Earmarked public budget

The Sowe Valley Project was a community-based project focusing on rivers restoration. It aimed to link the local community with the Sowe River Valley and to improve the valley’s biodiversity and habitats for the benefits of people and wildlife. (Ref. 2, 6, 11-13)

This project worked to revitalize the area along the river Old Ponávka. This involves the creation of walking paths, bike paths, and public playgrounds. (Ref. 1). Stará Ponávka and the adjoining Svitavy drive were built in the 13th century in the original riverbeds of Ponávka and Svitava before their regulation. By revitalizing this watercourse, the city returned water back to the city, made it accessible to people and improved the natural state of the site (Ref. 14).

“The Environment and Me project (TEaM) is operated by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and CWMind (Coventry and Warwickshire Mind) and supported by Coventry City Council. (Ref. 1) It is an ecotherapy-based project which aims to enhance mental health and wellbeing. (Ref. 1, Ref. 2). It provides opportunities for outdoor activities at allotment sites, gardens, woodlands, parks and nature reserves – giving people some much-needed breathing space in the fresh air, whilst learning new skills, meeting new people and giving back to nature.” (Ref. 1)

This is a project of regeneration of an abandoned small garden in the centre of Napoli, with the plantation of plants typical of the Mediterranean area. The new 400 sqm garden was developed by the Servizio Arredo Urbano of the city of Napoli. The regeneration process was persistently asked by the citizens of the surrounding area which were looking for an improvement of the area. In addition, the garden hosts a new playground for kids, and by consequence, it is considered a new spot for recreational activities. (Ref.1.)

The redevelopment of the Alcantara square is part of the program A SQUARE IN EACH NEIGHBOURHOOD, implemented by the Municipality of Lisbon in 2017 onward. Besides the road re-organization, the project includes specific elements. The NBS includes the creation of a public garden, cycling path, playground facilities and introduction of new trees (Ref.1). The residents of the neighbourhood were asked to participate. The participation process aimed at obtaining from the citizens an evaluation on different pertinent questions in the experience of the public space, results showed: space for pedestrians, improve green spaces and urban living (Ref.1).

The surface water system in the VINEX location Leidsche Rijn near Utrecht is a special water system. Nowhere in the Netherlands is the surface water of such a large urban area treated in such a sustainable and climate-proof manner (ref. 2). In Leidsche Rijn, a relatively new city district of Utrecht, a sustainable closed circuit water system was introduced including natural wetlands, bioswales, pumping stations and permeable paving which filters stormwater organically. It is viewed as a more sustainable solution compared to traditional stormwater infrastructure because it benefits biodiversity (e.g. by means of fish passages) and prevents the need for storm water facilities and the influx of unfiltered surface water from elsewhere (ref. 1-3).

The Morningside Park is classified within the Edinburgh Public Parks and Gardens Strategy as a “Community Park”. This is a small, pleasant, elongated park area with tennis court, multi-sport area, grass areas and tarred pathways that make the Park an attractive facility for children, young people, adults and senior citizens. The park provides an essential green space in the heart of Morningside with a design which lends itself to a range of activities. The layout of the park provides healthy and safe routes between linked road networks along tree-lined paths. (ref. 1)

The Fechenheimer Mainbogen is the largest undeveloped floodplain area in Frankfurt am Main and a special recreational area in the Frankfurt Green Belt Internal link. Today, the Main Arch is mainly used for agriculture, but still contains numerous relics of a typical floodplain landscape, such as smaller floodplain trees, meadows and wet bank areas. Since 2015, the curve of the Main has been transformed back into a near-natural meadow landscape with water, alluvial forests and meadows in several steps. Animals and plants are given new valuable habitats and places of retreat, and people are given attractive recreational spaces in nature (10).

Platenstrasse in the Ginnheim district of Frankfurt was laid out as a four-lane feeder in the 1960s. It leads through the settlement of the same name, which was formerly the housing area of ​​the US armed forces. After their withdrawal in 1994, the settlement came into municipal ownership. Many large families, often with a migration background, moved in. Wild parking lots and storage spaces were created without any quality of stay. In 2000, discussion about the redesign of the Plattenstrasse started and in 2015 it was completely transformed into a green corridor. The street space was rearranged and the paved areas were reduced to the necessary extent. Sensitive planning and respect for the established structures helped to preserve the character of the district while significantly increasing the green area with recreational facilities. (1)

"This disctrict of "Plateau de Haye" is part of the EcoQuartier approach, is one of the most ambitious urban renewal projects. In line with the development of the New Urban Renewal Program, work was carried out this year [2012] on the challenges of opening up territory to its urban and forestry environment in order to confirm the "Forest City" approach initiated by the architect-town planner Alexandre Chemetoff" (Ref. 1). It received the EcoQuartier National Grand Prize (Ref. 2). A forest, community gardens and a green corridor are being developed with a rainwater recovery system (Ref. 2). Work is set to continue until 2024 (Ref. 10). "It will first allow work to be done on the functionalities of the district : development of spaces freed up by the demolition of the Blanc Sycamore and the Purple Beech, reconversion of the Tamaris and Ombelles into housing, shops and spaces dedicated to companies, creation of green spaces , shared gardens and parking" (Ref. 10).