Product innovation

The municipal agency Gardens and Parks collaborated with the hospital "St. Panteleymon" in Plovdiv in order to restore the condition of their rehabilitation park in the yard. This involved planting 550 trees, cleaning and securing the area, and removing or modifying problematic trees. The park has thus become a more hospitable place for rehabilitation of patients (Ref. 1; Ref. 2).

Arkwright Meadows Community (AMC) Garden is situated in the heart of inner city Nottingham, Prior to 2001, the site was a disused, derelict and rubbish-strewn piece of land. In 2001, a group of Meadows residents came together to improve this derelict piece of land and work started to create the infrastructure of the community garden. The area was transformed into a green oasis and outdoor learning environment. (ref. 8)

Citizen Farm was a start-up founded by Pierre Osswald (Ref. 3). The project began with an experimental urban farm in a vegetable garden of Raymond 6. The ozarium farm (a vegetable aquarium) uses a technique called aquaponia (Ref. 5). This technique grows all kinds of plants and vegetables indoors in an entirely natural way. Fertilizer or watering are not needed. Plants feed on the nutrients in the aquarium: water and fish discharges. In return, they purify and oxygenate fish water. It is an ecological and educational innovation which is surfacing as an "eco-responsible" trend. (Ref. 1, 2). The Citizen farm initative was ended in 2018 due to financial difficulties (Ref. 35).

In June 2012, the Vertical Plants at the Strasbourg National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) were installed by two second-year students. They along with faculty and students undertook a technical and regulatory feasibility study, before taking steps to mobilise local companies to meet the costs of the project (Ref. 1). The advantage is not only aesthetic, but the wall has thermal and acoustic properties, and serves as a refuge for biodiversity and is even capable of absorbing atmospheric pollution (Ref. 2).

The flower meadow was established in 2017 on the roof of Karcher company’s building in Kraków. It is a multiannual project. The meadow consists of herbs and flowers and it serves multiple purposes; provides the recreational space for workers, supports biodiversity and provides habitat for insects and birds, especially pollinators, and has aesthetic functions as it is composed of diverse multi-colour flowers which bloom in different seasons [1].

This Urban lab has been installed on the roof of the LIMASA Environmental Center, it is testing what types of plants are best suited for green urban interventions through educational and professional programs offered to women. (ref 1) Two training courses are provided connected to these green roofs through the funding of a La Caixa grant, one training course for women as a potential career opportunity through subsidies from the Ministry of Health, Social Services, and Equality (ref 1).

The vertical garden is 600 m2 and is an intervention implemented in Pericon Plaza in the old city of Malaga. The garden is placed above a large metal mural with inspirational words for visitors to contemplate. The garden and metal mural were built on the wall-remains of a former house that stood in the spot but was in disrepair. (Ref 1)

Since October 2015, the City of Marseille has implemented a vegetation permit called "Visa Vert" (Green Visa), as well as a "Charter for the vegetation of public spaces in Marseille", which allow individuals to install plants in public spaces
while respecting the safety and use of the tracks by other users. Plants, flowers and shrubs can thus contribute to the beautification of the living environment and "bring a bit of nature into the city" (Ref. 1). The charter aims to “ accompany and support initiatives to revegetate the streets and promote collective actions that contribute to embellishing the living environment ”, but also to “ enhance the presence of plants in the city, to respect the public space which belongs to all and thus to improve living together ” (Ref. 5).

The biotope Schladitz is the regenerated remains of a former installation for the dehydration of sewage sludge implemented in 1952 by the communal waterworks company which used to pump its sewage sludge into the municipality of Rackwitz North of Leipzig. Upon its termination (1990), the company conducted large regeneration works of the contaminated sites from 1991 until 2011. The area was renaturalized, a biotope was implemented with plants species to retain the toxic substances. Now the area is also used for nature experience, observation and environmental education for children and adults (4, 7).

The Climate Friendly Gardeners Project is based at Windmill Community Gardens in the Bobber’s Mill area of Nottingham. The project teaches local residents about sustainable gardening practices in the context of the climate change affecting the UK, through a renovated community allotment garden.”
(ref 1, 2)