Knowledge creation and awareness raising

Terres Sainville is one of Fort-de-France's priority neighborhoods, known for the precarious living conditions of its residents and the prevalence of illicit activities. Many plots of land in the area have been abandoned and are used as informal dumpsites. In response, the City of Fort-de-France developed the "Jaden Lanmou" (Garden of Love) program, which aims to revitalize neglected spaces across the city’s 145 neighborhoods, Terres Sainville being one of them.
With support from the Terres Sainville town hall, neighborhood associations (such as the Terres Sainville Citizens' Council and local schools), and the Ypiranga Martinique association, the community has been working to transform these wastelands into shared gardens. Since 2021, Ypiranga has created 10 productive gardens, designing each based on the land's configuration, soil quality, and the preferences of local residents, including options for market gardening, medicinal plants, fruit trees, and above-ground containers (Ref 1; 7).
This initiative prioritizes the development of city-owned land and strategic transit sites, while also encouraging private landowners to maintain their abandoned plots or share them with the community. Additionally, the program seeks to enhance existing flowerbeds, create new ones, and incorporate artistic elements like street art and graffiti. Public meeting spaces are being developed to foster community interaction.
The city aims to involve residents by providing equipment, training, workshops, and advice on best practices. Ultimately, neighborhood representatives and residents will be responsible for maintaining these new communal spaces and ensuring they are respected (Ref 2).

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 Molentargius-Salt Works Regional Natural Park, spanning approximately 1,600 hectares, is located in South Sardinia between the towns of Cagliari and Quartu Sant'Elena, adjacent to the Poetto seafront. The park features diverse ecosystems, including wetlands and salt flats, and houses the Orto Botanico di Cagliari, which showcases native Mediterranean plants.
In 2016, a project was initiated by a group of stakeholders to preserve and enhance biodiversity within the park. The project's goals are to protect and promote the unique ecosystems, such as the fossil beach, and manage invasive species like the Louisiana crayfish. Through various activities—educational programs, public engagement, and conservation efforts—the initiative aims to raise awareness and deepen understanding of local biodiversity and its historical evolution.
A primary focus of the project is the conservation of the Orto Botanico area in Is Arenas, which contains a fossil beach that offers valuable geological insights into the region's past. Planned activities include cleaning and securing the area, creating educational pathways, and employing multimedia tools to engage visitors. The emphasis is on teaching the public, especially students, about biodiversity as a result of environmental adaptation through practical learning and cultural exchanges.
Another critical aspect of the project is the study and control of the invasive Louisiana crayfish, which threatens the park’s biodiversity by contributing to riverbank erosion and impacting native fauna. The project will incorporate scientific research on the crayfish and develop strategies to limit its spread, aiming to protect the park’s delicate ecosystems from further disruption by invasive species.
Lastly, the project emphasizes cultural exchange and social inclusion and fosters dialogue on the shared ecological challenges in Parco Molentargius. (Refs. 1, 2 & 5)

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).

‘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)

As heat waves and high temperatures intensify due to climate change and urbanization, the City of Phoenix is exploring how to reintroduce tree shade into urban spaces to create a more equitable, livable environment. In 2014, the city set a goal to shade at least 25% of Phoenix by 2030, known as the Tree and Shade Master Plan. Achieving this ambitious target requires substantial resources and active community participation.
A key player in this initiative is Trees Matter, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to helping Phoenix reach its shade goals. Trees Matter not only works to expand and sustain the city’s tree canopy but also aims to foster environmental equity. Among its initiatives, the Trees for Schools program promotes tree planting in schools while educating staff and students about the significance of trees and tree care.
Silvestre Herrera Elementary School is one example where the Trees for Schools program has made a direct impact. As part of this program, 30 trees were planted on the school grounds, involving students, staff, and community volunteers in the process. These new trees offer critical environmental benefits, including shade, air purification, dust reduction, food production, and carbon sequestration. Additionally, tree presence has been linked to improved physical and mental health outcomes.
Beyond the immediate environmental gains, the project also offers educational value by involving students, staff, and maintenance crews in hands-on learning about tree care and environmental stewardship. This approach ensures that participants are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to care for the trees long term, reinforcing both sustainability and community resilience.
Through these combined efforts, Phoenix is making strides toward a greener, more shaded future—one that benefits not only the environment but also the well-being and health of its residents. (1-5)

The Olaya Herrera neighbourhood in Cartagena has been the focus of a series of projects that involve ecological restoration, environmental education, and community resilience building. These initiatives have centred around the restoration of the Ciénaga de la Virgen, an ecologically significant but heavily degraded coastal wetland bordering the neighbourhood. The primary goals of the projects in Olaya Herrera include the restoration of degraded mangrove ecosystems, mitigation of flooding and water pollution, strengthening community participation in environmental management, and promoting sustainable urban environments (ref 1, 2). The project is led by the EPA Cartagena, which coordinates actions such as collecting solid waste, planting timber trees and ornamental plants, and restoring green spaces that had become informal dumping grounds (ref 1). It also includes a community-led initiative called Los Guardabosques de Olaya that focuses on reforestation and environmental stewardship, it involves children, youth, and local mothers in reforesting mangrove areas around the Ciénaga de la Virgen. The community has established a mangrove nursery and employs innovative waste management practices, such as installing traps in canals to prevent solid waste from entering the Ciénaga (ref 2). The project also involves the private sector in 2022, the EPA led a campaign with local companies like Konfirma, Acuacar, and Pacaribe that focused on improving environmental health through the removal of 10 cubic meters of waste, promoting healthy living environments and fostering community participation in environmental monitoring and waste management practices​ (ref 4). Also, in collaboration with community leaders and local companies, the ANDI-TRASO Alliance supports large-scale reforestation and restoration activities in the southern parts of the Ciénaga de la Virgen adjacent to Olaya Herrera. The alliance plans to plant 40,000 mangrove seedlings (ref 6).

As part of France's New National Urban Renewal Program (NPNRU) and its strategy to enhance urban quality of life, the Urban Integrated Farm in Desclieux was established in 2021, with a particular emphasis on urban agriculture.
This project is implemented by the Centre de Culture Populaire Ypiranga de Pastinha Martinique (CCPYPM or Ypiranga Martinique) in collaboration with the city of Fort-de-France and is located in the socioeconomically disadvantaged Ravine-Bouillé neighborhood. It aims to create a farm on a 2-hectare former military site that previously housed fuel cisterns connected to the French Navy at Fort Saint-Louis. Since falling into disuse in the 1990s, only the reinforced concrete structures remain.
The farm will feature various activities, including a composting zone, a café, a beehive, a botanical trail, a play garden, and areas for crop and animal production. Additionally, it will house a decontamination and materials library and a public living space for community use. Overall, this site aims to serve educational, recreational, and socioeconomic purposes, enriching the local urban ecosystem.
Even though the intervention commenced in 2021 it has encountered several challenges since 2022 due to administrative hurdles. The implementers are currently awaiting temporary authorization to proceed. The primary obstacle remains the development and execution of a comprehensive soil decontamination plan. (Ref 2; 3; 4)

In Phoenix, many residents live in dead zones with little or no access to fresh food. These zones are called 'food deserts,' which represent a low-income area with low access to a grocery store (3). Out of the 43 food deserts identified by the city, 18 are fully or partly in south Phoenix (2-3). In 2017, Two researchers from Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability and Leuphana University Lüneburg in Germany began exploring the idea of creating a sustainable food forest cooperative in Phoenix to provide fresh, healthy food, supporting local entrepreneurs, and promote environmental sustainability (1). The project's development team spent months immersing themselves in the world of food forests, by exploring different types of community gardens, discussing preferred characteristics, anticipating local challenges, and identifying potential collaborators (1). As a result, The Food Forest Cooperative was established and planted roots in a 0.5 acre (0.20 ha) plot within the Spaces of Opportunity Community Garden in 2022 (1). This food forest engages the local community by offering educational opportunities around the value of culturally relevant, whole fruits and vegetables, medicine making, and learning about the many uses of edible/medicinal plants (4). The Food Forest Cooperative as a multi-generational project that members preserve for their children, and their children’s children (2). The intention behind the project is to address food insecurity in south Phoenix and empowering the community to take ownership of it and reconnect with their ancestors through the land and food (2). Through the Cooperative, members can contribute different skills, from administrative work to manual labor to community education and traditional medicine (2). It was created to empower community members and challenge the patterns of our food system through the blending of environmental, social and economic goals (4).