Health and well-being (SDG 3)

In 2014, the Marseille Provence Métropole Urban Community commissioned five new stormwater retention basins in order to preserve the quality of coastal waters and reduce the risk of flooding (Ref. 4). In the past, in the event of severe thunderstorms the sewage networks became saturated and a portion of the water was then directly discharged into the sea without going through the sewage treatment plants (Ref. 1). This is seen as "one of the most important documents of recent years in terms of environmental protection. It foresees in the next 5 years, 185 million euros of major works" (Ref. 1).

When the national German railway company shut down parts of the former East station of Leipzig and its tracks in 2012, citizens developed an idea for its secondary use and came up with the concept of the "Parkbogen Ost" which represents a 5-kilometre long circle of bicycle lanes, footpaths and outdoor space surrounding the East of Leipzig. The city of Leipzig recognized its potential to connect the Eastern Leipzig with the city centre and developed the strategy further by issuing a "Masterplan Parkbogen Ost" as the base for a step-wise implementation of the project in 2013 (Ref. 5).

In 2017, the Sintra City Council opened a new urban park in the quarter of Cavaleira, with 25 thousand square meters that are inserted in urbanization where about 5 thousand people live. The park has zones of stay and of leisure, circuits of exercise for adults and seniors, children's green playground, pedestrian routes, canine park and the entire park has a green turf cover.
The design of the park, an investment of around 600 thousand euros, counted on the active participation of the population through ideas for the final project. (ref.2)

The Chirita dam is the drinking water reserve of Iasi. The lake is protected by law, with bathing or fishing prohibited. In 2013 it was cleaned and sanitized since it became an area where many people used to dump their house residues. As such a national campaign sponsored by an NGO having social responsibility claims implemented this NBS, which meant cleaning the shores of the lake (1).

JDS Architects Designed a Geometric Green-Roofed Youth Center for Lille, France. Organized around a massive courtyard, the three sections of the triangle building each feature a roof that serves as an integral part of its sustainability. The kindergarten roof was planned to be a vegetated garden area with a grassy play surface that helps cool the building. (Ref 1)

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).

Green roofs were installed on two buildings the Wellness Hotel in Maximus Resort in Brno. The roofs have technical, ecological, and aesthetic functions. The main objective was to integrate the buildings of the Wellness Hotel to the surrounding greenery in order to create a quiet and undisturbed place for relaxation (Ref. 1; Ref. 2).

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).