Increased perception of safety

“The Sintra Parks concluded the project of recovery of the English Garden, in the Park of Pena, that aimed to stop the advanced state of degradation of this area and to solve situations that represented a risk to the mobility and safety of the visitors.” (ref 1)
The NBS includes planting trees to regrow the tree cover of the area. (ref 1)

In 2015, the municipality of Białystok restored the riverbed of the Biala river to its natural state. The project addresses the rapidly changing climate and atmospheric conditions which cause more frequent storms by improving the water management in the city. The city reconstructed the old riverbanks, built two ponds for retention, which serve as reservoirs and tanks to stop and distribute the excess water [1,2].

The NBS is located on a previously neglected basketball and other games fields with obsolete and long unused equipment. Owing to the citizens’ initiative, the municipality built a new sport and leisure site at the Jaroszowka housing estate in Białystok. The project has increased social integration between different generations and provided a comfortable, safe and surrounded by nature space for sports and recreation. The project involved the planting of greenery, building a multifunctional playground and a multisport field, and it was complemented by benches, toilets, CCTV, and lights [1,2,4].

In 2016, owing to the participatory budget of Białystok, the citizens received a long-awaited outdoor gym and playground in the vacant green area of the city. The initiative aimed to increase public access to the green recreational area in the city, and connect the Białka riverside with residential boroughs. The project involved greenery planting and re-arrangement of the greenery (including some deforestation), revitalization of a pond and water purification, connecting walking and bicycle paths. Lawns are available for family picnics and recreation [1,2].

Excess rainwater in sewers causes flooding and the overflow spills into the rivers. Rainwater spilling across pavements can also make for an unpleasant walking experience in the city. Dublin City Council, in collaboration with residents, ran a trial use of Rain Box Planters as a way of both greening the streets and better managing rainwater coming from roofs. The Rain Box Planters were placed below houses’ gutters in order to slow the torrent of water entering the drain. The first trials were successful and the next stage is to test them on a larger scale. (ref 2, 3)

The Zabalburu square is a square located in the city of Bilbao at the confluence between the streets Autonomía and Hurtado de Amézaga . In 2008, the creation of the square, situated on one of the main roads leading into the city, enabled the recovery of almost 3,000 m2 for leisure and recreation space. It was designed as a forest that protects citizens from road traffic, and has 77 different sized trees that act as a plant barrier. This NBS was necessary since it is located in a quite crowded area (Ref 1)

The Veneto Eye Bank Foundation, a social welfare organization and regional centre of reference for cornea transplantation and research into epithelial stem cells, is a distinct and iconic project which embraces architect Emilio Ambasz's philosophy of "The Green Over the Gray," or the landscape over the building. It is a triangular-shaped building with a series of landscaped terraces at each floor level on one side. On the opposite side, the building rises as a series of steps that lead to a flat planted roof garden turning it into an outdoor amphitheatre. The combination of the plantings and deep overhangs minimises the impact of heat loads by blocking sunlight during the middle of the day (ref 1).

Abandoibarra is an area of ​​the town of Bilbao, next to the Bilbao estuary, sizing ​​348,500 square meters. Abandoibarra has been the industrial zone of Bilbao, where shipyards and other companies related to the industrial sector were located. Building upon the 1997 master plan completed by Balmori Associates, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and Aguinaga y Asociados, the area has been reinvented as an international cultural district and tourist destination. Two-thirds of the 30-hectare site is dedicated to parks and open spaces, creating a public oasis and grounds for a suite of buildings by master architects (Ref 1,2).

Following an extreme flood event on August 9th 2008 in Glendhu Park, eight houses experienced flooding and many more came within inches of being flooded. Two swales were constructed by Dublin City Council to provide surface water storage to ensure that no flooding will recur in a similar 100-year pluvial event. The swales are designed to self-drain back into the existing surface water sewer system following a severe storm event (Ref. 1).

The revitalization of two parks in Bydgoszcz - on 'Dabrowski’ and 'Liberty’ hills was planned in 2016 and successfully implemented in 2019. The project involved greenery planting, building health paths and outlook points, as well as new benches and a playground. It improved the aesthetic qualities of the parks, supported the effective management of rainwater and reduced noise from the surrounding areas [1].