Private sector/corporate actor/company

Three London Plane trees were planted in a specially designed trench in Howard Street, Salford, Greater Manchester in 2015 with the aim of capturing the impact that trees had on both cleaning polluted water from road runoff and managing levels of surface water, which can lead to flooding when not properly managed (ref 1). This project in the City of Salford was created to study how trees can aid in the management of urban stormwater as a novel retrofitted street tree demonstration (ref 3). It was led by Manchester's City of Trees movement. (Ref 3)

Most of the open spaces around Munich are designated as green belt areas and are being used mostly for agricultural purposes. As a lead project of its green strategy, the city now aims to protect these areas and to upgrade their quality by cooperating with local farmers and promoting a shift to extensive and ecological farming, developing habitats, corridors as well as a network of cycle tracks and footpaths for recreation (Reference 3, 4). The city supports the farmers with advisory services, but also with the organization of the implementation of the ecological projects. The farmers are motivated to join by being able to use labels such as "Potatoes from the Greenbelt of Munich" on their products. (Reference 3) The initiative also includes herb gardens, provided by farmers and rented by citizens. (Reference 1) A further project included in the initiative is the "Münchner Ökokonto, a biodiversity offsetting principle by which the former low moor complex of the West of Munich is being renaturalized on 28 areas with a total area of 67 ha. (Reference 5)

New Bolton Woods Ltd is a development partnership between the regeneration company Urbo and Bradford Council (ref5). This project aims to create a new sustainable urban neighbourhood, linked to the existing Bolton Woods. As the majority of the proposed development is situated on land which falls within Flood Zone, a range of measures including the raising of ground floor levels, and incorporation of sustainable drainage techniques will be used to manage runoff.
The project intends to provide a series of well landscaped, high-quality open areas and parks for the community. There is potential for a long term phased canal restoration (ref. 1). The second stage,145 houses are currently under construction on the slopes off Poplars Park Avenue, overlooking Canal Road, and are due to be completed by 2021 (ref 6). West Yorkshire Ecological Service raised concerns that the development would lead to a loss of woodland (ref 6).

Arcosur is a new residential neighbourhood project approved for construction in 2008 after the hosting of the Zaragoza Expo 2008. In its structure, it seeks to develop a space of 4 500 000 m2 into around 21 000 new homes, and out of which around 1 500 000 m2 will be squares, parks, and other green spaces. These green spaces would connect the neighbourhood and ensure all residents have access to green areas. (Ref. 1)

City of Trees is an innovative movement set to re-invigorate Greater Manchester’s landscape by transforming underused woodland and planting a tree for every person who lives there (ref 1). Manchester City of Trees had undertaken work to improve water quality of a tributary of Worsley Brook through channel naturalisation and create wet woodland in the Cleavleys Nursery. The discharge from the tributary caused water quality failures in Worsley Brook under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (Ref 3). This project allowed the stream to take a more natural course through the woodland and the waterlogged woods provide habitats to species and remedy these water quality issues (Ref 3).

The roof installation at the Re:center building comprises of a wildlife pond planted with native marginal plants, a native wildflower area, grasses and herbs, bird feeder tables, insect houses etc. Design features encourage the development of flora and fauna on the roofing area and a growing media (from ABG) provides a nutritionally rich base for vegetation. Beneath this surface, a free-draining void allows for storage of collected rainwater to irrigate the vegetation. This roof is part of the Bright Building at the University of Bradford. (ref2) The building was known throughout its building phase as The Sustainable Enterprise Centre, but it is recognised that thinking around sustainability has moved considerably since this project started back in 2007 and the new name will ‘re:flect’ new agendas in a way that is distinctive within Higher Education (ref 6).

The South Saint-Jacques district is a residential area. A public housing project in the district incorporates careful landscape planning to promote social interaction, increase biodiversity, and better manage rainwater. It includes green spaces, collective area for free initiative from the community, swales and planted basins for rainwater drainage (Ref. 1).

Within the national park of Alta Murgia, a project was implemented since 2006 from a company which produces ecological products ("Fattoria della Mandorla"). They aimed at creating an ecovillage with allotment gardens by practising biological agriculture and promoting biodiversity for cultivated plants. In addition, the project aims at improving the contact of visitors with nature and give further value to the natural park. Moreover, the project wants to stimulate sustainable production and consumption of cultivated products. (Ref.1.)

The catchment includes the River Avon (a major resource for recreational activities and public water supply) and its various tributaries. Coventry is the largest urban area in the catchment, and the catchment has a high value for wildlife. (Ref. 1)
Main priorities include engaging communities to take ownership of their local water environment, reducing urban and rural pollution; delivering enhancement projects in the 3 Priority Areas (e.g. Coventry Brooks) and Returning water corridors to a near-natural state. (Ref. 2). The Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) is a Government policy framework that empowers local action to improve the water environment through community partnerships. A renewed focus on the catchment-based approach has led to Catchment Partnerships (i.e. The Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership) being set up to drive local delivery of these projects. (Ref. 3)

The Garden Factory ('Tuinfabriek') is an exceptional urban agriculture project on a roof of the central station that aims at becoming the largest food-producing roof of the Netherlands. The project is a self-sustaining vegetable garden located on the roof of a busy mall in the centre of Utrecht (ref. 5). On the roof, citizens, students, company employees and schools work together to grow vegetables and keep bees and chicken. The Garden Factory reflects an ecological 'self-sustaining factory' as the chickens, worms and bees 'work' in the garden as being part of the decomposing system and pollination and a system is built for rainwater retention that allows for irrigation (ref. 1). Eating, composting, sowing, growing, harvesting, cooking form the production process of this Garden Factory (ref. 4).
The main elements of the roof garden are in place, such as the crop bins, the chicken coop and the decomposing machine are completed. However, it is an ongoing developing project as some elements are still in development stage such as some elements of the Soup Kitchen and the aim is to integrate the Garden Factory more with the central station shopping mall in multiple ways (ref. 1).