Local government/municipality

The winners of Smogathon 2016 suggested building a large green wall in the centre of Kraków. Based on the modern technologies the artificially placed wall made of metal and moss would clean local air, lower the temperature, retain water, increase biodiversity and serve as a decoration for the city centre [1,2]. The project was not completed due to lack of scientific data on its effectiveness and the weak price and outcomes balance; the city is still searching for more economical and practical solutions [6].

The project called “The Apiary of Kraków” includes several interrelated initiatives to establish beehives on the rooftops of various institutions in Cracow. The aim is to provide habitat for bees, and protect biodiversity, support urban pollination, increase social awareness on the topic. Urban honey is of better quality than honey produced in rural areas where pesticides are more common. The local administration-led initiative aims to promote Cracow as a pro-ecological city which soon will be selling its honey [1,2,3,4].

Landscape Park Neckar is a multi-place NBS intervention that is being realized along the banks of the river Neckar in 27 cities, including Stuttgart. Along the river axis, the free spaces between the dwelling buildings, industrial areas, and transport terminals are identified to be transformed into green areas, parks, and new recreational facilities. With this step-by-step approach, it succeeds in regenerating green areas for natural and social functions and helps drawing attention to the diverse benefits of Green Infrastructure. There are now eight master plans for the different landscape areas, which fit together like pieces of a puzzle to form the Stuttgart Region Landscape Park. Each sub-concept is tailored to the characteristic conditions. Since 2005 the Verband Region Stuttgart has been calling on cities and municipalities to submit project ideas. From this, the projects are selected in a competition in which the region pays up to 50 per cent of the costs. In this way, total investments in the Stuttgart Region Landscape Park of around 45 million euros have been triggered in recent years and around 200 projects have been co-financed by the region. The redevelopment of the landscape is in the ongoing phase. (ref. 1, 2, 7).

This NBS is part of a national campaign that was first implemented in 1936 and it deals with an entire month through which local authorities alongside public institutions proceed at plant a large number of trees. The action was resumed in 2008. The Forest Month, how it was named initially, has been over time an opportunity to raise public awareness of the importance of forests, and their essential role in maintaining ecological balance. The current name - Planting month Tree- is regulated by the Romanian Forest Code. (1)

The Liège Expo 2017 Masterplan was developed for the city of Liège, as part of their bid to organize the International Expo of 2017. In this plan, the Expo was not just an exciting stand-alone event, but rather the start of a sustainable transformation and an ecofriendly future of the city. The proposed development on both banks of the River Maaswill aimed to create new access to the river and improve the quality of life and the sustainability of the city, all at the same time (Ref. 1). While Liege was not awarded the 2017 Expo, the decision was made by the City to continue the competitive dialogue procedure initiated with a view to developing the Coronmeuse site into an eco-district (Ref. 12). Construction was launched in 2020 (Ref. 14).

The City of Milan intends to carry out a functional intervention in the valley of Ticinello for the strengthening of the environmental matrix and of the structural characteristics aimed at improving the ecological connection. The project, which aims to contribute to the valorisation, strengthening and conservation of the natural heritage, as well as expand local biodiversity, through the realization of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, is necessary for the realization, development and enhancement of large-scale ecological corridors already identified by the instruments of territorial planning (1).

The project provides some improvements in the first part of the itinerary of the Navile river. In particular, it focuses on the restoration of the green system and the recovery of historical-architectural components in the area stretching between the Park of Villa Angeletti, the ancient village of Corticella and the municipality of Castel Maggiore. Restoring the route along the canal is the first step in an ambitious retraining hypothesis that sees Navile and its rich cultural and environmental heritage as the privileged axis for the recovery and development of the adjacent urban area (1).

The Project "Let's Open the Walls" is an integrated program of urban and social regeneration interventions that aimed to revitalize a portion of the Venice Commune (that is, one in the former neighbourhood Quartiere Due: Dorsoduro, Santa Marta, Giudecca, Santa Croce, San Basilio). The program, promoted by the City of Venice and funded by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in 2004, provides for social inclusion and the weakest sections of the population and involved several interventions, including the planting of trees and the creation of green spaces for social activities. In particular, the Urban Italia program addressed to Venice is named: “Apriamo i Muri” (Opening the walls). It refers to the work-field “Quartiere 2” (District 2), in which are concentrated many actions that the city Administration has planned and approved during these last years. The Administration's objective was to transform and revitalize the degraded areas of the Venetian historical center, also through innovative actions. The program aims generally at urban, infrastructure and social regeneration of the Quartiere 2, moreover, it responds through articulated specific works to the critical complexity of the area. (1 and 4).

INCREDIBLE EDIBLE (or "Incroyables Comestibles" in French) is an experiment of social innovation: the volunteers of the movement cultivate small vegetable gardens scattered in the cities and the countryside and make their products available free of charge (Ref. 1). This, the first intervention, took place in front of the "Epicerie du Coing" where volunteers planted several vegetables, flowers and plants (Ref. 2).

A new park was created through funding from the ERDF, as part of initiative “Building a Green and Accessible Urban Environment in Plovdiv”. The aim of the project was to provide a place for recreation and to help minimize the density of grey infrastructure in the central part of the city. Activities involved planting trees, as well as many shrubs and flowers. (Ref. 1)