Public actor (e.g. municipality)

The Project "Let's Open the Walls" is an integrated program of urban and social regeneration interventions that aimed to revitalize a portion of the Venice Commune (that is, one in the former neighbourhood Quartiere Due: Dorsoduro, Santa Marta, Giudecca, Santa Croce, San Basilio). The program, promoted by the City of Venice and funded by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in 2004, provides for social inclusion and the weakest sections of the population and involved several interventions, including the planting of trees and the creation of green spaces for social activities. In particular, the Urban Italia program addressed to Venice is named: “Apriamo i Muri” (Opening the walls). It refers to the work-field “Quartiere 2” (District 2), in which are concentrated many actions that the city Administration has planned and approved during these last years. The Administration's objective was to transform and revitalize the degraded areas of the Venetian historical center, also through innovative actions. The program aims generally at urban, infrastructure and social regeneration of the Quartiere 2, moreover, it responds through articulated specific works to the critical complexity of the area. (1 and 4).

A new park was created through funding from the ERDF, as part of initiative “Building a Green and Accessible Urban Environment in Plovdiv”. The aim of the project was to provide a place for recreation and to help minimize the density of grey infrastructure in the central part of the city. Activities involved planting trees, as well as many shrubs and flowers. (Ref. 1)

The revitalization of the Saski Garden in Lublin in 2013 restored this space of local heritage historic character and cultural significance. Revitalization works included: cleaning and maintenance of existing trees and plants, planting extensive greenery, ICCTV and open access to wi-fi in the area of a renovated amphitheatre, revitalization of walking paths and ponds, small architectural elements like benches and a playground, and rainwater sewage system and a fountain [1,3,7].

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Cymru’s Giving Nature a Home in Cardiff aims to engage thousands of children, their families, and local communities with Cardiff’s wildlife, enabling them to take action for nature (ref 9). To do this, the project provides free outreach sessions in nurseries, early-years settings/schools, and primary schools across Cardiff to help children discover the wildlife in their school grounds. To reach families, nature-based activities are held. Finally, the project supports communities to help improve and manage pollinator-friendly Urban Buzz sites across the city (ref 9).

The reserve is a biodiversity hot-spot within Cardiff Bay. The reedbed and other aquatic plants, are very productive vegetation and a habitat for birds. Prior to the construction of the Cardiff Bay Barrage, it was made up of mudflats and salt marsh. (Ref 1) The site was chosen by Cardiff Harbour Authority to create a new environment and compensate in part for the loss of the mudflats which were submerged after completion of the Cardiff Bay Barrage. Floating timber structures serve as breeding areas for birds, an underwater bund prevents wave erosion, and a boom keeps out waterborne debris (Ref 5).

“Balne Lane Fields are an area of land close to the city centre of Wakefield. The site comprises of an area of nine hectares, which includes a former landfill site that has been restored to open green space. Part of the site is within a flood zone (Balne Beck).” “The field is popular with the local population for informal recreation. The potential to improve the variety of recreational uses, ecological value and environmental quality together with its links to both local communities and strategic greenspaces make it an important piece of green infrastructure in the City of Wakefield.” (Ref. 1)

Cardiff City Council and Urban Buzz brought together local organizations, community groups supporting wildlife, to create environments to encourage more bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other insects. (ref 1). One project inspired by Urban Buzz is Pharma Bee, a project housed and run by Cardiff University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, that worked to create a bee-friendly campus through their PharmaBees team (ref 7). In association with Urban Buzz, a project run by BugLife, it renovated the Cardiff University’s Redwood Building by planting bee-friendly plants (ref 2), installed beehives and trained bee-keepers (ref 7). The efforts were then expanded to the Hayden Ellis building on Cardiff University's campus (ref 7).

The Interpretation Centre at the Cardiff Castle is displaying a green roof of wildflowers. As well as changing the look of the roof, the wildflower meadow has increased the biodiversity of the area. The nectar-rich species of wildflower turf attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The roof had a simple irrigation system built into the substrate where the maintenance would be minimal (ref 3).

The project aims to preserve the river ecosystem and provide a suitable place for social life by the river. For the purpose, only natural materials will be used in strengthening the basin. Part of the activities include planting grass and natural vegetation in order to boost the ecosystem, including tall plants that provide shelter and a nesting place for birds. The area under work will cover 10.6 kilometres of the urban part of the river (Ref. 1).

In response to floods that had been afflicting the Rhiwbina area of Cardiff, a capital scheme was promoted in order to develop an integrated Rhiwbina Flood Defence Scheme. First, a pond was built in the Caedlyn Park to capture peak flows during extreme rainfall (ref 2; ref 8). The City of Cardiff also built low walls alongside the brook that flows through the neighbourhood to better channel water while also removing debris and reinstating the banks that had eroded over time (ref 1; ref 2). Additionally, by realigning and widening the watercourse, establishing earth bunds and creating a large attenuation pond downstream that aligns with the drainage system (ref 7). Taken together, flood risk decreased for the area overall, assisting local residents.