Provision of goods

Located in the backyard of a memorial house, this NBS was created with 2 purposes in mind: to offer a green oasis to the inhabitants of Iasi but also to educate them since the garden itself relies on volunteers primarily who have the opportunity to come and work in the garden, assist in the process of growing food and learn how to lead a healthy life. In a way, this garden is seen as an escape from city life and it combines education with practical skills and community cohesion (1)

The Bizardin is the community garden of Hellemmes, created by the association AJOnc (Amis des Jardins Ouverts et néanmoins clôturés) on the initiative of a group of inhabitants. Managed by the locals, it gives life to the neighborhood where children like to play, watch insects, sow radishes, watch for frogs. A living garden where wild and cultivated plants come together and create a floristic richness often unsuspected by the simple passer-by, a result of many years of work. It is also an ideal place to observe as insects and birds swarm. (Ref 1)

The Toulouse based project Green My City is a community collective focused on promoting sustainable consumption and creating a sustainable environment, (Ref. 2) It anticipates constructing thousands of square meters of organic vegetable gardens on the roofs of the city of Toulouse, saving 50 tons of CO2 emissions per year. The project defines itself as a prospective tool, which intervenes in the stream of gardening initiatives: it maps, selects, and then accompanies the initiatives (Ref. 1). The project supports the realisation of environmental initiatives by engaging citizens, communities, businesses and designers to help create an urban oasis (Ref. 23).

The municipal agency Gardens and Parks collaborated with the hospital "St. Panteleymon" in Plovdiv in order to restore the condition of their rehabilitation park in the yard. This involved planting 550 trees, cleaning and securing the area, and removing or modifying problematic trees. The park has thus become a more hospitable place for rehabilitation of patients (Ref. 1; Ref. 2).

Arkwright Meadows Community (AMC) Garden is situated in the heart of inner city Nottingham, Prior to 2001, the site was a disused, derelict and rubbish-strewn piece of land. In 2001, a group of Meadows residents came together to improve this derelict piece of land and work started to create the infrastructure of the community garden. The area was transformed into a green oasis and outdoor learning environment. (ref. 8)

In June 2012, the Vertical Plants at the Strasbourg National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) were installed by two second-year students. They along with faculty and students undertook a technical and regulatory feasibility study, before taking steps to mobilise local companies to meet the costs of the project (Ref. 1). The advantage is not only aesthetic, but the wall has thermal and acoustic properties, and serves as a refuge for biodiversity and is even capable of absorbing atmospheric pollution (Ref. 2).

The ANNALINDE gGmbH operates multifunctional urban agriculture and demonstration projects in the Western part of Leipzig: a community garden, a nursery and a fruit garden on a former train station where the emphasis is on community development and mutual learning processes in addition to food production. This is safeguarded by an events portfolio consisting of garden working days, workshops and collaborations with schools, kindergartens and like-minded organizations. In addition to that, open urban labs are operated for a number of initiatives and projects covering subject areas like urban agriculture, recycling, composting, urban bees, urban resilience and sustainable urban development (1).

This NBS refers to a curtain protection forest that was planted 6 km out of the city of Iasi in 2015 by the mayor of a commune next to the city. The benefits of this NBS embrace also the city of Iasi as a method to prevent flooding and to avoid strong winds in the area. Afforestation was seen also as a response to the existence of arid soil and abandoned crop fields in the area due to a large population movement of immigration towards Western countries (1)

This Urban lab has been installed on the roof of the LIMASA Environmental Center, it is testing what types of plants are best suited for green urban interventions through educational and professional programs offered to women. (ref 1) Two training courses are provided connected to these green roofs through the funding of a La Caixa grant, one training course for women as a potential career opportunity through subsidies from the Ministry of Health, Social Services, and Equality (ref 1).

The Belvoirpark has its origins in the 19th century and is one of the oldest landscaped gardens in the region. Set on a beautiful location close to the lake with views of the city and the mountains, the Belvoirpark has retained its specific topography with large level differences and exotic trees. Since the twenties, Gastrosuisse operates here a Hotel Management School with an upscale, publicly accessible restaurant. The former school building was spatially and functionally not integrated into the parkA huge transformation of the Belvoirpark area was done to make the park more green from 2004 – 2015. The transformation of the area around the new construction of the replacement building allowed a reappraisal of the previous situation. (Ref 1)