Flood protection

"Kvillebäcken is the first urban district in Gothenburg built according to the new environmental demands. Traffic and buildings will be adapted to a more environmentally sustainable community, where no inhabitants will be dependent on transport by car. Housing and commercial buildings will meet strict demands on energy balance, indoor environment, healthy materials, protection from noise and moisture, greenery in the courtyards and surface water management. New environmental technology solutions will be used in the district, such as the efficient collection of household waste and covered bicycle parking. New solutions will also meet strict demands on economic and social sustainability." (Ref. 1)

Rehabilitation project of the Ranillas stream and its surrounding area, as part of the larger city project to rehabilitate the waterways connected to the Guadalquivir River. The project included transforming the covered canal into a green corridor connecting the Tamarguillo Park with the Infanta Elena Park. It sought to build pedestrian walkways, leisure spaces, lengthen the bike lanes, increase tree cover, and restructure the covering of the canal. (Ref 1-6)

'Grey to Green' is one of the most invested projects in Sheffield, to transform the Riverside Business District. In Phase -1 this project will transform a 1.2 km unused road to attractive new public space, which will include innovative perennial flower meadows, an interlinked sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS), rain gardens, public art and high quality paved footways (ref 2). The whole project and landscape have been designed by the City Council, partnership with the University of Sheffield Landscape School, Amey and Robert Bray Associates. The SUD was designed by leading national experts on landscaping, and it is believed that SUD will help in flood relief in this part of the city by soaking up run off to the river within the ‘flood zone’ (ref 2). In Phase-2, the scheme will link Castlegate to the under-used Victoria Quays area and transform the almost redundant former inner ring road with sustainable drainage, floral meadows, segregated cycle lanes and public art. (ref7)

This project was the first green roof in the city of Bologna, and it has been carried out by the University of Bologna in collaboration with the Columbia University of New York with the aim to prove more evidence on green roof stormwater performance. For the Engineering School of Bologna University the existing roofs had a load capacity that was able to host only an extensive roof, without the costly need of being reinforced. In the extensive roof type the vegetation is usually very drought resistant and plants can adapt to difficult environmental conditions, therefore sedum was chosen (1).

The ReLambro project is based on a metropolitan view where nature becomes an occasion for regeneration of the city: the river is no longer an empty and abandoned space but draws a great ecological and environmental system. The interventions, during the design phase, provide for the restoration of the naturalness of large sprawling areas, the reinforcement of the hedges and rows and channels system, the reorganisation of public and fruiting functions in areas at risk of flooding. The project strengthens ecological function by integrating it with urban functions (2).

The rain gardens of the Great Mosque give an example of a sustainable urban drainage system built 1000 years ago (Ref.1,8,9). The Great Mosque is a world heritage site by UNESCO (Ref. 1); therefore the rain gardens are protected and will continue to provide a sustainable irrigation system needed for the arid climate of Andalusia (Ref. 8,9).

Bundek Park is one of the urban planning projects aimed to create a recreational and sports area for the citizens and tourists to support a healthy lifestyle (Ref 3). The lake is surrounded by Bundek Park which stretches for 2,000 meters in length with an area of 35 hectares. The lake is about 5 hectares. the lake was initially used for fishing, walking and swimming. With the increased and carefree use of the lake, the lake and the environment became a waste disposal site. In 2005, by the decision of the Mayor, Mr. Milan Bandić, the renovation of Bundek began. The project included cleaning of the informal waste disposal site and shrubs blocking access to the lakes, renovation of the access to the lakes, planting flowers and introduction of the benches and water also to allow citizens to use the lake for recreation and enjoy the nature (Ref 2).

Fornebu used to be Norway’s main airport, but was abandoned in 1998. The Fornebu project aimed to restore the 340 ha site in order to provide a sustainable, multi-use built environment with sustainable drainage systems and other green infrastructure in focus. The site now consists of residential and industrial buildings with a focus on green space and natural storm water management, involving the use of open and natural water retention methods, including swales, filter strips, permeable surfaces, detention basins and retention ponds (Ref. 1).

The El Patriarca Park aims to rehabilitate and restore 60 hectares of land for ecological benefits and recreational purposes for the inhabitants of Cordoba (Ref.1,3,4,6). It takes place on a site with distinct areas, including a holm-oak forest with Mediterranean scrubland of extraordinary environmental value. This NBS is an effort to protect natural values, erase the traces of urbanization attempts of the seventies, and repair damages caused by human action (Ref. 6). Implementation of the project is expected to start in early 2021 (Ref. 6).

A recovered green area next to the Guadaira river, it opened as a park in 2014 (Ref 6). In its planning it reconciles the historical use of the river to power the historic mill and its new use as a green corridor on the Eastern part of the city. Its large dimension allows it to fulfill the quadruple ecological, landscape, leisure, and non-motorized mobility dimensions. (Ref 4,5,6). The park was officially inaugurated but it continues to face challenges. In 2007 the economic crisis led to construction being stopped and the budget of the park cut from 23.8 million euro. Construction was started and the budget re-established at 17.2 million in 2011. (Ref 5)