Environmental quality

Located in the backyard of a memorial house, this NBS was created with 2 purposes in mind: to offer a green oasis to the inhabitants of Iasi but also to educate them since the garden itself relies on volunteers primarily who have the opportunity to come and work in the garden, assist in the process of growing food and learn how to lead a healthy life. In a way, this garden is seen as an escape from city life and it combines education with practical skills and community cohesion (1)

The Ronald McDonald House is a temporary home for families with seriously ill children who are treated at the Essen University Hospital. The house was designed by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who merged the garden and architecture together in order to bring residents of the house closer to nature improving their psychological and health conditions (Ref. 1). The house was opened in 2005 in Essen's Grugapark (Ref. 2). A special highlight is the accessible intensive Green Roof (950 sqm) with grass, herbs, flowers, shrubs, and trees (Ref. 3).

The project resulted in new greenery (shrubs and various types of vines) at acoustic screens on two busy streets (Grota-Roweckiego and Bobrzyńskiego) in Kraków. It used over a dozen species of ivy, vines and shrubs, which would lushly cover the screens, absorb the dust and help to fight city smog in a span of a few years. The initiative was implemented with the help of the citizens – residents and employees of surrounding companies, who planted the greenery under the experts' supervision [1,2].
The pilot project was implemented in 2016, whereas the main project is still ongoing with an aim to cover more screens across the city [1,3].

Kronsberg was built as a model district of sustainable urban development for the EXPO 2000, which motto was 'Humankind-Nature-Technology'. In the previously intensively farmed area, 3200 new dwelling unit was built. Among other sustainable technologies, the planners of the district developed a quasi-natural drainage system that aimed to provide the municipalities a sustainable alternative for traditional drainage (Reference 1, 2).

20 years after planning started in 1992, EXPO district of Kronsberg has proven its viability in terms of sustainable urban development and provided important foundations for advanced urban planning of new buildings in Hannover and elsewhere. The project was showcased in the ‘Crystal’ exhibition pavilion in London as a global standard for integrated construction. The ‘World Cities Summit 2012’ in Singapore also paid tribute to the residential area as one of the world’s hundred most innovative infrastructure projects (Reference 1, 2013).

Due to human interventions into the natural river flow with dykes, drainage of agricultural and grassland or cutting off its water bodies, the wetland Elster-Luppe had lost its groundwater base which decreased its biodiversity. With the support of the regional biodiversity fund and building on previous efforts, the city of Leipzig, together with partners such as the NABU Sachsen and research institutions, has revitalized, renaturalized and connected the water bodies of Leipzig's North-Western wetlands to one continuous watercourse since 2012. Its objective is restoring its ecosystem functions and increasing awareness for the importance of wetlands (4, 5).

This NBS is part of a building complex which includes also a mall. The PALAS urbanization complex, developed by IULIUS in Iasi, introduces the "lifestyle center" concept in the "mixed-use developments" market in Romania. Designed as a large urban, economic, social and cultural development project, PALAS contributes to the development of Iaşi by attracting foreign investors and repositioning the capital of Moldova in the national and international tourist circuit, bringing also new concepts to the Romanian business market. More than being a public garden, this green space is viewed as an endowment to the development of the city (1)

From 2009 to 2018, a green wall including 1,700 mediterranean perennials (agapanthus, valerian, fern) fed by a water-saving watering system was in place in a heavily frequented part of Marseille (Ref. 3, slide 4). JC Decaux Advertising offered the 70 m² of space for advertising display around the green wall. The project was abandoned in 2018 when the vegetation was completely removed to allow for advertisements to take up the entire surface of the wall (Ref. 1).

The river Emscher is the symbol of one of the internationally most renowned industrial regions: the Ruhr area with its 5 million inhabitants and an important location of key industries such as steel, chemical, and materials industry. The revitalisation of the Emscher over the last 20 years marks a new phase in the region‘s history and is an impressive example of ecological and socio-economic transformation affecting all aspects of life along the river (Ref. 1).

The garden is located on the territory of the social welfare home 'Helclów' in Kraków under the protection of a regional monument conservator. It is supposed to integrate the residents of various age and support physical rehabilitation and leisure with elements of garden therapy. Its main goal is to integrate the elderly from the social welfare home with other citizens through joint activities, such as flowers and herbs planting and caretaking. The initiative involves planting greenery (including 314 trees and 134 square meters of shrubs between 2010 and 2016), setting a grill area, and renovating the infrastructure for the disabled. The garden is supposed to serve as an offset for harmful developments in other parts of the city. Private investors are often obliged to provide resources for new trees in the garden’s natural wall and a noise and pollution barrier. The park is publicly accessible between 9 AM and 6 PM and is available for the organization of events and meetings. The concept to open the previously closed garden to the public was initiated an application for a participatory budget in 2016 and very much supported by all parties involved [1,2,3].

Together with the Office for Urban Greenery and Waters of the City of Leipzig, the charitable association Ökolöwe Leipzig started the green facades initiative "Kletterfix - Green Walls for Leipzig" in 2015. The project aims at creating awareness about the multiple benefits of urban green walls and inspiring action of tenants and landlords on private property. As a measure mandated by the Urban Clean Air Plan, green facades improve the urban microclimate, general living conditions and combat particulate matter pollution. On-site advice about suitable plants and maintenance is provided upon application and respective seeds for up to 5 plants are sent for free to the applicants by the city department (1, 3, 7).