Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

A government funding scheme was announced to benefit urban areas with few green spaces. (2) After extensive consultation with local residents, trees were chosen to minimise shade and leaf litter. White Rose Residents Association won a competition against ten other bids from around West Yorkshire to secure a £10,000 grant for the trees. The Government fund provided to the Cardinals White Rose Residents Association was used to buy and plant 15 mature trees, which were picked for their year-round colour. (1)

The Forest of Belfast is an imaginative label for urban tree initiative launched in the 1990s with the aim of conserving and managing existing trees, increasing the planting of suitable trees, particularly in places of public access like parks, and in promoting an interest in and an appreciation of trees and forestry(Ref 3). The project was officially launched in June 1992 (Ref 1). It is active throughout the urban area of Greater Belfast, including Belfast City. It brings together partners from the statutory sector, voluntary groups, businesses, and individual residents who become volunteer Tree Wardens. It shows how urban forestry can forge partnerships between central and local government, environmental organizations and city dwellers. (Ref 1). Forest of Belfast initiative was wound up towards the end of 2010 (Ref 6).

In 2014, the municipality of Győr initiated a large-scale tree-planting programme which has planted approximately 1000 trees each year since it was started (Reference 6). As part of the programme, old trees that have become dangerous, withered or have outgrown their base are cut down, but much more are planted each year than the ones that are removed. (Reference 1). In the course of the program, mostly manna ash, European dwarf cherry, Norway maple, European hornbeam, large-leaved linden, London plane, and chestnut trees are planted, taking into account the local conditions. About 200 shrubs and thousands of flowers are planted each year. Flower seedlings have also been donated to citizens, with the goal of involving citizens in green space creation (Reference 6). An addition to the programme started on 1 July 2020 (Reference 6) and since then, after every child born in Győr, the parents can claim a tree that they can plant on their own or with the company Győr-Szol Zrt.

The Sowe Valley Project was a community-based project focusing on rivers restoration. It aimed to link the local community with the Sowe River Valley and to improve the valley’s biodiversity and habitats for the benefits of people and wildlife. (Ref. 2, 6, 11-13)

The Water of Leith is home to a wide diversity of plants and animals. The river performs an important flood control function in the city. A management plan envisions to create a healthy river that flows through a green corridor from the hills to the sea and is a haven for wildlife, is enjoyed and managed by the public, and is valued for its built and cultural heritage. The current intervention is about an extensive Flood Prevention Scheme. Walls and other flood defence measures have been constructed from Murrayfield downstream to Bonnington. A re-modelling exercise is being carried out to include the impact of climate change on the river system and the efficacy of the flood prevention scheme. The Water of Leith Conservation Trust works to conserve and enhance the river, its heritage and wildlife. It also promotes education and recreation and works with volunteers and community groups (ref 1, 2, 3).

The Morningside Park is classified within the Edinburgh Public Parks and Gardens Strategy as a “Community Park”. This is a small, pleasant, elongated park area with tennis court, multi-sport area, grass areas and tarred pathways that make the Park an attractive facility for children, young people, adults and senior citizens. The park provides an essential green space in the heart of Morningside with a design which lends itself to a range of activities. The layout of the park provides healthy and safe routes between linked road networks along tree-lined paths. (ref. 1)

Park Sainte-Marie is the second largest park in Nancy (Ref. 8). "The park Sainte-Marie hides varieties of splendid oaks and many other rare plants. It also hosts that annual "Nature in Festivities" event in the first weekend of May which represents the largest plant market in the region (Ref. 2). "This park was awarded the "Tourism and Handicap" labels in 2007 and "Outstanding Garden" in 2010" (Ref. 1). "An old Alsatian House , created for the International Exhibition of the East of France in 1909" is conserved within the park (Ref. 8).

In Frankfurt, the "Gallus Garden" is a community garden built in 2016, which not only impresses with its 1000 m2 size but also reflects the cultural diversity in the district (4). The garden was initiated by the Kinder im Zentrum Gallus association in collaboration with the Gallus neighbourhood management with the help of many sponsors and donors such as the Open Space Office and Deutsche Bank (4). The garden consists of two areas with raised bed for families, kindergarten groups and individuals to cultivate their food there, while a third area is for community events with fruit trees. The aim of the Gallus Garden is to create a community place where old and new residents of the area get together, can share knowledge and spend time in nature (4,8).

This intervention aimed to address low water levels and low water quality in the Sandall Beat Wood and Cantley Park. The problems have been identified by the council and this project was planned to improve the water levels as well as the water quality. This also helped in improving the gross water flow of the regions and protected the wetland habitats. In addition to the above-mentioned benefits, the project successfully engaged local communities. (Ref 2).

The £1 million project aimed to transform the area from arable land to a high-quality wetland by creating a number of interconnected reed beds and water bodies. The project recreates part of the old wetland landscape that used to exist on the edge of Doncaster 200 years ago before it was drained for other uses. A major benefit of expanding the wetland will be to provide better quality water for local communities and reduce the impact of flooding in the area. The project is a collaboration among WWF, HSBC, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the European Union. (Ref 1)