Municipal / city level environmental plan or programme

A new wildflower meadow has been created at a new estate on the outskirts of Belfast. The Mount Eagles Drive Action Group held a wildflower planting event with two local Colin primary schools, namely, Christ the Redeemer and Our Lady Queen of Peace to provide a unique opportunity for children to learn about nature, and, in particular, how wildflowers are an essential part of our landscape, enhancing the biodiversity of our native insect, plant and animal species. (ref1) Pupils from Christ the Redeemer and Our Lady Queen of Peace schools spent a morning planting a wide variety of wildflower plugs and seeds in the Mount Eagles wildflower meadow, under the expert supervision of highly trained horticulturalists. (Ref 3)

The Dee Park Regeneration Project aims to rebuild the 1,100 homes from the 1960s-built estate, that has been worked on in close consultation with the community. The estate is one of the 20 per cent most deprived areas in the country. The vision for the regeneration project is to create “a safe, inclusive and sustainable community, economically, environmentally and socially, as part of the wider Reading, where people want to live and work, and which will inspire a sense of pride”. The third and final phase of the project is ongoing and is expected to be completed soon. (Ref. 1, 4, 8, 9)

Woodland project is a council project to improve woodlands. During the last 50 years, “lifestyles have changed, leading to a change in the state of the woods”. The result is that the trees are ageing, becoming overgrown with dominant species and losing their wildlife. The woodlands in Reading need work to protect them (for future generations) and the council has therefore produced a Woodland Management Plan in partnership with the Forestry Commission. The plan aims to manage 18 sites of woodland in Reading and implementation of these plans will involve benefits for e.g. the wildlife and community. (Ref. 1, 2, 4)

The Heinickeplatz in the Muggenhofer Strasse and its peripheral areas are being upgraded as a new green area in accordance with the objectives of the city redevelopment plan. The new landscape design for the Heinicke Square was developed in dialogue with local citizens through planning workshops followed by the opportunity to vote for one of the 4 landscape bureaus who applied for the reconstruction of the square. (1, 2). The implementation of the plan began in 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2021. (4) The implementation will include the plantation of new trees, grass, the creation of sports areas and the establishment of a new playground. (2)

Pegnitztal West is a new corridor and recreation zone along a section of the Pegnitz river in Nurnberg suitable for all kinds of social groups and intended for recreational activities (1). The project instrumentalizes green and blue infrastructure for creating conditions for sport, leisure, and recreation, as well as serving a transitional function for the dwellers of the neighboring Gostenhof and St. Johannis districts (1). The green corridor also provides a protected urban habitat for various species, including more than 8 different tree species, water bats, green woodpeckers and swamp warblers. The project also stabilized the water level of the river and helps flood protection efforts. (2, 7)

In 2011, the Great Lines Heritage Park was formed by connecting the Great Lines, Lower Lines, Inner Lines, Forst Amherst and Medway Park together. To do so, a former military area was transformed. The intervention connects the heritage towns of Chatham and Gillingham and the Chatham Waterfront. By connecting the heritage of the town and the waterfront, the project aimed to emphasize both these aspects of the area, but also to improve visitors' access and be a habitat for a number of species (Ref 2). The area has been created from a site that is of international heritage significance. The park is located within the Thames Gateway priority housing area, Europe’s largest regeneration project (ref. 3).

A communal bio-garden was created by a group of citizens in Sofia in 2014 on a municipal piece of land. The creation of the garden was supported by the Municipality through their programme “Green Sofia”. The aim of the project was to turn an abandoned and degraded green area into an “island of biodiversity” and a place for urban gardening. The garden contains herbs, vegetables, and flowers, dwelling places for useful insects, and a compost bin. The benefits of the garden have been ecological, educational, and social, including refugee integration. (Ref. 1; Ref. 2; Ref. 3; Ref. 4) According to their Facebook group in 2020, the 4 acre garden and the community that has organised around it is still thriving. (Ref 10)

The River Kennet and its tributaries make an excellent topic for introducing subjects to the curriculum at pre-school, primary and secondary levels. The ARK (Action for the River Kennet) project helps protecting the river and educate youngsters about the importance of water by providing educational projects for schools. The 'Trout in Schools' project as a partnership with Thames Water (funding and support), aims to hatch trout eggs and raise them until the trouts are grown enough to be released into the River Kennet (Ref.1, 2). The project has celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2018 and has engaged thousands of children (7).

In 1958 the former marsh "Hellmansbruch", a botanical and zoological jewel, was drained to build the motorway junction Wuppertal North. Since 1990, the working group Nature and Environmental protection (ANU) which consists of volunteers, has maintained a protected landscape area of 3 ha (remains of the former marsh) with the regionally highest density of moorland spotted orchid in the middle of the transport junction. Based on continuous mostly manual maintenance work, such as cutting back encroaching bushes, the large orchid population could be protected and the green space area in total even increased, becoming a biodiversity hotspot. (Ref. 3 and 7). The project also includes the protection of endangered flora and fauna native to the area, including endangered amphibians. (Ref. 7) Guided tours are also offered to visitors of the "nature paradise" in order to raise awareness about indigenous and threatened nature. (Ref. 3).

Since introducing the Tree Strategy, the Reading Council has working closely with partners and local people to promote the importance and benefit of trees. Work has included a (street) tree planting scheme. Reading has a committed Tree Warden Network (which has the objectives to e.g. engage the community and raise awareness of trees in neighbourhoods). (Ref. 1, 2)