Collection of monitoring data continuously throughout the project to aid evaluation

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)

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has completed an urban river restoration on the Guphill Brook that aims to restore the brook's natural features and enhance the surrounding habitat. "The project [is expected to] bring multiple benefits to diminishing wildlife and deprived local communities but also importantly to flood risk reduction, which is becoming ever more important with the increased negative effects of climate change." (Ref. 1)

Champratel Eco-District is mainly a housing development plan with new green space areas which will be part of the green corridor of the city. "It will be a real "Garden-District" to offer participatory housing: "For La Grande Plaine, the city of Clermont-Ferrand wanted to go beyond the simple redevelopment of a neighborhood by implementing an innovative approach: participatory housing. It's a new way of collectively designing, creating and managing individual homes" (Ref. 11). It will offer harmonious urban forms and vast green spaces. It will mainly offer a concordance between two desires: the proximity of the city and a pleasant living environment" (Ref. 2). Three main green spaces have been created including a meadow in the north, a green square Rose-Parks to create a meeting place for the inhabitants, and diverse gardens (some of which are maintained and others which are wild" (Ref. 5).

Revival is a partnership which is committed to delivering improvements for wildlife and people on the Lower Don catchment from the Don Gorge to Goole. It enables organisations over a whole host of different sectors to come together and work under one shared vision: create a committed partnership delivering improvements for wildlife and people on the Lower Don catchment. This intervention is thus a change in the governance of natural areas in and around Doncaster that leads to projects, rather than being a specific project itself. The River Don Revival project will continue to fight for the river’s future. Firstly, an action plan will layout the manual work necessary to improve the river and the catchment as a whole. In addition, the partnership intends to work with a scheme called the NW Water Rangers to encourage the public to engage in citizen science, collecting evidence of poor water quality. The partnership will also work closely with the South Follingsby Park development to implements Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, to create new habitats and to improve the river itself. Finally, the partnership hopes to appoint a dedicated member of staff to oversee all of the work taking place on the Don. (Ref 1, 2, 7).

Little France Park is the city’s newest park reclaiming unmanaged grassland for the local community and carving out a green corridor from the city centre to Midlothian. It will establish a new corridor for wildlife whilst offering a network of paths, cycleways spread across 45 hectares. ELGT have submitted a Pre Application Notice to create new public parkland. It will establish a new corridor for wildlife whilst offering a network of paths, cycleways spread across 45 hectares. It is expected to provide a valuable green asset to new and existing communities. The parkland will be an important part of the green network with enhanced biodiversity. The existing landscape features will be enhanced, including wetland habitats, woodland planting, meadow grassland and space for events or informal sports. It is an opportunity to create active travel routes integrated with green infrastructure. The fully realized Little France Park will include 3 parkland areas, which together create habitat and species-rich areas. The project is due in late 2020. (ref 1, 2, 5, 6)

Hailes Quarry Park (HQP) is a large open space in the south-west of Edinburgh. It covers an area of 12.15ha. HQP was a very boggy area in the centre of the park which was effectively out of use. A project was planned which aimed to make environmental improvements and engage the local community and encourage healthy living. One of the main features of the park’s recent development is the creation of a wetland area with a range of wetland plant species. This new habitat will be home to birds, amphibians and native wetland plants, and will be a part of the green corridor. Additionally, a Biodiversity enhancement project was carried out at the site (ref 1, 7).

The Arcadia nursery is a new building located at the King’s Buildings Campus, Edinburgh and owned by the University of Edinburgh. The current intervention is about promoting ideas of free play and having elements of forest schools and natural play within the garden. As outdoor spaces associated with pre-schools is critical to the health and well being of children, this project is one of the very important initiatives in the city. It mixes indoor and outdoor play areas, and children can move between the eco-friendly building and a specially landscaped garden. The playrooms lead to a garden which enables 'nature' to be in close reach for the children. (ref 1, 4)

The Côtes site is a natural space of 1300 hectares surrounded by the urban area of the Clermont-Ferrand area, between the cities of Clermont-Ferrand, Durtol, Nohanent, Blanzat and Cébazat. (Ref. 1). Its fragile biodiversity has required special attention from the city with several actions being taken to protect it from growing urbanization. Part of the site is a Natura 2000 area and the Clermont part of the overall site is designated a sensitive natural environment (ENS). A management plan was developed for the ENS and put in place for the years 2019-2024 (Ref. 12).

This area of Keighley is drained by a combined sewer system operated by Yorkshire Water. The natural drainage system is poorly defined.
During extreme rainfall, water from the park and adjacent housing flows down the hill and into the surrounding area and causes flooding. Storage in the form of SuDS was provided in Devonshire Park using a series of “trench trough” structures. These take the form of depressions (swales) with gently sloping sides (ref. 1). Extensive flooding in 2008 and 2012, the local resilience group has been working tirelessly to reduce flooding in Devonshire Park areas (ref 4). Up to £170m of this has been brought forward to accelerate work on ‘shovel-ready’ flood defence schemes to begin construction in 2020 or 2021. The Keighley and Ilkley constituency are one of the beneficiaries, with improvements set to be made to Natural Flood Management aspect of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, providing an immediate boost to jobs supporting the local economy (ref 4).

A five-year project, would be the largest sustainable water drainage system project to be implemented in Glasgow. The investment follows years of study by the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership, which includes Scottish Water, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Glasgow City Council. (Ref 1)