A vegetable garden on an urban terrace
An urban garden on a private citizen's terrace in the city of Aix en Provence, has been created with the help of the organization "Pays d'Aix en Transition" working towards permaculture and urban gardening. The main objective of this urban garden is to produce vegetables and fruit for personal consumption, to install plants in a very urban environment, and use permaculture techniques. Another objective is to grow climbing plants to decorate the walls. (Ref.1 )
Sunderland North Community Allotments
The "Sunderland North Community Allotments" project aimed to clear and renovate derelict allotment plots, remove fly-tipping and rubbish and transform the site into brand new resources for local people. The project is expected to increase people’s knowledge of growing healthy produce and aims to enhance their diet whilst improving the amount of exercise and time spent in a green space. The project has been implemented in multiple areas including but not limited to Fulwell, Primrose, Thompson Road, Shields Road, High Southwick, Fulwell and Waterworks Field, Shields Road. Very recently, one of the allotments in Fulwell Mill got destroyed by a devastating fire. (Ref 1, 9 and 10)
Knowledge Mile Park
The Knowledge Mile Park initiative in Amsterdam aims to transform the long, busy and traffic-heavy street in downtown Amsterdam into an environment greener, more sustainable and more livable through the implementation on various Nature-based Solutions (9). Smaller projects include the creation and maintenance of pocket parks, green walls and facades, green roofs and living labs. The idea of the initiative came from the Knowledge Mile Community that aims at making Amsterdam more green, clean and smart by means of innovative solutions regarding air quality, climate change resilience, biodiversity and social cohesion. (1) municipality of Amsterdam and the business investment zone BIZ Knowledge Mile are working together with partners on the realization of the project (9)
The project is still ongoing, although parts of the Knowledge Mile Park are already created in 2016 including one living lab, two green roofs, a green canopy and a pocket park and other parts are planned such as the smart green wall (1)
The project is still ongoing, although parts of the Knowledge Mile Park are already created in 2016 including one living lab, two green roofs, a green canopy and a pocket park and other parts are planned such as the smart green wall (1)
SuDS pilot in Greater Manchester Schools
The project aimed to test the potential to use existing surface water drainage charge mechanisms to incentivize increased implementation of Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes (SuDS) to improve flood resilience and improve water quality in the city of Manchester (ref 1). Working with partners from The Water Taskforce, and funded by the DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, UK Env agency), BITC (Business in the Community) and CLASP, these partners have been testing the concept that implementing SuDS on a school site could generate savings for a school, by reducing their hard-standing area and so their charges from their water supplier. Working with two schools in Manchester, the project team carried out detailed audits and SuDS interventions were identified that could divert or slow the flow of water into the sewer system, or reduce the amount of chargeable hard-standing area. Using this information, a trial version of a simple, user-friendly tool has been developed to help schools identify if there may be a cost-effective way to drop a chargeable surface water band (ref. 2).
Howard Street project Streetscape
Three London Plane trees were planted in a specially designed trench in Howard Street, Salford, Greater Manchester in 2015 with the aim of capturing the impact that trees had on both cleaning polluted water from road runoff and managing levels of surface water, which can lead to flooding when not properly managed (ref 1). This project in the City of Salford was created to study how trees can aid in the management of urban stormwater as a novel retrofitted street tree demonstration (ref 3). It was led by Manchester's City of Trees movement. (Ref 3)
Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership
The catchment includes the River Avon (a major resource for recreational activities and public water supply) and its various tributaries. Coventry is the largest urban area in the catchment, and the catchment has a high value for wildlife. (Ref. 1)
Main priorities include engaging communities to take ownership of their local water environment, reducing urban and rural pollution; delivering enhancement projects in the 3 Priority Areas (e.g. Coventry Brooks) and Returning water corridors to a near-natural state. (Ref. 2). The Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) is a Government policy framework that empowers local action to improve the water environment through community partnerships. A renewed focus on the catchment-based approach has led to Catchment Partnerships (i.e. The Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership) being set up to drive local delivery of these projects. (Ref. 3)
Main priorities include engaging communities to take ownership of their local water environment, reducing urban and rural pollution; delivering enhancement projects in the 3 Priority Areas (e.g. Coventry Brooks) and Returning water corridors to a near-natural state. (Ref. 2). The Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) is a Government policy framework that empowers local action to improve the water environment through community partnerships. A renewed focus on the catchment-based approach has led to Catchment Partnerships (i.e. The Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership) being set up to drive local delivery of these projects. (Ref. 3)
River Restoration on the Guphill Brook
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has completed an urban river restoration on the Guphill Brook that aims to restore the brook's natural features and enhance the surrounding habitat. "The project [is expected to] bring multiple benefits to diminishing wildlife and deprived local communities but also importantly to flood risk reduction, which is becoming ever more important with the increased negative effects of climate change." (Ref. 1)
The Living Environment Trust
“The Living Environment Trust is an environmental charity based in Coventry, which aims to promote environmental and sustainability awareness within local communities. Accordingly, the Trust uses the restoration of neglected inner-city green spaces as a way to engage a range of community groups, whilst also serving to enhance and expand the existing biodiversity and develop important community and educational resources.” (Ref. 1) “The Living Environment Trust was formed in 2007 to transform the neglected land around the Alan Higgs Centre into a community ecological and leisure resource.” (Ref. 2)
Woodland Community garden
The woodland community garden is the main project of the Woodland community. Since 2010 they have transformed a derelict urban waste dumping site into a thriving community garden and ‘outdoor community centre’. Since then it has become an important local space where people make new friends and feel part of the community. It’s also a great place to unwind from the everyday stresses and strains of city life. Each year, around 50 households grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs in the garden’s raised beds. The garden has over 50 raised beds where local people can grow their own food with beds allocated on an annual basis. For people who do not have raised beds there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved, including via twice-weekly volunteer sessions. The garden is a wonderfully therapeutic space that helps people to recover from the stresses and strains of everyday life. (Ref 1)
Toryglen community market garden
In 2012, Glasgow City Council provided Urban Roots with two acres of vacant land for the development of a market garden and orchard. Urban Roots is a community-led organisation working across the Southside of Glasgow. It evolved out of the Toryglen Gardening Club. The Toryglen community market garden sought to encourage community cohesion and environmental improvement in the area of Toryglen. The project is committed to improving the environment and health of the area through a range of activities including community gardening, conservation, and biodiversity. The aim is to inspire people and communities to connect with nature and to take practical action to tackle the root causes of climate change (Ref 1, 3).

