City of Gothenburg Tree Policy
The City of Gothenburg's policy for park and street trees was updated in 2016 and has the overarching aim to maintain and develop the ecological, historical, social and economic values of the city's trees and tree environments. Trees are described as having ecological, historical, cultural and economic values. They can provide ecosystem services such as habitat and biodiversity, air quality improvement, flood prevention, heat mitigation, recreation and aesthetic values [Ref. 1].
The policy applies to all trees in the streets, squares, and parks within the municipality but not to natural environments such as forests at the city's edge. Further, the policy is mostly relevant for municipality employees whenever they make decisions that will affect trees or tree-covered areas, such as zoning/planning and construction projects. Other actors in the city, such as private real estate or construction companies, are not required to follow the policy but are encouraged to consider it. The policy formulates sub-goals and guidances regarding the preservation of existing trees (prioritising large and old ones), the planting of new trees, the maintenance of trees, protection during construction work and finally, the taking down of trees, including compensation measures. The policy's direct effects is an expected improved management of trees within the municipal organisation. This may have further indirect benefits in the form of increased ecosystem service provision when the policy affects other projects [Ref. 1, 2].
The policy applies to all trees in the streets, squares, and parks within the municipality but not to natural environments such as forests at the city's edge. Further, the policy is mostly relevant for municipality employees whenever they make decisions that will affect trees or tree-covered areas, such as zoning/planning and construction projects. Other actors in the city, such as private real estate or construction companies, are not required to follow the policy but are encouraged to consider it. The policy formulates sub-goals and guidances regarding the preservation of existing trees (prioritising large and old ones), the planting of new trees, the maintenance of trees, protection during construction work and finally, the taking down of trees, including compensation measures. The policy's direct effects is an expected improved management of trees within the municipal organisation. This may have further indirect benefits in the form of increased ecosystem service provision when the policy affects other projects [Ref. 1, 2].
Reuse Park Medicinareberget
A green area was turned into a "reuse park" to save trees, bushes and other plants that had to be moved from elsewhere due to construction work. The project resulted from constructing the new business school at the University of Gothenburg, where circular economy initiatives are being tested. Plants that would have to be removed from that site were moved to the park at Medicinareberget temporarily. They will later be replanted elsewhere on campus, saving money and reducing the environmental impact of buying new plants. The lead actor in the project is the public real estate company Akademiska Hus, which owns and manages the affected parts of the university campus. The reuse park was established in 2021, and it's implied that it can continue to function as a storage site for plants from different construction locations. The project is highlighted as a learning opportunity for how the reuse of plants can be implemented in future construction projects. The project is connected to the regional initiative Återbruk Väst within the national platform CCbuild, which promotes circular solutions in the construction centre [Ref. 1-5].
Living wall
The project features a vertical garden, or "living wall," on the facade of a residential building in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. Constructed in 2016, the building replaced a WWII-damaged plot situated between two existing structures. With a strong emphasis on sustainability, the project minimizes its ecological footprint in various ways. The 660-square-meter plot retained original elements of the location’s history: the two surviving sections along Glogauer and Reichenberger Strasse were restored after the war, while the rubble from the destroyed corner was used to fill in the basement. This approach allowed the new construction to be built over the original foundations, preserving historical integrity while reducing construction costs and material use.
At the core of the building’s design is a green agenda, embodied in the vertical garden that helps absorb noise and pollution from the bustling street below, improving air quality for residents and passersby. The selection of winter-hardy plants ensures that the facade remains green year-round, while also cooling the surrounding area and mitigating the urban heat effect, which is especially valuable in densely populated neighborhoods. The greenery contributes to the local microclimate, providing both environmental and aesthetic benefits.
For residents, the garden is made accessible through rectangular box balconies that project from the green wall, allowing them to engage closely with the plants and enjoy the immersive garden atmosphere. The plants grow on a support structure that is securely anchored in the brickwork, receiving water and nutrients through an integrated, precision-controlled irrigation and fertilization system. Maintenance of the plants occurs twice a year, with new additions planted each spring to maintain the garden’s health and visual appeal.
The building itself, privately owned, contains a mix of holiday rentals and residential apartments. Architect Sarah Revière designed the project. (1-6)
At the core of the building’s design is a green agenda, embodied in the vertical garden that helps absorb noise and pollution from the bustling street below, improving air quality for residents and passersby. The selection of winter-hardy plants ensures that the facade remains green year-round, while also cooling the surrounding area and mitigating the urban heat effect, which is especially valuable in densely populated neighborhoods. The greenery contributes to the local microclimate, providing both environmental and aesthetic benefits.
For residents, the garden is made accessible through rectangular box balconies that project from the green wall, allowing them to engage closely with the plants and enjoy the immersive garden atmosphere. The plants grow on a support structure that is securely anchored in the brickwork, receiving water and nutrients through an integrated, precision-controlled irrigation and fertilization system. Maintenance of the plants occurs twice a year, with new additions planted each spring to maintain the garden’s health and visual appeal.
The building itself, privately owned, contains a mix of holiday rentals and residential apartments. Architect Sarah Revière designed the project. (1-6)
Anita Berber park
The new 6.5-hectare Anita Berber Park has been created on the site of the former St Thomas cemetery, between Tempelhofer Feld and Hermannstraße. It is named after the dancer Anita Berber, who herself was buried there in 1928. The cemetery was unused and out of use for several years and became accessible to the public through the intervention. (Ref. 3; Ref. 6) The construction period was preceded by a public participation process in which the facilities and design were developed together with the users. The redesign of the space was conducted by a landscape architecture office (Henningsen Landschaftsarchitekten PartG mbB) and financed by the German Federal Government (Ref. 1). The new park, which was planned and financed as a compensatory measure for the construction of the A100 urban highway, increases the quality of local recreation in the densely populated district of Neukölln. (Ref. 2; Ref. 6) An important goal was to achieve high species diversity in the park while preserving its valuable trees and shrubs. The park also offers multiple spots for rest and play as well as a zone for free running dogs. (Ref. 2; Ref. 6)
The park features wooden climbing structures and an old collection of trees with hollows, along with bushes and shrubs. These areas often accumulate rubbish, highlighting the ongoing waste management issues the park has faced since its renovation (Ref. 4).
The park features wooden climbing structures and an old collection of trees with hollows, along with bushes and shrubs. These areas often accumulate rubbish, highlighting the ongoing waste management issues the park has faced since its renovation (Ref. 4).
Municipal Green Infrastructure Plan
Mérida city developed a Municipal Green Infrastructure Plan (Plan Municipal de Infraestructura Verde), in order to "strengthen the green infrastructure system through planning, design and implementation of urban strategies at different scales of actions and projects that contribute to enriching ecosystem services in the public and private space of the Municipality of Mérida" (Ref. 1). The plan has four axes, providing a comprehensive and transdisciplinary approach to integrating nature-based solutions into city planning and the design of public spaces in order to provide climate change adaptation and mitigation benefits (Ref. 1).
The Mérida Green Infrastructure Plan shares strong ties with a state-wide strategy, 'Arborizando Yucatán', which promotes reforestation efforts across the 106 municipalities of the state in order to "help reduce the effects of climate change, have more areas green and a better climate for the benefit of current and future generations of Yucatecans" (Refs. 3 & 4). At both the municipal and state level, the relevant administrations (Mérida City Council and the State Government, respectively) have signed an agreement (Declaration for Mérida 2050), whereby both pledged to plant at least 200,000 native trees in the City of Merida, running alongside both the Mérida Municipal Green Infrastructure Plan and the Aborising Yucatán Strategy (Ref. 2).
The Mérida Green Infrastructure Plan shares strong ties with a state-wide strategy, 'Arborizando Yucatán', which promotes reforestation efforts across the 106 municipalities of the state in order to "help reduce the effects of climate change, have more areas green and a better climate for the benefit of current and future generations of Yucatecans" (Refs. 3 & 4). At both the municipal and state level, the relevant administrations (Mérida City Council and the State Government, respectively) have signed an agreement (Declaration for Mérida 2050), whereby both pledged to plant at least 200,000 native trees in the City of Merida, running alongside both the Mérida Municipal Green Infrastructure Plan and the Aborising Yucatán Strategy (Ref. 2).
Renaturalization of the water canal Hirtenbach
The renaturalization of the water canal Hirtenbach project was part of the larger city-wide initiative that aimed at the naturalization of different parts of the city's drainage system including small trenches and streams. The initiative aimed to decrease the risk of floods, improve the water quality, protect the local flora and fauna from the pollution, as well as provide for an additional recreational area for the citizens. (Reference 1)
In 2000, natural remodelling or the creation of near-natural structures began in sections. A 20, 000 m3 retention basin was also built. These actions improved flood protection and ecology of the area, and it provided local recreation opportunities. However, a study conducted in 2014 revealed that the restoration measures brought positive changes, but it was not enough to achieve a “good water status” defined by the European Water Framework Directive. Intensive care from silting and lush plant growth, wide margins, and the reduction of nutrients coming from the drainage and agriculture, need to be addressed. (Reference 2)
A new landscape is expected to be created when the alder trees grow. Waterbirds and waders, as well as insects like dragonflies, bees, butterflies and crickets, have been observed in the area (Reference 3).
The large drainage system of the city of Hannover includes many small trenches and streams with a total length of 152 kilometres. The intervention in Hirtenbach involved renaturalization worked on the total length of approximately 10,5 km (of which 3,3 km in the urban area). (Reference 2)
In 2000, natural remodelling or the creation of near-natural structures began in sections. A 20, 000 m3 retention basin was also built. These actions improved flood protection and ecology of the area, and it provided local recreation opportunities. However, a study conducted in 2014 revealed that the restoration measures brought positive changes, but it was not enough to achieve a “good water status” defined by the European Water Framework Directive. Intensive care from silting and lush plant growth, wide margins, and the reduction of nutrients coming from the drainage and agriculture, need to be addressed. (Reference 2)
A new landscape is expected to be created when the alder trees grow. Waterbirds and waders, as well as insects like dragonflies, bees, butterflies and crickets, have been observed in the area (Reference 3).
The large drainage system of the city of Hannover includes many small trenches and streams with a total length of 152 kilometres. The intervention in Hirtenbach involved renaturalization worked on the total length of approximately 10,5 km (of which 3,3 km in the urban area). (Reference 2)
Water Management, Hanover-Kronsberg
Kronsberg was built as a model district of sustainable urban development for the EXPO 2000, which motto was 'Humankind-Nature-Technology'. In the previously intensively farmed area, 3200 new dwelling unit was built. Among other sustainable technologies, the planners of the district developed a quasi-natural drainage system that aimed to provide the municipalities a sustainable alternative for traditional drainage (Reference 1, 2).
20 years after planning started in 1992, EXPO district of Kronsberg has proven its viability in terms of sustainable urban development and provided important foundations for advanced urban planning of new buildings in Hannover and elsewhere. The project was showcased in the ‘Crystal’ exhibition pavilion in London as a global standard for integrated construction. The ‘World Cities Summit 2012’ in Singapore also paid tribute to the residential area as one of the world’s hundred most innovative infrastructure projects (Reference 1, 2013).
20 years after planning started in 1992, EXPO district of Kronsberg has proven its viability in terms of sustainable urban development and provided important foundations for advanced urban planning of new buildings in Hannover and elsewhere. The project was showcased in the ‘Crystal’ exhibition pavilion in London as a global standard for integrated construction. The ‘World Cities Summit 2012’ in Singapore also paid tribute to the residential area as one of the world’s hundred most innovative infrastructure projects (Reference 1, 2013).
Green roofs in Hamburg
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)
Forest of Belfast: Healing the Environment and the Community
The Forest of Belfast is an imaginative label for urban tree initiative launched in the 1990s with the aim of conserving and managing existing trees, increasing the planting of suitable trees, particularly in places of public access like parks, and in promoting an interest in and an appreciation of trees and forestry(Ref 3). The project was officially launched in June 1992 (Ref 1). It is active throughout the urban area of Greater Belfast, including Belfast City. It brings together partners from the statutory sector, voluntary groups, businesses, and individual residents who become volunteer Tree Wardens. It shows how urban forestry can forge partnerships between central and local government, environmental organizations and city dwellers. (Ref 1). Forest of Belfast initiative was wound up towards the end of 2010 (Ref 6).
Adyváros Lake Rehabilitation and Recreational Area
The project was part of a series of development projects which addressed the water management issues of the city. (Reference 1) The rehabilitation of a lake in the Adyváros neighbourhood included the renewal of the water reservoir, surrounding green areas, footpaths, and vegetation, as well as the installation of a new street light system, benches, trash cans, and unique street installations such as an interactive message board. (Reference 2) The interventions transformed the lake and its surroundings into a popular recreational area, frequented by locals. Since the completion of the project in 2014, there have been minor developments to the lake and its area, such as the renovation of the playground. (Reference 4) Apart from Adyváros, several other lakes were rehabilitated in several neighbourhoods (Adyváros, Győr-Szabadhegy, Marcalváros). (Reference 6)
