Collection of monitoring data at specific time intervals during the project to aid evaluation

"The HUERTAS LIFE KM0 project aims to recover the natural peri-urban Gardens of Zaragoza through the promotion of a ‘zero kilometre’ (km0) concept of local agricultural production. It expects to demonstrate a successful approach for implementing the European Territorial Strategy (ETS), delivering economic, social, health and environmental benefits. " (ref 4) in peri-urban green areas that have been neglected (Ref. 4).

The Green and Blue Network in France is a national policy which "aims to restore ecological continuity in order to promote the migration of species and the resilience of ecosystems to face habitat threats and climate change. It also aims to strengthen the place of nature in the city and public awareness." In Montpellier, implementation of "this project has improved knowledge of the city's natural heritage and enhanced ecological continuity, as well as protecting, and sustainably managing high-potential sites and integrating the social dimension, raising public awareness, the observation of nature"(Ref. 2).

Together with citizens, municipality, NGOs and urban green space developers and managers, GREEN SURGE contributed to the improvement of Ljubljana’s urban green spaces in the LivadaLAB initiative. This project combined research insights with the expertise of the youth NGO Zavod Bob, University of Ljubljana, the Institute for Sustainable Development, construction company LAVCO, urban management company TISA, and a number of local businesses. Together, they implemented a project which successfully integrates youth and environmental policy goals for the City of Ljubljana. It engaged over 30 young citizens in developing a multifunctional open public green space with the aim to further promote, support and foster the active role of citizens, especially marginalized groups, in improving the quality of urban green spaces in Ljubljana. This project is one of the initiatives under the overarching Uran Learning Labs (ULLs) project by Green Surge, which was applied to 20 European cities. (1, 4 and 5)

Two of Sheffield's rivers, the Limb Brook and the Porter Brook, have been identified as having strong populations of native white-clawed crayfish. The native crayfish is under pressure from the alien, invasive American signal crayfish and the crayfish plague. If no action is taken, the white-clawed crayfish populations in Sheffield could become extinct in a few years. Crayfish Action Sheffield aims to maintain and increase Sheffield’s native crayfish populations through habitat enhancement, public education and creation of bio-secure 'Ark' sites. It is a collaborative research project and Sheffield Crayfish Working Group’s members are from a range of conservation organizations. (ref3) The First time Crayfish Action plan was implemented in 2008-14 and after it ended in 2014, again the issue was looked in 2017. (ref 5)

The recreational and educational centre (RIC) area along the Sava river stretches from Tomačevo to Sneberje and totals 144,618 sqm. The area is intended for children, people with disabilities and other residents of the region, visitors and tourists. The intervention made this once degraded, illegal dumping area attractive for those seeking recreation, visitors and tourists, also in the evening as street lighting was installed along the path powered by photovoltaics. A large children's playground offers free socializing and children can develop their basic motor skills, which is exceptionally important in life's early years. (1)

This project focuses on the development of environmental regulations stimulating the connection of existing green areas and developing new ones in the urban area of Rome to stimulate biodiversity by rehabilitating 73% of free/derelict areas. This was done to guarantee an integrated protection of already existing areas as well as restoration of green and blue landscapes (1). The Ecologic Network is still ongoing and provides specific limitations to any new infrastructural project to make sure specific environmental standards are respected (3).

This is a project financed by the EU LIFE Project on CO2 sequestration and reduction levels in the urban area of Rome. One of the initiatives involved an NBS, as RomaNatura took care of planting new trees over 2 hectares of land in the Valle dei Casali in the Municipio XV area (Ref. 1).

To promote bee-keeping, the city created the Bee Trail - a circuit where visitors can discover Ljubljana's beekeeping heritage and the significance of bees for our survival. The Bee Trail was designed and opened in 2015 as one of the activities within the Green Capital of Europe 2016 project. It was originally conceived only as an actual route between individual locations related to beekeeping and bees in Ljubljana. Through the participatory principle of working with individual members, however, it has been shown that the path is much more than just a work program or project. It has become synonymous with all activities related to bees and beekeeping in Ljubljana. Since 2011, the Slovenian Beekeepers' Association has awarded municipalities the title of the most bee-friendly municipality. The City of Ljubljana has been awarded the most bee-friendly municipality - in 2017 and 2019. (1)

These gardens fulfil several purposes and have become more and more often a point of aggregation and leisure, of socialisation and recreation, didactic and cultural education. Two interventions were made and in 1991, where 36 and 48 ornamental plants were produced. Subsequently, the gardens were built in the PEEP area of ​​Zelarino (in 1997), and in via Pertini (in 2002) and thanks to the environmental context and the available space, an element of novelty is introduced: the gathering area for communities to share environmental common values and activities. (2).

The city of Zagreb prepared city-owned land on 10 locations for urban gardening, called "city gardens" for citizens who do not own land in Zagreb. The project "City Gardens" is a positive example of sustainable use of urban land and improving the quality of life of our citizens in social, economic and environmental terms. City gardens provide access to healthy food and improve the household budget of citizens, contribute to preserving a healthier environment, preserving biodiversity, environmental awareness of citizens, connecting with nature, healthy leisure and promoting a healthy lifestyle and developing partnerships between the City of Zagreb and citizens (Ref 1).