Environmental quality

The Urban Park of Pasteleira is a public park located in the parish of Lordelo do Ouro, in the city of Porto. The park extends over an extensive area (7 hectares) of forest, divided into two plots by the street of Afonso de Paiva. The forest, an example that remains of the natural vegetation of the Porto area, consists essentially of wild pines and cork oaks, and enrichment of vegetation by the planting of trees and shrubs of Portuguese flora and exotic species. It was designed in 2004 and completed in 2009 (1).

This NBS refers to the rehabilitation of a park in 2001, a park which is private as well as a foundation, and its grounds are impeccably well kept. It expands on 18 hectares and its origin dates back to 1923 when Carlos Alberto Cabral, the 2nd Count of Vizela, inherited the Quinta do Lordelo estate, the family’s summer residence in the Rua de Serralves (which was then on the outskirts of Oporto). The garden of the Quinta do Lordelo estate was probably designed by one of the city’s nursery gardeners and was inspired on 19th-century Victorian models. (1)

Situated next to Bebington railway station, the site is of biological importance within Wirral. This urban nature reserve was developed on a former railway sidings and is now an oasis of green tranquility in densely populated urban area; its industrial past has been put to good use as a home for wildlife (e.g. on the thin, nutrient there are now carpets of wild flowers, including wild carrot & occasional bee orchids). Up to 26 species of butterfly have been recorded here, with 18 species breeding on site - giving the park its rather apt name. (Ref. 1, 2)

New Ferry Butterfly Park has been awarded a Green Flag for the seventh year, which signifies that the space boasts the "highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities". (Ref. 12)

In 2014, local residents of the St. Pauli neighbourhood of Hamburg supported by architects decided to reshape the Hilldegarden bunker built during WW II. They managed to convince the owner of the bunker, who currently leases the rooms of the bunker to a nightclub, a music school, an instrument store and a photography studio, to re-create the bunker in a way that pays special attention to ecological and social aspects. (Reference 1-3). ”The new project would see the space continue its mixed-use atmosphere, but topped with a massive public rooftop garden with walking trails.” The 800 sqm garden will use sustainable techniques for its operation, including renewable energies and greywater collection for irrigation and will offer a public garden where residents can engage in urban food production. (Reference 2) In September 2020, the reconstruction of the bunker is still in its early phases. (Ref. 8)

‘De Schilde’ in The Hague was the former factory of Philips Telecommunication that had been empty for years. In 2016, it become the home to the largest commercial city facility for food production in Europe: a 1,200 m2 roof greenhouse for specialized vegetables, a 370 m2 covered fish farm and a 250 m2 area for integrated processing and packaging. In addition, 250 m2 within the farm was exclusively reserved for events and guided tours. (5) The farm comprised two-storey greenhouses on the roof and uses the UF system for the sustainable production of fish and vegetables. (5) The urban farm was initiated by the the municipality of the Hague and realised by Urbanfarmers, a Swiss technology company focused on building food production facilities in cities (5).

However, the initiative wasn't successful. In 2018, the company declared bankruptcy and terminated production in the rooftop farm as it did not produced any revenues. (12,13).

The Green Corridor Bernetal developing on the site of the former sewerage system will link the downtown of Essen with the districts of Altenessen and Freiräumen in the North of the city. New green and blue infrastructure will be introduced along the modernized way available also for pedestrians and cyclists. The project is developed along with the city policy towards environmental regeneration of the Emscher region (Ref. 1).

This NBS deals with the recovery of an avenue (about five thousand five hundred meters in length, it is the longest Portuguese avenue) that connects Porto's City Park with another avenue and the seaside. The NBS is implemented by the municipality of Porto and it indents to create a green corridor between 2 locations: Ribeira de Aldoar and Avenida da Boavista. Previously, work has been done to this NBS, in 2005, but it was not finalized. (1) As of 2019, the Municipality of Porto announced that work will be halted for this NBS (5)

The Oriental Park of the City of Porto is an urban natural park designed by the landscape architect Sidónio Pardal. It will be one of the largest urban parks in the country and the second-largest in the city of Porto. This NBS focused on the transformation of a derelict, depressed urban area into a green space. The first part of the park was inaugurated in July 2010 and the municipality has plans to build it through several phases over the next decade until it reaches its project area. (1)

The Haumanngarten is a community garden in Essen founded by the Transition Town movement (Ref. 1). Since May 2015 a mixed group have been growing vegetables, herbs, flowers and berries on a former playground. Fellow gardeners with and without knowledge of gardening participate in the garden (Ref. 2).

The aim of the project is to restore the near-natural state of the Alster, the neighboring floodplains and side waters and thus support biodiversity, the recreational function of the riversides and promote environmental education (Reference 1). The implementation of the project began in 2012 and is planned to continue until 2021. It’s second phase started in 2018, which focuses on redeveloping the inner-city areas of the Alster. (Reference 8) The developers of the project focus on improving biodiversity and habitats. Recent nature conservation efforts included the installation of bee hotels, installation of gravel depots where fish lay eggs and the building of three fish ladders at the Poppenbüttler, Mellingburger and Wohldorfer locks, so that salmon, sea trout and sticklebacks can migrate there again. (Reference 6) In the future, other biotope structures in the urban river environment are to be improved. The project also provides opportunities for voluntary work and educational field trips for schoolchildren. (Reference 9)