Public regional budget

Due to the challenges caused by climate change, Hamburg decided to become greener and developed a comprehensive, pioneering green roof strategy. The strategy aims at creating 100 hectares of new green walls by 2019 by providing grants for building owners for greening roofs and offering them rain water fee reduction owing to the rain water retention of the green roofs. (Reference 1) The financial support offered until the end of 2019 is 3 million EUR. (Reference 2) The services offered by the city in this plan consist of four pillars: promotion (financial incentive), dialogue, regulation, and scientific support. (Reference 7)

The Revealing the Roch project uncovered two sections of the River Roch to expose a historic bridge which had been hidden for over 100 years (ref 1). Re-opening and deculverting the River Roch and bridge has a tangible benefit by reducing flood risk for the town (ref 4). The scheme, which is a key part of Rochdale town centre’s ongoing regeneration programme will help reduce flood risk in the town center and create educational opportunities. The project also includes enhancing the natural heritage of the river by introducing features that encourage river vegetation and creatures to re-establish themselves (ref 5). The project has since led to a wildlife boost, with brown trout, bullhead fish, heron and kingfishers all being seen since construction work to open the river began. (Ref 3). As the River Roch connects to River Mersey which empties into the North Atlantic ocean, this intervention addresses marine ecosystem restoration as well.

The city department for green space, environment and sustainability and the foundation citizens for Münster initiated a citizen-based intervention which aims at turning the park area at the "Spickmannplatz“ called "Grünschleife“ into a meeting point for residents and neighbours. The concept for its regeneration is based on workshops and ideation processes of citizens whose involvement goes beyond urban gardening activities but involves an active co-creation of the area by co-planning and development. Apart from several communal restorations works, vegetables, fruits and herbs plantations, a pavilion, a dog station and chessboards with benches were set up (ref. 1).

The project tackles the habitat fragility of the Ligurian wetlands and the impact of a turtle species called Emys orbicularis in the Centa Piana river, the Vara and Magra rivers areas. The project focused on the restoration of the natural habitat, the eradication of invasive American species threatening the European turtle species and the assistance of local turtles reproduction and re-introduction in the wild. A large part of the project was conducted thanks to the participation of volunteers and large emphasis was given to education about environmental habitats protection. (1)

The city district Japigia in 2013 has proposed a project of a new park that links the necessity of housing, open spaces, urban sustainability. The park is centre of green spaces with a high level of accessibility, in a part of the city which was previously abandoned. The presence of hedges and trees guarantees the liveability of the area, while at the same time providing important ecosystem services such as mitigation of urban pollution and mediation of visual impact. The same can be said for the vertical gardens which will characterise the entrance of the park. (Ref.1.)

The Kriegsstraße is a large street in the centre of Karlsruhe which experienced traffic problems for a long time. Since 2005 there have been plans to redevelop the area into a multifunctional public space area to be used by cars, trams bicycles and pedestrians. Due to financing problems, the solution has been put on hold for a long time but in 2015 construction work of the so-called “combined solution” project has finally started. The plan is to renovate the Kriegsstraße, including the tram tracks above the surface and to create an underground tunnel for cars. The surface above the tunnel will be greened through the implementation of an alley of trees, green bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths as well as greened tram routes (Ref. 1). In August 2020, the implementation of the project is nearing completion and is expected to be finished in 2021 (Ref. 9, 10)

The project relating to the waterfront of San Girolamo di Bari is an important piece of the mosaic that provides a new design for the entire city waterfront, from North to South: Santo Spirito, Palese, (precisely) San Girolamo, the connection between Bread and Tomato and Torre Quetta, temporary uses on the San Giorgio waterfront, up to the redevelopment of the South promenade. The project which is almost completed, regenerated the seaside part of Bari, making the seaside accessible and link the city with the coastal area by creating a multi-functional space where playgrounds, a cycling path and green open spaces were built to enhance the liveability of the area. In this way, what was previously considered just as an economic and working part of the city became a new center of social interaction by creating a new institutional green space. (Ref.1, Ref.6).

The Kersentuin (Cherry Garden), an environmentally, socially and economically friendly community in Leidsche Rijn, an urbanization-from-scratch area in the west part of Utrecht, has been founded and developed by the residents themselves. The area is very popular and is seen as an interesting best practice in ideal green neighbourhood developments (ref. 4). It is a sustainable neighbourhood which integrates technical and social sustainability by building sustainable houses and creating public green spaces that promote biodiversity and social cohesion. The main characteristic of the Cherry Garden is the self-management of the green spaces which is achieved by gardening days. The project was innovative at the time of implementation and inspired many other projects (ref. 1).

The Hachinger Brook is a natural water body, which level of water is highly influenced by groundwater. Due to the spatial expansion of Munich, sections of the brook were forced into concrete canals and pipes. The idea of restoring the brook into a quasi-natural state had already emerged in the committee of city panning in 1984. The city council of Munich decided in 2014 is to reconstruct the natural state on a 2,6 km stretch of the Hachinger Brook between Kampenwandstraße and Hüllgraben by excavating it and to turn it into a recreational area. In addition to the stream, the former village pond next to the stream is planned to be restored. (Reference 1) Trees and other vegetation will be planted alongside some sections of the brook. (Reference 1, 2). Because of the reluctance of the landowners on the proposed site of the intervention to accept a brook flowing through their property, in 2020, the implementation still hasn’t begun. (Reference 7)

Isar River had been regulated at the end of the 19th century by forcing the river into a canal-type bed with embankments. This regulation made a negative impact on the flow velocity of the river, on its temperature balance, and increased the risk of flooding. The goal of the recent development was to restore the river's natural character on an 8-kilometre-long section of the river and to create a semi-natural riverside. (Reference 1, 2) This was considered especially important because the effects of climate change have already increased the frequency of heavy rain events and major floods. (Reference 3) The new concept leaves space for the river to shape and change its bed with every flood. Further aims of the project were to increase biodiversity and recreational quality.