Habitat and biodiversity conservation

The ‘University Park Essen’ is developed on a former railway site in the inner city of Essen, that had been a wasteland for almost 30 years. By revitalizing this about the 13-hectare large plot, an urban green quarter for residential and commercial use is created. The centricity of the park within the new quarter between the city center, shopping mall Limbecker Square and the university campus is the first visible component of the development and therefore shapes the new identity of the quarter (Ref. 4).

“The Nottingham in Bloom campaign is a city-wide partnership which includes residents, businesses, schools, community groups and a wide range of volunteers. The aim is to encourage more people to get involved to improve their local area. Together they [through the campaign] produce horticultural excellence and enhance the local landscape, the environment and the character of Nottingham.” (Ref. 1)

The Pasteur clinic in Toulouse installed a 500m² vegetable garden on the roof of its building in 2014. Maintained by clinic employees and various associations, the garden makes it possible to develop a friendly atmosphere and learn gardening while promoting biodiversity (Ref. 2). The garden grows produce including green beans, tomatoes, basil, strawberries and raspberries, (Ref. 3) and contains flowers such as nasturtiums, Cosmos, tagettes and edible chrysanthemums (Ref. 4).

In June 2012, the Vertical Plants at the Strasbourg National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) were installed by two second-year students. They along with faculty and students undertook a technical and regulatory feasibility study, before taking steps to mobilise local companies to meet the costs of the project (Ref. 1). The advantage is not only aesthetic, but the wall has thermal and acoustic properties, and serves as a refuge for biodiversity and is even capable of absorbing atmospheric pollution (Ref. 2).

The ANNALINDE gGmbH operates multifunctional urban agriculture and demonstration projects in the Western part of Leipzig: a community garden, a nursery and a fruit garden on a former train station where the emphasis is on community development and mutual learning processes in addition to food production. This is safeguarded by an events portfolio consisting of garden working days, workshops and collaborations with schools, kindergartens and like-minded organizations. In addition to that, open urban labs are operated for a number of initiatives and projects covering subject areas like urban agriculture, recycling, composting, urban bees, urban resilience and sustainable urban development (1).

The Villa Turrisi park has been the subject of a regeneration process request, implemented by some associations and citizens in order to protect the park. The goal of this citizen-based initiative is to regenerate the area with the expansion of the urban park, by adding several trees and plants. The main benefits of the project, apart from the cultural and social value of the new area, is the mitigation effect of the park in response to threats such as urban pollution, improvement of air quality, and biodiversity conservation (both plants and animal species). (Ref.1.)

The flower meadow was established in 2017 on the roof of Karcher company’s building in Kraków. It is a multiannual project. The meadow consists of herbs and flowers and it serves multiple purposes; provides the recreational space for workers, supports biodiversity and provides habitat for insects and birds, especially pollinators, and has aesthetic functions as it is composed of diverse multi-colour flowers which bloom in different seasons [1].

The Grand Park Garonne urban project aims to rehabilitate and develop the banks of the river Garonne that runs 32 kilometers through the city. From 2015, several development projects was planned to be carried out for a total of 28.7 million euros across 3 areas: the Garonne downstream, Toulouse center and the city's "green lung" Island of Ramier (Ref. 1, 4). Within these are 12 sites that consist of 40 pilot projects for operations. Among these are projects focused on protecting and restoring natural habitats and species in order to create a citywide green corridor (Ref. 8).

In 2016 the Environmental Protection Division of Hannover's Department of Environment and Urban Environment started a common pilot project, KlimaWohL, with Bothfelder Kamp GmbH & Co. KG and the Gundlach Group. The building project in Hanover-Bothfeld, formerly called “Hilligenwöhren”, was renamed to “Herzkamp”. By 2021, the family company Gundlach will build approx. 300 terraced houses, rental and freehold apartments. The aim of the project is to implement a new residential area where the researchers of KlimaWohL can systematically test the climate adaptation strategy of Hanover. The new residential area that aims to be an innovative example of climate-adaption for other cities will be equipped with extensive green surfaces and will pay attention to protect the natural environment and species. (Reference 1, 3). In 2018, planting the edge of the forest was started, wherein a tiered 20m wide border consisting of shrubs and trees were planted between the forest and the residential area. Construction of the rental apartments was started and by 2019, the row houses and semi-detached houses have started to be sold. The shell has been completed and the interior work has started. By 2022, overall completion of the project is foreseen.

Andromeda is the first eco-district of Toulouse Métropole. Extended on the municipalities of Blagnac and Beauzelle, it brings together 210 hectares of green spaces, housing estates, residences and corporate offices. The district has been designed around the principles of sustainable development and the preservation of the environment (Ref. 1). The district includes a green corridor network, rainwater management systems (sumps, gutters, recovery tanks, landscaped basins, etc.), 12,000 trees, and the majority of buildings are equipped with green roofs, while green and blue spaces total 70ha and natural areas are 1/3 of the total area (Ref. 2, 3).