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The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City (SSTEC) is a bilateral project between Singapore and China with a large scale private-sector involvement with the objective to "transform the 34 km2 barren, non-arable land and polluted wastewater ponds into ... a thriving city which is socially harmonious, environmentally-friendly and resource-efficient – a model for sustainable development for 350 000 residents. (1,2). The Eco-Valley is an S-shaped, 11 km green spine that runs through the whole Eco-City connecting its centre with sub-centres, all four residential districts, community spaces, multiple parks, commercial zones, and waterside areas as a scenic park providing a place for connectivity, transit, leisure and recreation for residents (1).

The 'Step Garden' is a 14-tier green roof atop the Asian Cross Roads Over the Sea (ACROS) Fukuoka Prefectural International Hall in Fukuoka, Japan (Ref. 2). The Hall itself is a centre of international, cultural and information exchange, and sits amidst the Tenjin Central Park (Ref. 3). As the building displaced a plaza, the architect, Emilio Ambasz, created the “image of a mountain" through the design and installation of the roof terrace (Ref. 2), "want[ing] to give back to Fukuoka’s citizens all the land the building would subtract from the city" (Ref. 3). In combination with the Central Park, the rooftop garden is considered to be the only open green space in the city centre (Ref. 4), and since its inauguration in 1995, has been open to the public, accessible via two entrances on the park side of the building (Ref. 1).

Having been awarded the LEED Gold certification, the President Place building is considered the greenest building in the city. The building has been designed to create an exceptional balance between work, life and the environment. The 9th and 13th levels of the building have green roofs and terraces. President Place selected climate-tolerant plants that can survive on natural rainfall, and thus the green roof system does not require a permanent irrigation system. Effective practices were considered during the installation of the green roof, such as mulch for trees to conserve moisture, choosing plant species that can easily adapt to the site and need less irrigation. Trees have also been planted on the ground level. Additionally, the building is surrounded by permeable paving to help rainwater percolate easily. The aim was to create a visually appealing office building that leads the way in environmental, design-led construction in Saigon. [1, 2]

The revitalization and conservation of the Butuah Wetlands work started in 2020 by a Ghanian NGO, called Friends of the Nations, in collaboration with some public institutions and an American charitable foundation that makes small grants to grassroots environmental causes around the world. In the past, the wetland has been a major flood reservoir that channelled excess water from different parts of the metropolis into the sea as well as a beacon of biodiversity. The weak monitoring regime of this wetland has led to massive encroachments by both private and industrial developers, therefore, causing biodiversity depletion and contributing negatively to climate change. (1)

The green roof pilot project is part of eThekwini Municipality's Climate Protection Programme, initiated in 2004, it was focused initially on understanding the vulnerability of the city of Durban to the impacts of climate change. A strong emphasis has been placed on identifying climate change adaption projects that will improve the resilience of the city to future developmental, social and environmental challenges. Basically, the green roof pilot project is a response to the higher temperatures and increase in the frequency and severity of floods and droughts that are expected as a result of climate change. From an urban environment perspective, these changes will exacerbate the already high temperatures experienced as a result of the Urban Heat Island effect and the high levels of surface run-off and flooding that result from the hardening of permeable surfaces. (1,3)

Assiniboine Landing is a 21 ha housing development to raise the bar for environmental responsibility and evolve the landscaping practices in local communities, particularly regarding stormwater runoff and retention, and parklands. It is one of the neighbourhood communities developed by Qualico Communities in cooperation with Native Plant Solutions, a branch of Ducks Unlimited Canada. The project resulted in integrated systems of native grasses, shoreline vegetation and wetlands, creating communities conducive to the cycles of nature and offering stunning natural landscapes for residents to enjoy (1,5,6,7)

In 2018, a new annexe building to the Parliament of Victoria was built to host the increased number of municipal employees. The new building is located in the heritage garden that surrounds the parliament precinct of which one hundred per cent of the footprint has been crowned with two new flourishing rooftop gardens that merge the building into its extraordinary landscape setting (1). The new garden is one of the biggest rooftop gardens in Melbourne and accommodates 300 mostly native plant species that characterise the Australian meadows with wildflowers, grasses and shrubs (2). During the construction of the annexe building and the landscaping of the rooftop garden and the connected sunken courtyard key elements of the heritage garden were protected as touchstones for example a Federal Oak planted in 1890, a Norfolk Island Pine and a camphor laurel ( 7). The garden encourages greater biodiversity within the dense urban context, provides thermal insulation to the new building and creates social spaces for events, announcements and contemplation (2).

"In Winnipeg, there are several downtown neighbourhood groups (such as the Spence Neighborhood Association, and the West Broadway Community Organization) that make use of vacant urban space for the benefit of indigenous communities, and encourage them to maintain green spaces, ‘tot lots’, and a network of dozens of community gardens. There are also community-led indigenous ‘healing lodges’, Indigenous gardens, medicine gardens, as well as a land-based education programs (e.g. Marymound) using gardening to help at-risk indigenous youth heal from trauma and build resilience in these neighbourhoods." (1 p41).
One such community gardens are the Chief Grizzly Bear’s Garden (in its official, Anishinaabe name: Ogimaa Gichi Makwa Gitigaan) focusing on increasing the visibility of the indigenous community in the Spence Neighbourhood and providing public space for gathering and traditional indigenous ceremonies honoring their connection to nature. The garden is also the place for cultivating native plants significant for traditional medicine practices (1).

Another NBS initiative supporting the indigenous community in Winnipeg will be the Clan Mothers Healing Village and Knowledge Centre (CMVH) initiated by The Elders of Winnipeg. The CMVH will be located in rural Manitoba and provide a land-based, nurturing community living environment for indigenous women and youth who have been victims of intergenerational trauma, sexual/domestic violence, or human trafficking and support their reintegration into society. (1,2)

The Xochimilco borough of Mexico City is a World Heritage and Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System wetland site, with significant cultural and ecological importance in food cultivation and water ecosystem (1). Due to the deterioration of the area and lack of top-down initiatives for the restoration and conservation of the area, a number of grassroots initiatives trying to revive the traditional chinampa cultivation and restore the natural state of the ecosystem function and its native species such as the Xochimilco axolotl through reinvigorating sustainable practices that produce quality food and foster water supply. This NBS introduces 3 such grassroot intiatives: (a) Cooperativa Chinampayolo (b) Restauración Ecológica y Desarrollo A.C. (REDES) with its EcoQuilitl producer-consumer network and (c) Umbral Axochiatl A.C. (local community organisation). (1)

The campus of the Venice-Mestre Hospital (Ospedale dell’Angelo Mestre, Angel Hospital), considered the most technologically advanced health facility in Italy is a general care hospital. A Landscape Garden surrounds the hospital complex, containing woods, lakes, hills and an area called “the meadow,” a large roof garden linking the hospital block. The buildings are connected by abundant gardens offering pleasant views to patients. The hospital includes various roof gardens, as extensive green areas that offer water protection, storage of water as well as proper drainage and required ventilation of the green. The hospital includes green roofs, gardens, green driveways and green terraces. (ref. 1 and 3)