Technological

Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century and is on UNESCO's list of the world's cultural heritage. For about 30 years, large amounts of groundwater leaked, threatening the survival of the ancient site. In order to address this, sustainable water treatment and climate adaptation measures (involving the largest rain garden of Norway, swales etc.) at Bryggen were used to restore the water balance at Bryggen. (Ref. 1)

Carillion-igloo, a joint venture company formed between The igloo Regeneration Partnership and Carillion plc was selected by Newcastle City Council and the Homes and Communities Agency to work in partnership with them in the redevelopment of a number of sites in the Lower Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle.
The regeneration project has been carried out in line with the sustainable investment policy of Igloo and consists of 5 phases. Phase 1: The Mailings focused on the transformation of a former industrial brownfield into a vibrant residential area on the banks of the Ouseburn promoting sustainable, low-energy living, flood protection and community building. These objectives were achieved by green areas creation, sustainable drainage system application and unique urban planning measures. (2, 15)

This NBS is part of a strategy of urban development including social, economic and urban dimensions, aiming at implementing green streams within and between neighbourhoods to enhance the liveability of the area. The main project is the “Green Stream”, which embeds a new vision of urban infrastructures meant as urban and environmental regeneration, by creating public green spaces. The East area of the city hosts a green flux of green corridors, parks, as well as cultural spots, sports facilities and recreation. It is highlighted the social value of this project in terms of creation of public sustainable spaces (Ref.4)

In Frankfurt, on the banks of the Main, visitors are surrounded by a breath of the Mediterranean. In the Park called "Nizza”, Mediterranean plants thrive on 4.42 hectares thanks to its south-facing position, sheltered from the wind, the favourable solar radiation and the heat storage of the Main (2).
Between 1999 and 2006, the Mediterranean park was reconstructed based on a historical model (6). The renovation project was carried out by the Green Space Office of Frankfurt according to the concept of Rainer Gesell-Schulte as part of the green development project of the inner city (1,6). The Frankfurt Green Spaces Office has been in operation since 1999 with urban qualification and refurbishment entrusted to the banks of the Main. The project aim was to transform the inner city area called Mainufer into a contiguous open space system. The project comprises many different sub-area developments that have different uses, especially on the central promenade and include green spaces, museums, sports and leisure facilities. The spatial anchor point of the project was the “Nizza” Mediterranean Park.
As part of this redevelopment, the "Nizza" was redesigned and renovated. This process included the plantation of winter-resistant Mediterranean plants and other plants with a migration background that have been delighting walkers and visitors to the Main metropolis ever since. (2).

46.5 hectares of nationally-important habitat was restored in Doncaster as part of an Environment Agency-led project benefiting communities and wildlife. The work across seven woodland areas was designed to help improve water quality, reduce flood risk, and enhance natural habitats for protected species. By providing additional flood storage the project is able to help attenuate both peak and flood flow from rainfall events, reducing flood risk and damage and reducing the financial and carbon cost of pumping water from the Torne catchment. Although this project extended beyond Doncaster, Sandall Beat in Doncaster was part of the key sites (Ref 1).

The project revitalized beaches around three lakes near Poznan: Kierskie, Strzeszynskie, and Rusalka. Over 1000-ha of forest and three lakes located within the city borders make this a unique recreational area for the inhabitants of Poznan and its surroundings. The project aims to modernize the neglected beaches and build basic infrastructure and communication paths. The plans involved cleaning of the area, planting greenery, regulation of the lake beachline, introducing environmentally friendly solutions (e.g. solar lamps), open-air playgrounds and gyms, and renovation/installation of the new bridges over the lakes [1].

In 1995 the city of Munich decided to implement a new green residential district in the derelict area of the former Munich-Riem airport which was closed in 1992. (Reference 9) The area was designed to have an intensively used residential area in the north and an extensively used green recreational area in the south. The project was completed in 2005. It is 210 hectares large, making it the third-largest public park in Munich. (Reference 1) The park includes a 10-hectare large artificial lake, a 15-hectare large forest and two 20 meter high artificial observation and toboggan hills made from the demolition material of the former airport. (Reference 9) The park is appreciated by people but concerns about the loss of biodiversity have been raised. Citizens use the park for walking, cycling, swimming in the lake or simply for relaxation. (Reference 4)

The restoration of the Nesttun watercourse was made in order to secure the watercourse’s surroundings against damaging floods and to develop its urban qualities as a blue/green structure traversing this part of the city. The City of Bergen has exploited possibilities in flood control measures to develop the watercourse’s natural qualities and improve accessibility. A number of measures were completed in order to give the watercourse a positive ecological status and make it into an attractive recreation corridor, learning arena and secure ‘blue-green’ urban structure. (Ref 1, 2)

The Brunton Park residential area in the northern part of Newcastle had a history of flooding as a result of urban growth in the local area and developments in the upper parts of the Ouseburn catchment. A total of 62 properties were at risk of sewer flooding whilst 74 properties were located within a flood zone. In 2014, the collaboration of the Northumbria Water, the Environmental Agency and the Newcastle City Council created the Brunton Park Flood Alleviation Scheme with the strategic objective to reduce the potential for flooding of adjacent properties from surface water and the Ouseburn, whilst also developing a sustainable, self-maintaining channel which supports environmental, social and economic purposes at the same time. (12)

The project included physical measures of embankment building, diverting part of the Ouseburn river, installation of sewage storing tank, and creating new water-dependent habitat (12)

The nonprofit organisation of Groundwork North East & Cumbria is working with partners from across the region to protect and preserve the upper part of the Ouseburn River. The Ouseburn River Restoration Project includes several physical measures and a number of enhancements to the river and the surrounding environment to slow the flow of the river, restore its ecosystem and improve water quality. The Project also works with farmers and landowners about how to manage fertiliser and sediment runoff, thus decreasing water contamination. The project will improve in-river and bankside habitats and provide with more water monitoring data and analysis.” (1)