Earmarked public budget

Salines Beach, a popular destination for over a million visitors annually (Ref 9), is facing severe erosion due to rising sea levels and poor coastal management. Since 1995, the beach has lost more than 20 meters in width. This loss has been worsened by vehicle traffic and the introduction of coconut trees in the 1950s, which reduced the native root systems that once helped to stabilize the coast (Ref 5). Now, the encroaching sea threatens to swallow the road that runs along the beach.
In response, the Salines Conservation Committee—comprised of concerned community members and environmental groups—has been advocating for urgent action to halt the erosion. They have called for a renaturalization of the area through the replanting of endemic species and restrictions on car traffic, both aimed at restoring the beach’s natural resilience.
When part of the road collapsed in July 2022, the committee took immediate action, organizing community-based interventions. These efforts included blocking traffic, raising public awareness, and planting over 60 endemic plants in the damaged area. The aim was to reestablish a root network capable of anchoring the coastline and capturing shifting sands (Ref 1; 2). The intervention was described as "a response to the urgent need to rebuild the root network, an ecological engineering solution recognized as the most effective method for retaining beach sand and slowing coastal erosion" (Ref 2; 1). The intervention on this section of the coast was first completed, then discarded by the municipality of Sainte-Anne (Ref 2). Regional and National agencies are currently undertaking the restoration works but it is unclear the stage of completion (See Ref 3).

Sourced from Northern Worcestershire, the River Stour has played a significant role in the industrial heritage of Birmingham and the Black Country (Ref 1). It consists of 11 Water Framework Directive water bodies and multiple tributaries, spanning 200 km in length (Ref 2, 3). Once a pristine Salmonid river that powered the Industrial Revolution, rapid industrialization severely impacted the river, leaving it heavily polluted with sewage (ibid.).
Initiated by the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust (BBCWT) in 2021, the Love Your River Stour (LYRS) project focuses on Dudley and Wolverhampton, aiming to transform the River Stour and its surrounding green spaces into a beautiful, wildlife-rich source of pride for local communities and to create a corridor for wildlife to thrive through the heart of the Black Country (Ref 4).
Phase 1 of the project was completed in June 2023, bringing significant improvements along the river (Ref 5, 6, 7, 8). In Phase 2, the project will extend to a stretch running through Cradley Heath and Lye (Ref 7, 8). This initiative is funded by the UK Government's Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

The Martinican Marine Natural Park (MMNP) was established in 2018 to protect key marine habitats, including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, and open waters. These areas are home to important species like sea turtles, dolphins, and tropical fish. The park’s conservation efforts focus on addressing threats from human activities such as pollution and overfishing. It also collaborates with ocean-related industries, such as tourism and fishing, by recommending, funding, or conducting research aimed at promoting more sustainable practices within the MMNP.

To support its work, the park operates a growing fleet of boats that raise public awareness, resolve conflicts, and enforce the protection of designated areas. The MMNP spans an area of 47,340 km², extending from Martinique's coast to the boundary of the French Exclusive Economic Zone. The park's management board, which includes diverse stakeholders, must be consulted for advice on development activities that impact the marine environment. Their goal is to balance competing interests within the region.

The park receives funding from the French Office for Biodiversity (OBF) to carry out initiatives that protect the marine environment, promote sustainability, and raise public awareness. Notable efforts include creating or restoring habitats for species such as sea turtles and sea urchins, managing invasive species like sargassum algae, restoring coral reefs, and training resource users such as whale-watching companies and diving clubs. Other initiatives include reducing plastic pollution through clean-ups, supporting sustainable fishing practices (e.g., artisanal coastal fishing), installing eco-friendly moorings, funding Marine Educational Areas (MEAs), and sponsoring cultural events that promote marine conservation (Ref 1; 2; 3).

Dudley, a historic market town in England and part of Birmingham's metro area, is reported to have some of the lowest rates of public access to nature in the country, ranking in the bottom 10% of governmental statistics for available greenspace relative to population density (Ref 1). To address this issue, the Dudley's Path to Nature Recovery project was launched in 2024 by the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust (BBCWT). The initiative aims to reduce inequalities in access to nature and create a greener future for local residents (ibid.).
Funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority, the project seeks to reconnect local communities with nature through five key activities: conservation work, community engagement, citizen science, partnership development, and the creation of new walking routes (Ref 1, 2, 3).
Among the project's activities, conservation efforts will include community engagement and focus on woodland improvement, heathland creation, and more. Additionally, the project will bring together key partners and community groups to explore collaboration models and identify potential sites for joint projects. Lastly, new walking routes will be created across the project’s landscape (Ref 1).

The pilot project in Bairro Padre Cruz, Carnide, Lisbon, is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing women's safety in public spaces and improving access to public transport. Launched in June 2024, this project stems from extensive consultations with local women to address their specific security concerns (Ref1). It involves strategic interventions like better lighting and the relocation of bus stops to safer areas, ensuring a more secure environment for women (Ref4). A key element of the project is the greening of the area through tree planting and the creation of more harmonised public spaces, contributing to a more pleasant and welcoming neighbourhood (Ref2). Funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), this initiative aims to foster greater inclusivity and safety in urban design, with completion expected by 2025 (Ref4).

Civic Space Park, located in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, is a notable example of urban design aimed at addressing the region’s increasing urban heat. In Phoenix, rising temperatures affect health, safety, comfort, and economic growth, and this impact is expected to worsen over time. In response, the park was developed to transform an underused site into a vibrant public space that prioritizes community engagement, sustainability, and urban revitalization.
The project was realized through a public-private partnership between the City of Phoenix and Arizona State University, with strong community involvement shaping its development. This collaboration led to the “Urban Weave” concept, a design that embodies the identity and values of the local community.
Civic Space Park was designed with several goals in mind. Increasing the tree canopy was essential to help reduce the urban heat island effect and improve air quality. Creating a welcoming area for social interaction, recreation, and relaxation was equally important to enhance community well-being. Water conservation was also prioritized, achieved through innovative stormwater management techniques such as permeable paving and underground infiltration. The park incorporates renewable energy generation as well, with on-site solar power helping to reduce energy consumption.
One of the park’s unique features is its extensive use of pervious concrete paving, designed to allow stormwater to permeate directly into the subsurface. However, during installation, it became clear that placing the material over highly compacted soil limited water infiltration. To improve its effectiveness, future designs could include a plastic vapor barrier beneath the permeable paving to capture water and direct it to planting beds. This adjustment would enable the paving to act as a collection and storage system, gradually releasing water into the surrounding vegetation.
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The "Jubilee Park" (Jubileumsparken) is a city park in the developing area of Frihamnen in central Gothenburg. The first part of the park finished construction in 2024, but the aim is that the park will continue to grow and develop until the year 2035 [Ref. 1-2, 5]. The park is said to be the result of the wishes of the people of Gothenburg to have better access to green areas and water before the city's 400-year jubilee in 2023 [Ref. 2]. To achieve this, the park has been constructed gradually in cooperation with residents, using a method called placemaking, where activities and amenities are tested in place to get feedback from residents before being made permanent [Ref. 2, 4]. Additionally, activities in the park are being run by a youth organisations, which also offers summer jobs to young people from across the city and aims to engage marginalised groups [Ref. 1, 6]. The park provides amenities a sculpture-based playground, an outdoor classroom, places to sit and a harbour bath at the edge of the park, with outdoor pools and a sauna. The park contains elements for biodiversity such as trees, meadows and an area for urban farming, increasing biodiversity and connectivity compared to the previous land use as a harbour [Ref. 1, 2, 9].

The Juan Angola River is an urban channel included in the system of rivers and channels of Cartagena, and it connects the Ciénaga de la Virgen wetland and the Bay of Cartagena, facing similar issues as the Cienaga de la Virgen such as illegal occupation of its shores, illegal waste dumping, deforestation of mangroves, and pollution. The recovery plan for the Juan Angola River is led by the EPA Cartagena (Environmental Protection Agency), with the support of other institutions, aiming to restore the Juan Angola’s ecosystem. This includes targeting the mangrove forest, dredging the natural channel, and delineating buffer zones with urban infrastructure to create public recreational spaces. The activities involve relocating people illegalling cupping informal settlements from the river shore, moving an existing bridge (the Benjamín Herrera bridge) which obstructs the current, recovering the low tide and riverbed areas, building pedestrian paths, clean the riverbank, recover mangrove areas and establish programs of education and environmental awareness (ref 1 and 2).

The Tres Rios Ecosystem Restoration Project is an ambitious initiative aimed at revitalizing a seven-mile stretch of the Salt and Gila Rivers in Phoenix, Arizona. The Tres Rios Environmental Restoration project involves the rehabilitation of nearly 700 acres in and around the Salt River, restoring a vital wetland and riparian habitat. Initially conceived in 1993 to tackle water quality issues and improve flood control, the project gained significant traction in the 2000s through a partnership between the City of Phoenix and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Funding was structured with 65 percent from the USACE and 35 percent from the City of Phoenix and the Sub-Regional Operating Group Members, including Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, and Mesa.
The Tres Rios project encompasses habitat restoration, flood control, and recreational development, with the primary objectives being to restore a degraded ecosystem, enhance water quality, and provide new recreational spaces. Construction involved relocating 1.6 million cubic yards of earth to shape three large wetland zones and two deep-water retention basins. Additionally, 18,000 feet of underground water lines and 600 feet of 84-inch fiberglass effluent pipelines were installed. To establish a thriving wetland habitat, the project coordinated the planting of over 300,000 aquatic and terrestrial plants.
Habitat restoration efforts re-establish native vegetation and create wetland areas that support local biodiversity. The lush and scenic Tres Rios is now home to more than 150 different species of birds and animals like muskrats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, bobcats, and beavers. By using treated wastewater to sustain the ecosystem, the project reduces dependency on natural water sources, thereby helping to mitigate water scarcity. The Tres Rios Ecosystem Restoration Project serves as a model for sustainable urban ecological initiatives, combining environmental health with community benefits. (1-8, 10-13)

As an industrial city under climate change, Birmingham has been confronted with multiple environmental risks such as air pollution, fluctuating precipitation and flooding (Ref 3). The Big City Plan is a 20-year city center regeneration plan to support Birmingham’s sustainable transformation, where the delivery of the Eastside City Park was prioritized (Ref 1, 2). Completed and opened to public in 2013, this first new park in Birmingham for 130 years is a linear site which connects the city center along the frontage of Millennium Point eastwards towards the Digbeth canal. (Ref 1, 4, 5). Providing 2.73 ha of urban green spaces, the multi-award winning development features more than 300 trees, a 110 meter canal water feature and a public square with 21 jet fountains, and offers “a moment of green in a journey through the city” (Ref 1, 6).