games, metal slides grafted to the stairs of the Jeanne-d'Arc bridge, picnic benches and tables, wooden deckchairs encouraging reading or idleness, sports apparatus and rollerblading equipment ... today, Rouen residents can enjoy a walking park of twenty-three hectares and more than three kilometers long, between the Corneille bridge and the Rollet peninsula" (Ref. 6).
It is a prairie in the heart of the city offering a large river walk on more than 3km (Ref. 2).

The Urban Park of Pasteleira is a public park located in the parish of Lordelo do Ouro, in the city of Porto. The park extends over an extensive area (7 hectares) of forest, divided into two plots by the street of Afonso de Paiva. The forest, an example that remains of the natural vegetation of the Porto area, consists essentially of wild pines and cork oaks, and enrichment of vegetation by the planting of trees and shrubs of Portuguese flora and exotic species. It was designed in 2004 and completed in 2009 (1).

Emscher Landschaftspark is a regional park system in the northern Ruhr area. It is a regional cooperation project between several post-industrial cities that want to create a coherent park system and regenerate natural environment in the area (Ref. 1). A crucial vision for the redevelopment is that the Emscher Landscape Park would act as a "green connector" between the settlements of the Rhur valley, following the path of the Emscher River and using the abandoned industrial areas along it as a unique form of green space (Ref. 6). "Created after the disappearance and decline of the industry in the area, it has been a key instrument for the territorial, social and economical transformation of what was once the largest industrial region in Europe" (Ref. 12).

Situated next to Bebington railway station, the site is of biological importance within Wirral. This urban nature reserve was developed on a former railway sidings and is now an oasis of green tranquility in densely populated urban area; its industrial past has been put to good use as a home for wildlife (e.g. on the thin, nutrient there are now carpets of wild flowers, including wild carrot & occasional bee orchids). Up to 26 species of butterfly have been recorded here, with 18 species breeding on site - giving the park its rather apt name. (Ref. 1, 2)

New Ferry Butterfly Park has been awarded a Green Flag for the seventh year, which signifies that the space boasts the "highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities". (Ref. 12)

‘De Schilde’ in The Hague was the former factory of Philips Telecommunication that had been empty for years. In 2016, it become the home to the largest commercial city facility for food production in Europe: a 1,200 m2 roof greenhouse for specialized vegetables, a 370 m2 covered fish farm and a 250 m2 area for integrated processing and packaging. In addition, 250 m2 within the farm was exclusively reserved for events and guided tours. (5) The farm comprised two-storey greenhouses on the roof and uses the UF system for the sustainable production of fish and vegetables. (5) The urban farm was initiated by the the municipality of the Hague and realised by Urbanfarmers, a Swiss technology company focused on building food production facilities in cities (5).

However, the initiative wasn't successful. In 2018, the company declared bankruptcy and terminated production in the rooftop farm as it did not produced any revenues. (12,13).