Public actor (e.g. municipality)

This initiative is a community-based urban greening effort targeting environmental and social co-benefits in Cartagena’s El Pozón neighbourhood. It involved the planting of 491 fruit and timber trees along a 1,500-meter linear stretch, covering nearly two hectares in the Terraplén sector of the neighbourhood. Led by the "Establecimiento Público Ambiental" (EPA), it was developed in collaboration with various stakeholders, including the Gerencia de Espacio Público, Guardia Ambiental, SENA students, the Police, and community members (ref 1, 2). The project's primary goal was to enhance the environmental quality and aesthetics of the El Pozón neighbourhood by planting trees that provide ecological benefits, such as improving air quality, reducing temperatures, and enhancing biodiversity. Additionally, the initiative aimed to foster community engagement in environmental conservation, particularly in raising awareness about the importance of protecting and maintaining nature. The community is also expected to take on the responsibility of maintaining the planted trees, promoting a sense of ownership and sustainable stewardship (ref 1).

The "Active Recreational Green Area Development at Horváth-tető" in Miskolc is a project aimed at revitalizing a central yet underutilized urban space, commissioned by the Municipality of Miskolc in 2017. A distinctive feature of Miskolc is the Avas hill, located in the city center, which beautifully blends nature with urban elements. Despite its potential, the area had been neglected, particularly following the decline of vineyard culture and the reduced use of old wine cellars. To address this, a comprehensive development plan was initiated to rejuvenate the Avas region, with Horváth-tető at its core.
The project aimed to transform the area into an outdoor recreational hub for all age groups. The hill's historic terraces, once popular promenades, were repurposed into distinct, multifunctional spaces. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy facilities such as street workout stations, an outdoor gym, a skate park, a climbing wall, and parkour elements. For those looking to relax, picnic areas, sunbathing spots, and a retro-style terrace are available. The entire development prioritizes accessibility, providing inclusive options for visitors with mobility challenges.
The park also features significant landscaping, including the planting of trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, and ferns, enhancing its overall appeal. Infrastructure improvements were made, including the restoration of stairs, paths, retaining walls, and the rainwater drainage system. A special shallow basin was designed to collect rainwater and support plant roots while also serving as a playful area for dogs within the dog park.
Since its opening in 2022, the park has become a popular destination, offering a tranquil escape in a beautiful setting. It provides a wide range of recreational opportunities for people of all ages, making it a valuable addition to Miskolc’s urban landscape and connecting the historical Avas hill with modern city life.(Ref.1,2)

The Adana Central Park stretches along both riverbanks of the Seyhan River. The idea was first introduced by the former mayor of the city, Aytaç Durak, in the late 80s to address the need for accessible green spaces in the developing area (Ref, 2). Previously, citrus gardens and informal settlements were located on these riverbanks, which now host over 400.000 plants and 67 different tree species on an area of 33 ha (Ref. 2,5,6). In 1998 construction of the park began, which lasted until 2004 (Ref. 2,5). The park is appreciated by visitors for its aesthetically landscaped appearance and the many amenities for children, youth, relaxation and socializing (Ref. 7). The two sides of the river are connected via bridges or, alternatively, visitors can board the Venetian style gondolas to access either side (Ref. 5). In 2021, park lighting infrastructure has been extensively replaced to ensure accessibility and safety during day and nighttime (Ref. 3).

The Recovery of Green Area on Avenida del Lago is a group of activities aimed at restoring and preserving the ecological integrity of green space within an urban setting. This project involves multiple stakeholders, including the "Establecimiento Público Ambiental" (EPA) Cartagena, "Fundación Verde Que Te Quiero Verde", Asopopa, and local businesses such as Crepes and Wafles and Centro Comercial Caribe Plaza. The primary focus is environmental restoration, sustainable urban mobility, and public space recovery (ref 1). The project aims to rehabilitate the degraded green spaces along Lago Avenue by enhancing urban greenery, restoring mangrove ecosystems, and improving public access and mobility. It also focuses on reducing pollution, preventing informal waste disposal, and raising environmental awareness among local communities and businesses. These activities align with broader efforts to promote ecological sustainability and enhance urban resilience (ref 1, 3). Since 2020, activities have included the planting of trees, mangroves, and other native vegetation in the green spaces of the avenue. Regular clean-up campaigns have been organized to remove solid waste, and community education programs have been conducted to promote environmental stewardship (ref 2). Previously, Lago Avenue was an area plagued by pollution and homelessness, and with the project, the intention is to gradually transform the area into a wooded area or productive park (ref 2).

The green belt regeneration project along the Byzantine Walls of Thessaloniki aims to revitalize the neglected green spaces surrounding these historic fortifications, which span 4 kilometers and are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for their remarkable Byzantine architecture. The walls are located in Thessaloniki’s densely populated Upper Town, a factor that contributed to their environmental degradation. As such, the project focuses on restoring the degraded space surrounding the walls, improving the urban microclimate, and strengthening urban resilience while maintaining the area’s traditional character. By integrating heritage conservation with sustainable green infrastructure, the initiative seeks to provide both environmental and social benefits to the local community. Proposed by the Municipality of Thessaloniki and approved by the Greek government as part of a program that focuses on Central Macedonia, the project envisions a revitalized green zone along the walls, with vegetation and different types of trees being planted. However, some local families have expressed concerns, as the project involved the demolition of certain homes in the officially designated green belt area. (Refs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 14).

The City of Marseille is engaged in a city-wide project to develop community gardens across its territory. It supports project leaders by providing municipal land and offering a framework along with technical support (Ref 5). Currently, there are 80 community gardens, including 66 shared gardens and 14 family gardens, covering nearly 32 hectares in total (Ref 1).
Marseille aims to provide all residents with spaces for relaxation and socialization in every neighbourhood, particularly fostering shared gardening spaces in neglected land, forgotten squares, building bases, or areas awaiting development. (Ref 1). Community gardens contribute to the city's beautification and support biodiversity (Ref 1) and are founded on values of solidarity, conviviality, and fostering connections between generations and cultures (Ref 4). This initiative also addresses the issue of agricultural land disappearing due to urbanization, while Marseille's many abandoned wastelands offer genuine opportunities to rethink production models (Ref 3).
The city has created a Charter to be signed between the city and garden managers, which can include groups of residents or associations (Ref 2). The charter includes criteria such as citizen involvement, fostering social connections, promoting biodiversity, restoring soils’ health, planting local species, and eco-responsible gardening practices (Ref 2). In return, the city supports the development of these gardens, providing land and offering technical and methodological assistance, including soil analysis and advice on environmentally friendly gardening practices (Ref 2). Additionally, community gardens can serve an economic purpose by creating jobs and enabling the production of healthy and flavorful fruits and vegetables at a lower cost (Ref 2).

Phoenix is America’s fifth largest and hottest city, a sprawling urban heat island which has expanded without adequate consideration to climate and environmental factors like water scarcity and extreme heat (1). ​Multiple heat records were broken in 2023 including 133 days over 100F (37.7C), and 55 days topping 110F (43C) (1). Only around 9% of Phoenix is protected by tree canopies, yet this citywide figure masks vast inequities between wealthy, majority-white neighborhoods (1). As a response, the City of Phoenix has adopted an equity-driven heat mitigation plan to create a shadier, more livable environment amid rising temperatures and hundreds of heat-related deaths (1). Part of this plan created the Community Canopy Grant program, which offers public schools, churches and homes in qualifying census tracts – low-income neighborhoods with little shade funds for tree planting projects (1). One neighborhood, Grant Park is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods – and one of the most neglected (1). It is a red lined neighborhood with higher pollution levels, less vegetation, more noise pollution and higher temperatures (1). To change the inequity and create enough shade to provide residents and passersby reprieve from the heat, the city planted around 40 trees in the Grant Park neighborhood within household yards (1-2). Residents can choose from a list of 19 native and desert-adapted trees including the Texas olive, Chinese red pistache and Chilean mesquites (1). The trees, which are a couple of years old and pretty heavy, are planted by contracted arborists (1). Following the planting process, each household was provided with a tree kit – a hose, irrigation timer and instrument to measure the soil pH and moisture, as well as written care instructions (1). This is the fourth tree planting effort by this city and the hope with this initiative is that it lasts (1).

Two stages of a project called "Flowering roadsides" have been created along a bike road stretch measuring 6,5 km between the areas of Gunnilse and Bergum in the eastern part of the City of Gothenburg. The projects came to be through citizens' initiatives and are carried out in cooperation between the City of Gothenburg and two local NGOs: The Bergum-Gunnilse Development Association and the Gothenburg branch of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (Gunnilse-Bergum utveckling & Göteborgs naturskyddsförening). The first stage of the project was carried out in 2021 and focused on taking inventory of species and ecosystems along the stretch and suggesting management options to promote biodiversity. The second stage is carried out from 2022 to 2024 and focuses on implementing and evaluating alternative management options to today's conventional management. Mowing and scraping are carried out to disturb weeds and benefit meadow flowers. Sand has been placed to create a habitat for wild bees. Signs were put up along the stretch to inform the public of the initiative, and benches will be renovated to create opportunities for recreation. The project receives funding from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency through their local nature conservation investment, LONA. The project falls under the umbrella project of "the world's longest meadow", organised nationally by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation [Ref. 1, 3, 4]. The goal of that project is to transform 1000 km of Swedish roadsides into flowering meadows with high biodiversity richness [Ref. 2].

In response to rising food prices and knowing that much of the country's agriculture depends on imported chemical fertilisers, the Municipality of La Molina has developed the Molihuertos programme to provide the residents of the district of La Molina with organic crops for their own consumption and to improve their food security (1, 3). As part of the programme, the municipality implemented municipal plots in different parks in the district. Eleven plots were installed in O'Higgins Park, where residents actively participate in the planting and subsequent harvesting of vegetables, aromatic and medicinal plants, which they consume by themselves (2, 3). Through the programme, the municipality trains and provides different varieties of vegetables and aromatic herbs to more than 800 currently enrolled residents (2). These gardens are managed under organic agriculture, which would help to mitigate a possible overpricing and/or shortage of vegetables in Lima, as they do not depend on chemical fertilisers such as urea, but on organic fertilisers such as compost and manure (3). In addition, residents can sign up to receive drawers with planted vegetables so that they can plant and harvest them at home, either for self-sufficiency or to sell if they wish to do so in the itinerant markets organised by the municipality (9).

‘Grün macht Schule’ has been informing, advising, and supporting schools and school initiatives in Berlin since 1983 in the planning and realization of schoolyard projects. The program focuses on improving school playgrounds by creating child-friendly, natural habitats and ecological learning spaces, making schoolyards better equipped to address climate change. In 2012, the program expanded with the launch of the ‘Grün macht Schule - KinderGARTEN’ funding initiative, which extended support to kindergartens.
Over the past four decades, with the program’s assistance, Berlin has seen the transformation of large, unstructured schoolyards into smaller, creative playgrounds. These spaces now feature imaginative and artistic objects alongside facilities for play, exercise, and communication. Additionally, many school gardens and biotopes have been established or restored, turning school grounds into vibrant ecological and educational environments .
The projects are largely driven by schools’ self-initiatives, with ‘Grün macht Schule’ offering support throughout. This grassroots approach fosters pride and a sense of ownership among school communities, strengthening their identification with the results. The collaborative effort also enriches educational practices, promoting inclusion, integration, and democratic participation. Such initiatives offer a hands-on experience with sustainable climate protection projects, making these efforts tangible and impactful in everyday school life.
In addition to its project-based support, ‘Grün macht Schule’ provides training for school teams, organizes regional and national conferences, and hosts seminars and lectures to share best practices and inspire further action .
The program is a cooperative effort between the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family and the association Freilandlabor Britz e.V., operating under the guidance of the Senate Department. (Ref. 1-4, 6)