Local government/municipality

The ReLambro project is based on a metropolitan view where nature becomes an occasion for regeneration of the city: the river is no longer an empty and abandoned space but draws a great ecological and environmental system. The interventions, during the design phase, provide for the restoration of the naturalness of large sprawling areas, the reinforcement of the hedges and rows and channels system, the reorganisation of public and fruiting functions in areas at risk of flooding. The project strengthens ecological function by integrating it with urban functions (2).

The rain gardens of the Great Mosque give an example of a sustainable urban drainage system built 1000 years ago (Ref.1,8,9). The Great Mosque is a world heritage site by UNESCO (Ref. 1); therefore the rain gardens are protected and will continue to provide a sustainable irrigation system needed for the arid climate of Andalusia (Ref. 8,9).

The project is focused on cultivating bazaars for climate-safe and labour-intensive cultivation and is located in an underground space under a shopping and community centre in Högdalen, a southern suburb of Stockholm. This underground cargo space at the shopping centre has been converted to a high-technology farming space that can be active all year-round. The goal is to create a small-scale industry and provide local job opportunities (Ref. 5, 6, 7).

Bundek Park is one of the urban planning projects aimed to create a recreational and sports area for the citizens and tourists to support a healthy lifestyle (Ref 3). The lake is surrounded by Bundek Park which stretches for 2,000 meters in length with an area of 35 hectares. The lake is about 5 hectares. the lake was initially used for fishing, walking and swimming. With the increased and carefree use of the lake, the lake and the environment became a waste disposal site. In 2005, by the decision of the Mayor, Mr. Milan Bandić, the renovation of Bundek began. The project included cleaning of the informal waste disposal site and shrubs blocking access to the lakes, renovation of the access to the lakes, planting flowers and introduction of the benches and water also to allow citizens to use the lake for recreation and enjoy the nature (Ref 2).

Reconstruction is occurring in the Norra Stationsområdet area in the City of Stockholm, creating the city district Hagastaden (Haga City). In Haga City, an elongated hourglass-shaped park will be created called The Northern Station Park (sv. Norra Stationsparken). The park will run through the northern inner city from Torsplan and Hagaplan in the west to Norrtull in the east, and it is one of Stockholm's largest park initiatives. The first part of the new Norra Stationsparken in Hagastaden was to be inaugurated in September 2019 and the rest of the park is expected to be completed in 2024 (Ref. 1, 2, 8, 9).

Fornebu used to be Norway’s main airport, but was abandoned in 1998. The Fornebu project aimed to restore the 340 ha site in order to provide a sustainable, multi-use built environment with sustainable drainage systems and other green infrastructure in focus. The site now consists of residential and industrial buildings with a focus on green space and natural storm water management, involving the use of open and natural water retention methods, including swales, filter strips, permeable surfaces, detention basins and retention ponds (Ref. 1).

The Sotos de la Albolafia Natural Reserve is situated on a section along the Guadalquivir River, that runs from the Roman Bridge to the San Rafael Bridge (Ref. 3,14). It was declared Natural Monument in 2001 and is part of the Network of Protected Natural Areas of Andalusia (RENPA) due to its wide variety of birds (Ref. 5,15). "The declaration recognized the environmental value of the Sotos de la Albolafia, a singular natural enclave located in the urban center of a large city, in a monumental and historical environment also unique and with an unparalleled concentration in protected species, especially water birds and wetlands." (Ref. 3)

The Air Pollution Garden (APG) in the UK has been established at Sheffield Botanical Gardens through a collaboration between the three White Rose universities of Leeds, York and Sheffield. Typically an (APG) size is 6x8m and contains plants that are particularly sensitive to damage by pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) present in the air. The project owners hope to raise public awareness of air pollution effects in a tangible manner and change people’s behaviours (ref1).
In 2017, the city council hosted AirFest to push this initiative further (ref 8), a ‘Phyto-sensor’ toolkit was created by the Citizen Sense research group at the University of London to help identify the best locations for Air Quality Gardens (ref 6) and published the Air Quality Annual Status report (ref 7). In 2020 the project is considered as completed, although there are several different other projects in planning.

This intervention is part of an action plan by the Junta de Andalucia to develop an intervention model for disadvantaged zones to facilitate the social inclusion of persons at risk or socially excluded, and the socioeconomic growth of the area. (Ref 1) The project is a pilot to transform one of Sevilla's poorest neighborhoods, Los Pajaritos, into an eco-neighborhood. (Ref 14)

The Huerto del Rey Moro is an urban community orchard/ garden beside the historic house Casa del Rey Moro. It is one of the only open green spaces in the downtown area of Sevilla where activities of environmental education, leisure and socializing are performed. (Ref 2) The Rey Moro orchard is cited as keeping true to the historic and cultural use of the area since it has been used as an orchard on and off over the past 500 years. (ref 2) Thanks to citizens themselves, as citizens acted to keep it a public and open space against a proposed legislation that would destroy it. (Ref 5)