Collection of monitoring data continuously throughout the project to aid evaluation

The “Animal Species Aid Program”, also a part of “More Nature in the City” project of the Department of Environment and Urban Green, mapped out the occurrences of wild bees in Hannover including Leineaue, Alte Bult and the area of Berggarten and Leibniz University. With this program, 244 wild bees and wasp species were detected in Hannover in 2013/2014. In addition to the inventory, the program has also provided care instructions tailored to the individual species (like frequency and timing of lawn mowing) in order to protect their habitat.

The “Wild Bee of the Year” was launched in 2013 by the Baden-Württemberg Wild Bee Cadastre Working Group in cooperation with the State Institute for Bee Science and the beekeeping associations of Baden-Württemberg to draw attention to the danger to native wild bees throughout Germany. The program is part of the city of Hannover’s activities on biodiversity. As an example, in 2012/2013, occurrences of the endangered nightingale were recorded, extremely rare and highly specialized tree beetles were mapped, and amphibians and dragonflies were stocked in selected small waters. Specific care measures for individual biotopes were provided along with an overall overview of the ecological qualities of the city of Hannover.

(Reference 1 as of 2015. No information was found with regards to the current status of the project)

The project is a close-to-nature maintenance concept that combines the diverse usage requirements in public green spaces and the promotion of biological diversity through near-natural care. (Reference 1) It aims to promote biodiversity in the area through the plantings of local trees, installation of deadwood stacks, dry stone walls and boulders, which will help in the increased interconnectedness of the green areas and provide for structured habitat for the local species. The initiative also involves development of ecological standards for the handling of green spaces in the country, such as natural care practices that will protect local biodiversity (e.g. adapted mowing regime for lawns, flower meadows). (Reference 1, 2)
The "Urban green - species-rich and diverse" project is a cooperation project of the alliance "Municipalities for Biological Diversity eV" (Alliance) and the German Environmental Aid eV and with the participation of the five partner municipalities Frankfurt am Main, Hanover, Wernigerode, Kirchhain and Neu- Response. The project is funded in the Federal Biodiversity Program by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety. The experiences and results of the pilot project are further incorporated into the maintenance requirements for public green spaces in the urban area in other municipalities (Reference 1, 7).

The Royal Gardens, situated between Piazza San Marco and the Bacino di San Marco, came into being during the Napoleonic occupation of the city and used to be a space for recreational activities for locals for many years after the monarchy was over. During past decades, the gardens have progressively deteriorated. Their original design is now barely legible, in terms both of geometrical patterns and the placement of trees and shrubs. They were rapidly becoming a derelict area. This intervention consists of their recovery by restoring the original vegetation by recovering still-living plants and introducing new ones. Between 2015 and 2019 the Gardens underwent complex restoration, carried out by the Foundation and planned by the gardener and landscape architect Paolo Pejrone, student of Russell Page and Roberto Burle-Marx, while architectural renovation and the rebuilding of the greenhouse was planned by architect Alberto Torsello, based on a project drawn up by Carlo Aymonino and Gabriella Barbini. Reopened in December 2019, the Royal Gardens, rich in unexpected perspectives and luxuriant growth, have reacquired their formal excellence and botanical complexity, in coherence with their historic nineteenth-century design. (1, 2 and 7).

The landscaping of the Vuosaari landfill site has appeared to be an excellent example of ”Integrated Planning Approach” as following concepts were applied: restorative design; ecological design; regenerative development and conventional design (ref. 1). The unused Vuosaari landfill hill had been transformed into a natural area where now domestic plants grow in meadows and rocky conditions. The area is now also used for recreational, educational and scientific purposes (ref 1, 2). The purpose of the project was to promote social, economic and environmental activities at the Vuosaari landfill site (ref. 1).

The experimental green facade system consisting of four different types of green wall was installed in Nurnberg from 2013 until 2016 on Adolf-Braun-Strasse 33 and is an integrated greening system that enables self-sufficient, low-maintenance "hanging gardens" on facades and other vertical walls. The aim of the project is to experiment with recreating green spaces in the streets, asphalt surfaces, and backyards of some parts of Nuremberg overcoming numerous constraints and competing uses (1) The implementation has helped improve air quality, thermal insulation, wind and rain protection and lowering local temperatures in its proximity. (2)

The city of Wuppertal participates as a model region in the joint research project SAMUWA which aims at developing planning instruments which combine urban drainage with urban and open space development measures. With regards to the work package C.1: open space design strategies for a water sensitive city, one focus area and proposed measure, namely the "Varresbecker" flood channel is of special interest since it has been subject to comprehensive implementation plans in Wuppertal so that its implementation can be expected in the next years (Ref. 1, 2, 4 and 5). Alongside the water channel, a recreational area will be created with information to raise awareness about water management issues and climate change. (Ref. 2)

Weaver Square Community Garden started in May 2011 on a derelict site owned by Dublin City Council. The site contains the Community Garden and 28 individual allotments let out by the council. The main focus of the Community Garden is to create a safe and relaxing green space for all to use and enjoy. The organizers hope in the future to have more emphasis on the garden as a learning experience, with open days & workshops and other related talks. Dublin City Council has given notice that Weaver Square Community Garden and 27 family allotments are to close at the end of 2018. (Ref. 1; Ref. 2; Ref. 3)

Wetlands provide a varying degree of treatment of discharged water and are ideally suited for the containment and treatment of polluted water runoff, being a holistic example of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). The Dublin Local Authority installed an Integrated Constructed Wetland to treat polluted water discharged from the urban area, with the aim of cleaning urban runoff and drainage water. It was meant to purify water that discharges into a pond, and later on into the Tolka river. The project has been very successful in treating polluted water effectively, according to studies. (Ref. 1; Ref. 3)

From 1850 to 1956 the area Eskesberg was a limestone mine, after that up until 1972 it served as a landfill. When taken over by the city of Wuppertal, groundwater contamination and outgassing required a large remediation to remove toxic substances and recover the area according to nature conservation guidelines. (Ref. 8) Since 2005, it has been turned into a nature conservation area covering 8.5 ha where several rare plants and animals have resettled and thus the area also serves as an important recreational space for residents (Ref. 1, 2, and 3). The project was initiated by the local government, who also collaborate with different partners for maintaining the nature conservation area, such as the biological station, which organizes excursions, performs monitoring on the terrain and sets up bee hives. Also, residents apart from visiting the area can actively participate in its maintenance as volunteers, guided by the city of Wuppertal and the NGO Biologische Station Mittlere Wupper. Furthermore, the nature conservation association of Wuppertal and scientists from the university of Cologne are involved in the intervention by conducting research on the terrain (Ref. 1, 2, 3 and 6).

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) ran a project to turn Belfast into the first-ever “Swift City”. The Belfast Swift City project aimed to bring nature back to the city and protect the swifts (ref 1). The aim was to find out where the birds are nesting, so work can begin to protect them. Additionally, there was said to be potential for the creation of community gardens in the area of residential buildings undergoing regeneration to aid this project. (Ref 2). As thousands of swifts migrate from Africa and nest in crevices in buildings, nesting boxes were put in a few locations like the parliament building to attract more swifts. (Ref 4)