Technological

This is a pilot project part of the strategic plan "Città di Città" in the Milano province, launched in 2006 by the Direzione Centrale Risorse Ambientali, by the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano and by the Multiplicity.lab of the Politecnico di Milano. The project consists in the realisation of a green ring surrounding the city for an extension of 30.000 hectares (15% of the metropolitan area). The ring will connect a series of green areas already existing in the city. The project will insert a total of 3 million new trees along different areas of the city (2). The "metrobosco" is described as: a green belt made up of new forests, parks and rows that extend along the borders of the capital of Milan. A continuous ring of trees and small and large clearings to meet farms, abbeys, watercourses, agricultural areas and spaces for recreation and sports. The project arises from the need to redefine the relationship between city and country, to intensify plant and animal biodiversity, the preservation of existing and the construction of new "ecological corridors", the mitigation of climate imbalances, the abatement of noise and atmospheric pollution, the care and maintenance of the territory and the production of sources for agro-energies (4).

Bjerkedalen is a recently constructed park around the Hovin creek in Bjerke District. It is situated in the middle of a settlement block, which used to have few public spaces. The park now acts as a recreational area with lots of green space, a river and several facilities for outdoor activities. The construction of Bjerkedalen park incorporated the installment of several important blue-green structures and features such as planting native trees and plants along the river, providing open grassy areas as well as reopening the Hovin river from underground pipes, with the aim of improved water quality and flood prevention.(Ref. 2)

2017 Green and Grand City is part of Göteborg's 400th anniversary (in 2021), and plans are developed up to the anniversary on a yearly basis. In 2017, the focus was on a greener and grander Göteborg. The vision for 2021 includes three themes, water, building bridges (reduces divides between people) and open spaces. The anniversary efforts build on three elements of sustainability; social, ecological and economic. (Ref. 1)

Newcastle Helix - Science Central is Newcastle’s flagship project aiming to create a global centre for urban innovation. The 24-acre site has been at Newcastle’s industrial heart for 200 years. The site is transforming into an exemplar of urban sustainability, a ‘living laboratory’ where it will trial innovative urban technologies. (1, 2)
The Core is the first building on the 24-acre Newcastle Helix - Science Central development with a 27m-high green wall construction on its side functioning as a vertical garden of ivies, seagrass, thyme, primulas, euphorbia and nesting boxes (5)

The project involved the redevelopment of old military infrastructure at the periphery of the Zagreb city (Boronaj) into a green and carbon-negative university campus. The Boronaj campus has planned to be the green campus of the university and includes the use of renewable energy (biomass, geothermal and solar), treatment cell for wastewater and a huge green area (with trees and shrubs). The buildings (constructed and to be constructed) are planned to be carbon negative (Ref 1). A significant portion of the campus is the green areas (with trees and shrubs). This was created with the aim to contribute and maintain the native species diversity (Ref 3, 4). In addition to increasing the biodiversity of the city, the tree species has improved the air quality of the area and reduced the local air temperature. The project is partially completed. Some buildings are yet to be constructed. The Campus was officially opened on October 12th 2007 and for now, it hosts 4 university units: Centre for Croatian Studies, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Traffic Engineering and Faculty of Economics and Business (only vocational study programmes in economics and business). Five other faculties are also planning to relocate to the Campus in the next few years. Besides the (re)construction of university buildings, campus will be home to a sports centre, student residence hall and a number of institutes. The project is partially completed, some of the buildings are completed while some are yet to be constructed. (Ref 1, 3, 7).

Recovered section of gardens along the banks of the Guadalquavir river, from the Bridge del Cachorro to the Alamillo Park. The area was originally built up for the International Exposition of Sevilla of 1992 and it was abandoned after the event. The area has been recovered by the city and transformed into a park with a series of gardens and pedestrian walk ways along the river. (Ref 1-3) During the 16 years of closure, the flora kept on growing and was rehabilitated during the process of the intervention. The plan also sought to recover the historical gardens of La Cartuja and incorporate them into the garden network of the Paseo de la Ribera. (Ref 2,3)

Rehabilitation project of the Ranillas stream and its surrounding area, as part of the larger city project to rehabilitate the waterways connected to the Guadalquivir River. The project included transforming the covered canal into a green corridor connecting the Tamarguillo Park with the Infanta Elena Park. It sought to build pedestrian walkways, leisure spaces, lengthen the bike lanes, increase tree cover, and restructure the covering of the canal. (Ref 1-6)

'Grey to Green' is one of the most invested projects in Sheffield, to transform the Riverside Business District. In Phase -1 this project will transform a 1.2 km unused road to attractive new public space, which will include innovative perennial flower meadows, an interlinked sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS), rain gardens, public art and high quality paved footways (ref 2). The whole project and landscape have been designed by the City Council, partnership with the University of Sheffield Landscape School, Amey and Robert Bray Associates. The SUD was designed by leading national experts on landscaping, and it is believed that SUD will help in flood relief in this part of the city by soaking up run off to the river within the ‘flood zone’ (ref 2). In Phase-2, the scheme will link Castlegate to the under-used Victoria Quays area and transform the almost redundant former inner ring road with sustainable drainage, floral meadows, segregated cycle lanes and public art. (ref7)

Due to years of under-investment left the Park Hill estate in a state of decline. The challenge for Sheffield Council was to regenerate a neglected estate into a place people wanted to live in. The city council allocated private gardens, a wildflower meadow, a bowling green and a parterre garden as part of the landscaping. Much of the landscaping will be inspired by the Peak District and typical Sheffield landscapes (ref 1). Park Hill is Grade II (special interest buildings and authority put extra effort to preserve them) listed and remains Europe's largest listed structure. The building alone covers an area of 17 acres and currently contains around 1,000 flats. In total the whole site covers 32 acres (ref 2). In the new proposal, a part of Park Hill flats will be converted into student housing (ref 5).

The main aim of this program is to address the lack of green roofs across South Yorkshire. Greening bus shelter's roofs is indeed an innovative idea, as it provides an attractive green space in urban streets and also offer much-needed shade for waiting passengers. The living vegetation installed on the bus shelter will filter pollution and particulates from transport exhaust; will, in turn, reduce the pollution - protect passengers health. Greening of the bus shelters highlights the value of integrating sustainable design and green travel in attempts to reduce rates of climate change. (ref 1) Each bus shelter roof is 6sq m in size and all over the city, there are several such green roof bus shelters (ref 1).