Maintenance and management of urban nature

The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) 'Water Vole Recovery Project' is working in partnership with the Environment Agency, the Canal & River Trust and Thames Water to monitor water voles. Water voles have undergone one of the most serious declines of any wild mammal in Britain during the 20th century. The intensification of agriculture in the 1940s and 1950s caused the loss and degradation of habitat, but the most rapid period of decline was during the 1980s and 1990s as American mink spread. Between 1989 and 1998, the population fell by almost 90 percent! The above project also is identifying habitat enhancement opportunities and influencing local landowners to manage sites sympathetically for water voles and implement mink control. (Ref. 1)

The Biodroom is a community garden where citizens can meet each other, children can play, and where vegetables are grown ecologically. The Biodrome started as a laboratory for art, gardening and ecology in the city: a temporary culture project with art manifestations, but is since 2014 it functions as a community garden that is maintained by citizens (Ref. 1).

A large-scale restoration of park Zapaden over 53 hectare had started in 2017, aiming to restore the aesthetic appearance of the park, and to preserve its authentic character and value for Sofia as the second biggest park in the city. Many activities were planned, including restoration of green areas, restoration of a lake and a rock-garden (renovating the artificial lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, and adding new vegetation), and adding new flowers and greenery. In addition, renovation and creation of new grey infrastructure such as playgrounds, alleys, lighting, cameras, irrigation systems, camp grounds, and more is planned. (Ref. 1; Ref. 2)

While it is difficult to assess how much work has been completed as of 2020, recent websites (from 2018) claim: "The park has two main parts – one has alleys built in it, as well as places for leisure and the other is a forest perfect for the hotter days of the year. The green part ends at the Smardana locality where people can find a lake." (Ref. 10)

The Harris Garden is situated on the Whiteknights campus of the University of Reading. The garden provides an important amenity for all, giving pleasure to an increasing number of visitors, staff and students. It provides facilities for teaching, conservation and recreation. In 2010, with the closure of Plant Sciences, responsibility for the main part of the garden passed to the Facilities Management Directorate of the University and a major revitalisation programme began; with the "new purpose of conservation and recreation for all". (Ref. 1 , 2)

Management of natural lime-dry grasslands on gravel banks in Augsburg is conducted by the Landcape Association of the City of Augsburg (Bavaria, Germany). 300 ha of biotopes within the municipal area is maintained due to sheep grazing, mowing management, scrub clearance and reopening of potential expansion areas as well as further activities to create initial stages of immature soils and recreational purposes (Ref. 1).

The park was reconstructed by the municipality of Sofia in order to improve the local living environment and provide suitable conditions for rest, recreation, and sport. Actions included restoring the lake by reconstructing the bank, restoring flower gardens by adding 80 000 new flowers, and restoring green areas.
(Ref. 1; Ref. 2; Ref. 3)

In 2017, one of Gdynia’s squares was renovated to provide a friendly green public area with aesthetic and social functions. The terrain was regulated by restoring its slope and providing more soil to protect the protruding roots, alleys were reconstructed, lawns created and new vegetation planted [1,3].

The Hofgarten is a green area in the old town of Augsburg. It is part of the former prince-bishop's residence rebuilt in the 18th century and was built between 1739 and 1744 by Johann Caspar Bagnato (Ref. 1). The park was reconstructed in 2006 providing a barrier-free access to the park for disabled people (Ref. 2).

Hillyfields Community Park is situated in the Ward of Gillingham North in Medway (ref. 1). It is an open space with some remnant orchard. This space was in an area with high social deprivation and unemployment and was improved between 2005 and 2009 to include natural play elements, better accessibility, host community projects and recreational facilities, and be a safer space (Ref 1, 3).

The Natural Park of Augsburg - Western Forests covers a 1,200 square kilometer of the natural area. Founded in 2007, the park aims at preservation and development the natural biotopes in the area. As a supplier of timber, as a guarantor for clean air and pure water, and last but not least for recreation seekers, it is of outstanding importance in Bavarian Swabia (Ref. 1).