Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators)

The Ballymun City Farm project began as a grassroots initiative when local residents envisioned turning an underutilized green space into a vibrant community resource. Though initially rejected by the City Council, the project’s supporters recognized its potential to contribute to Ballymun’s environmental, social, and economic regeneration. With a vision to create something unique for the area, the farm was designed to foster community engagement, environmental education, and local sustainability. Over time, it has grown into more than just a recreational space—it has become a symbol of community resilience, offering people of all backgrounds and abilities a place to connect, learn, and grow together (4).
Situated on 6.6 acres provided by Dublin City Council, the farm aims to strengthen community bonds, enhance civic involvement, and combat social exclusion and isolation. It serves as both an educational and recreational space, providing opportunities for people of all abilities and backgrounds to engage with environmental topics, organic food production, native breed conservation, and traditional crafts. It is envisioned that the farm will include a designated ornamental garden, consisting of shrubs, flowers, grasses and bulbs, which will become a focal point for community activities/gatherings. In addition, we plan to install raised vegetable beds, fruit bushes.
Through urban food production and community gardens—effective tools for educating schoolchildren and engaging youth—the farm addresses the gap between food production and consumption, helping to increase appreciation for local food. Investments in green infrastructure like Ballymun City Farm also support urban and regional development, including the creation of jobs. (1, 2)

Alexandria is a city with a special charm, known for its beaches and gardens that act as the lungs through which the city breathes, and are considered a haven for its people (1). Unfortunately, in the last ten years, there has been a decrease in green space due to urban expansion and the establishment of Commercial and profitable projects (1). To address the lack of green space in the city, The Governor of Alexandria has stressed the continued efforts to develop, beautify and plant the squares and turn them into attractive civilized facades, as part of Egypts 2030 vision which aims to move towards a greener city and reduce the effects of climate change. (2). To encourage redevelopment of public green spaces, The Governor launched the “Alexandria shines with its squares” competition in 2023, where the top three neighborhoods with the best redeveloped squares would receive a prize of up to EGP 50,000 [928.45 EUR] (6). The First Al Montazah neighborhood participated in the competition by redeveloping Sidi Bishr Mosque Square (2-5). The 700 meter square was completely upgraded with solar energy, a new irrigation system to conserve water, modifications to the sewer network, and planting the garden with plants that suit the environment (3). The greening activities included planting 400 sticks of various crops in the upgraded square (4).

The Therapy Forest project in Nolan, Detroit, initiated in 2022 and completed in 2024, represents a step forward in urban renewal and ecological restoration, led by Rescue MI Nature Now (RMNN) and local volunteers. RMNN, founded in 2019, aims to transform vacant lots in the Nolan neighborhood—an area heavily impacted by the mortgage lending crisis—into green spaces that combat urban decay. The Therapy Forest, a 2.25-acre site, is designed as an accessible, restorative environment inspired by the Japanese practice of “Shinrin-Yoku,” or forest bathing, which encourages individuals to engage with nature through all their senses.
This project not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the neighborhood but also serves as a habitat for native plants and pollinators, such as goldenrod and honeybees. Through a participatory planning and design process, RMNN has actively involved community members, particularly youth, in the development and ongoing maintenance of the forest. The project includes flowering beds, perennial gardens, and other landscaping features aimed at creating a serene and therapeutic environment.
The Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund provided key financial support, recognizing the project's potential to transform neighborhood decay into a green space that serves both ecological and social purposes. The Therapy Forest is expected to become a communal asset, offering hands-on learning opportunities for local students while also providing a peaceful retreat for residents and visitors.
By converting over 2.25-acre of vacant land, RMNN’s Therapy Forest stands as a model for how urban areas can reclaim unused spaces, fostering resilience, community engagement, and environmental stewardship. This initiative not only revitalizes the Nolan neighborhood but also serves as a beacon of hope and renewal, demonstrating the impact of green spaces on urban communities.
(Ref.1-4)

The PARC Rain Garden project in Plymouth, Michigan, is an innovative initiative led by the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex (PARC) and Friends of the Rouge, aimed at addressing stormwater management and enhancing local environmental quality. Supported by a $400,000 grant from Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) through its Nonpoint Source Program, this project will involve the construction of over 31,500 square feet of rain gardens located on the property of Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex (PARC). These gardens are designed to filter up to 240,000 gallons of stormwater per rainfall event, preventing runoff from entering local waterways like the Tonquish Creek. The rain gardens will also mitigate flooding, reduce pollution, and create a more stable water flow in the Rouge River watershed, which is heavily impacted by urban development.
In addition to their environmental benefits, the rain gardens will provide aesthetic and ecological value to the PARC campus. The plantings, featuring native Michigan species, will create habitats for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds, complementing the existing beehives on the PARC rooftop. The project aims to showcase the feasibility of integrating green infrastructure into routine construction, encouraging its adoption in other urban areas and residential spaces.
Ultimately, the PARC Rain Garden project will not only improve stormwater management but also serve as a model for sustainable urban development, enhancing the landscape while fostering environmental stewardship in the Plymouth community.
(Ref.1,2)

Chandler Park, a historic park in Detroit constructed in the 1800s, underwent multiple expansions from 1922 to 1950 to include amenities such as a pool (later converted into a water park), a golf course, and public green spaces. In 2013, an expert panel recommended constructing a 2.5-million-gallon marshland within the park to provide a unique recreational and educational feature and incorporate green infrastructure principles for improved stormwater management. Completed in December 2019, the Chandler Park marshland was a collaborative project between The Greening of Detroit and the Chandler Park Conservancy, designed to enhance Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) across 200 acres.
The marshland manages 2.5 million gallons of stormwater, substantially reducing the load on Detroit’s combined sewer system and minimizing basement flooding during heavy rains. Engineered with rain gardens, bioswales, and a pump system circulating up to 4 feet of water, the marshland fosters a balanced ecosystem with higher oxygen levels, benefiting local flora and fauna.
With 4,500 native plants, the marshland supports diverse wildlife, including migrating birds, turtles, frogs, pollinators like bees and butterflies, and natural mosquito predators. This project not only contributes to flood mitigation but also improves water quality by capturing stormwater and allowing pollutants to settle.
Additionally, the marshland provides a foundation for future environmental education, with plans to add an outdoor classroom and public learning spaces. The use of native plants ensures low maintenance and sustainability, requiring minimal water and fertilizers. By creating new habitats and recreational areas, the Chandler Park Marshland promotes biodiversity, environmental education, and community engagement, while alleviating urban runoff’s impact on Detroit’s sewer system.
(Ref.1-3)

The Panke is a watercourse that rises outside Berlin and reaches the urban area of the city, flows through the districts of Pankow and Mitte and flows into the Berlin-Spandau Ship Canal in Wedding. The length of the Panke is around 29 kilometres. Almost the entire length of the Panke in Berlin (around 17.6 km) is to be renaturalised - on the section from the state border in the north of Berlin to its confluence with the Berlin-Spandauer-Schifffahrtskanal (BSSK). The Panke is currently a small watercourse that has been heavily remodelled by humans. In large parts of the watercourse, the banks have been straightened like a canal and reinforced with sheet piling, among other things. Existing riverbed drops and weirs prevent fish from travelling unhindered through the watercourse. Studies on water body (structural) quality, typification and other biological quality characteristics have shown that the Panke has poor status values in the majority of Berlin's sections, e.g. in terms of the fish population. The negative assessment results are primarily attributed to the lack of habitat and structural diversity, the lack of passability of the watercourse and, in some cases, high nutrient loads. (Ref. 1)

The restoration of the river was initiated by the State Berlin, following the European Water Framework Directive. The central aim is to implement flood plains and recreate the pre-straightened water course, to ensure space for flooding, habitats for more diverse flora and fauna, increase water flow for better water quality and create a site for recreation in a densely built city. (Ref. 1; Ref. 2) The project started back in 2003 and is expected to be finished in the 2030s (Ref. 2; Ref. 7).

Ngong is a town in southern Kenya, located near Nairobi in Kajiado County, on the slopes of the Ngong Hills. The municipality has experienced significant development and population growth due to improved infrastructure and social amenities. However, this expansion poses a threat to biodiversity, as increased demand for agricultural land, wood, and raw materials is depleting the area's forests and putting many species at risk of extinction. Overgrazing, illegal logging, invasive species, and climate change-induced extremes like droughts and floods have further exacerbated the situation.

In response, the Rufford Foundation proposed the Improving Ngong Hills Forest Conservation Efforts through Raising Local Community Awareness of Biodiversity Conservation project. The initiative seeks to restore the Ngong Hills forest ecosystem through community-driven conservation. A nursery for native species was established, and tree planting campaigns were conducted in collaboration with national and local governments, community-based organizations, indigenous groups, and schools. Additionally, awareness programs and capacity-building efforts were launched, engaging local schools in restoration activities and organizing workshops to train community members and officials. (Ref. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

A new landscape plan for the Santry River, developed since 2019, envisions it as “the backbone of a green infrastructure project,” designed to support nature, pedestrians, and cyclists. The project will create a continuous route from the Dublin Bay Biosphere at St Anne’s Park to the wider hinterlands of Dublin at Sillogue.
The plan proposes transforming the Santry River into an “integrated green-blue landscape for ecology and recreation,” incorporating a variety of sports, cultural, and leisure activities. Through an agreement with Fingal County Council and the National Transport Authority, Dublin City Council has commissioned studies to address the existing flood risks along the river.
The council’s goals for the Santry River include river restoration, flood mitigation, greenway development, and environmental protection, extending from the river’s origin in Harristown within Fingal County to its outlet at James Larkin Road. The project framework will span four years, with annual reviews and budget assessments.
The project team has engaged the public in early autumn of 2022 to gather input on these plans, as the Santry River project aims to create a vibrant River Park that integrates natural and recreational elements. Running through North Dublin, this new green-blue infrastructure will serve both ecological and community needs, offering opportunities for sports, culture, and relaxation. Ultimately, it will form a natural corridor linking the Dublin Bay Biosphere at St Anne’s Park with Sillogue, promoting biodiversity while enhancing accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists (2).

To protect the Lomas de Primavera from urban pressure and other threats, the Lomas de Primavera Ecological Association has implemented strategies for its conservation. One of the strategies this organisation has promoted is reforestation activities. Working together with the Municipality of Lima and other interested actors, they have sought to expand Lima's green spaces, improve air quality, enhance flora, and promote tourism, among other benefits (1). Lima's Municipality has supported the project by donating 20,000 trees for reforestation and to prevent land encroachment (1), social organisations and environmental activists have joint efforts to plant more than 250 trees to support the conservation efforts (2, 7).
The Lomas de Primavera Ecological Association leads the project, organizing community management efforts to conserve the Lomas de Primavera sector. This association is based in the Agrupación Familiar Primavera Lomas de Carabayllo community (2). The association's conservation activities involve collaboration with various stakeholders at different levels. Locally, it works with community leaders and organizations. At the district level, it coordinates with the Carabayllo municipality and the NGO CIDAP to improve urban conditions. The metropolitan-level collaboration includes the Municipality of Lima and the ACR 'Sistema de Lomas de Lima' for ecosystem protection and valorization. Nationally, it partners with MINAM, SERNANP, MINAGRI, UNDP, UCV, and the Network of Peruvian Lomas to enhance ecosystem services, restore degraded areas, and conduct research on the Lomas (2).
The preservation and reforestation of these ecosystems is essential, as they have social, cultural and environmental value, including the following ecosystem services: provision of genetic resources, soil formation, pollination, aesthetic services, ecotourism, food, education, and archaeological and historical services (3)

Perch Creek is one of the many meanders that drain into Dog River (Ref 2), located just west of Mobile Bay (Ref 3). These areas include sensitive, tidally influenced marshes and flats where the brackish water of the Bay meets fresh waters (Ref 1). The Perch Creek Nature Trail & Preserve project aims to protect 96 acres on Perch Creek (Ref 3). It is part of efforts to revitalise Mobile’s coastal community and improve the water quality of the city's urban river (Ref 2), following the devastation of the BP oil disaster in 2010.
The project focuses on two main aspects: creating a low-impact recreational destination to spark economic redevelopment, and preserving Mobile’s coastal wetlands (Ref 1).
The conservation aspect involves wetland acquisition, marsh restoration, and invasive species management, improving water quality in both waterbodies (Ref 1). The area, rich in wildlife, requires habitat protection, including for migrating birds, foxes, alligators, manatees, and bald eagles (Ref 1). Brackish marshes on the property serve as nurseries for fish, while forested areas provide natural corridors for wildlife (Ref 3). The wetlands also play a role in flood control, acting as natural sponges to absorb rising tides and cleanse stormwater runoff before it reaches Mobile Bay (Ref 1). Additionally, they store stormwater, helping mitigate flooding as storms intensify (Ref 3).
The recreational aspect includes developing nature-based recreation, such as nature trails and kayak launches, as well as expanding public access to natural resources (Ref 3). In 2018, the Perch Creek section was added to the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, with educational signage for kayakers (Ref 1).
This comprehensive project preserves vital habitats and flood-absorbing wetlands, while providing outdoor recreation opportunities and supporting the coastal community's recovery (Ref 2). It combines high-quality water resources, wildlife connectivity, scenic beauty, and outdoor recreation (Ref 3).