Measurements of biophysical aspects of the NBS (e.g. temperature, water flow)

The green wall outside of the garden section of Leroy Merlin in Zlotniki near Poznan. First of such projects in a shopping mall in Poland which was designed already at the planning stages of the building infrastructure. It serves both ecological and marketing purposes [1,2].

A nature park in Bucharest containing the wetlands surrounding Lake Vacaresti. It was initially a swamp drained by the communist regime, which builds a complex of apartment blocks. In 2014 it was declared protected by the Romanian Government and named Văcărești Nature Park, and was approved as a natural protected area in 2016. (1)

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)

Nancy has the most community gardens in France. While these gardens are generally designed at the initiative of associations or collectives of inhabitants, in Nancy, they are part of the urban development plans.
This demonstrates a real desire from the city to bring the inhabitants closer to sustainable development while providing them with the means to create greenery in the heart of the city (Ref. 1). The Plateau-de-Haye district, where green space was recently created, allowed the emergence of many plots (Ref. 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).

In 2007 the Lisboa City Hall began the development of a strategy for urban agriculture, having created in 2011 several allotment parks. Beyond the provision of plots, the Council also provided the fences, shelters for storage, water irrigation, training and technical support. In 2011 there were already 56 plots of 150 m2 at a location named Granja Farm (2)

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)

Grassland habitats are considered among the most threatened ecosystems in Europe, in particular, dry grasslands which are being constantly and significantly reduced (ref.9).
The NBS intervention consists of the restoration and conservation of two priority habitats of dry grassland (protected areas):(i) Festuco-Brometalia grasslands, are among the most species-rich plant communities in Europe and contain a large number of rare and endangered species; (ii) Pseudo-steppe of Thero-Brachypodietea (ref.1).
The project will take place in three sites on the Apennines: two within the Rome Province and one within the Potenza province, both part of the Mediterranean biogeographical region (ref.9).

The project focuses on the conservation of a locally rare plant (Dictamnus albus L.) and the community of its natural pollinators. At present, European natural populations of Dictamnus albus are declining because of the scarcity of pollination service; in addition to this, suitable habitats (woodland fringes and clearings) are becoming rare due to land-use changes as a result of the abandonment of traditional agro-sylvo-pastoral activities. This project assesses these issues by re-introducing and monitoring the plant in its natural habitat while re-establishing a suitable habitat for the plants and their natural pollinators (1).

"The National Park of Circeo, established in 1934, on the Tyrrhenian coast south of Rome, contains ecosystems of invaluable scientific interest. The site is, however, regularly invaded, during the summer season, by thousands of holidaymakers who tend to
park their cars on the sand dunes near the beach with a consequent heavy impact on the whole dune system. The LIFE project aimed to complete the preventative and natural restoration measures started under two earlier projects financed by the EU" (1).