Health and well-being (SDG 3)

The Mab Lane Community Woodland was planted on a former playing field at Mab lane and Croxdale Road West in Liverpool. It is a part of the larger Mersey Forest initiative which has been increasing the amount of woodland and green spaces across Cheshire and Merseyside since 1991.
The new woodland which has a network of native trees, wildflower meadows a community orchard as well as seasonal wetland areas and footpaths, was officially opened by the local community in 2010. It also includes new pathways for walkers and cyclists and areas for family picnics (Ref. 2, 10). Mab Lane Community Woodland is a partnership project involving the Forestry Commission, Northwest Development Agency, Mersey Forest, Big Lottery, Riverside Group, Liverpool City Council and the Local Community (Ref. 10).

Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century and is on UNESCO's list of the world's cultural heritage. For about 30 years, large amounts of groundwater leaked, threatening the survival of the ancient site. In order to address this, sustainable water treatment and climate adaptation measures (involving the largest rain garden of Norway, swales etc.) at Bryggen were used to restore the water balance at Bryggen. (Ref. 1)

The ‘100 trees’ project replanted empty spots where trees had grown but later were cut down in the Grunwald district of Poznan. It involved planting trees resistant to urban conditions and salinity in the places indicated by the project proposal – empty squares in a sidewalk, where trees were cut or withered. By re-planting the greenery the project enhanced the aesthetics of the district and the quality of life for its inhabitants [1].

Nancy has the most community gardens in France. While these gardens are generally designed at the initiative of associations or collectives of inhabitants, in Nancy, they are part of the urban development plans.
This demonstrates a real desire from the city to bring the inhabitants closer to sustainable development while providing them with the means to create greenery in the heart of the city (Ref. 1). The Plateau-de-Haye district, where green space was recently created, allowed the emergence of many plots (Ref. 2).

"Nancy Grand Coeur" is the name of an urban renewal planning project in Nancy, which included several blue and green interventions. This area of Nancy received in 2009 the "EcoQuartier" (Eco-District) French label even though the renewal planning works started later, and are still ongoing. "Completely remodeling this district to make it an engaging "facade", adapted to the lifestyles of the time and to the evolutions of modern town planning (diversity of activities, fluidity of travel, sustainable development ...): that is all aims of the Nancy Grand Coeur operation" (Ref. 3).

This NBS is part of a strategy of urban development including social, economic and urban dimensions, aiming at implementing green streams within and between neighbourhoods to enhance the liveability of the area. The main project is the “Green Stream”, which embeds a new vision of urban infrastructures meant as urban and environmental regeneration, by creating public green spaces. The East area of the city hosts a green flux of green corridors, parks, as well as cultural spots, sports facilities and recreation. It is highlighted the social value of this project in terms of creation of public sustainable spaces (Ref.4)

The project BEETE & BIENEN (Beds & Bees) in the Eastern part of Karlsruhe is an awarded sustainability experiment where garden beds, flower beds and beehives create a new urban greenspace for humans and animals and increase the urban bee population. Residents - in collaboration and under the guidance of gardeners – plant herbs, flowers, vegetables, fruits and trees that provide food for humans and thereby provide a natural habitat for the urban bee population to thrive. Residents shall take over ownership of maintenance and cultivation of the garden in the long run. (Ref. 1). The project is not about honey yield, but about enabling the bees to live as naturally as possible. Hives and garden beds are established in several small gardens in the city, including one Marstallgarten and another in Grötzingen. (Ref. 8)

In Frankfurt, on the banks of the Main, visitors are surrounded by a breath of the Mediterranean. In the Park called "Nizza”, Mediterranean plants thrive on 4.42 hectares thanks to its south-facing position, sheltered from the wind, the favourable solar radiation and the heat storage of the Main (2).
Between 1999 and 2006, the Mediterranean park was reconstructed based on a historical model (6). The renovation project was carried out by the Green Space Office of Frankfurt according to the concept of Rainer Gesell-Schulte as part of the green development project of the inner city (1,6). The Frankfurt Green Spaces Office has been in operation since 1999 with urban qualification and refurbishment entrusted to the banks of the Main. The project aim was to transform the inner city area called Mainufer into a contiguous open space system. The project comprises many different sub-area developments that have different uses, especially on the central promenade and include green spaces, museums, sports and leisure facilities. The spatial anchor point of the project was the “Nizza” Mediterranean Park.
As part of this redevelopment, the "Nizza" was redesigned and renovated. This process included the plantation of winter-resistant Mediterranean plants and other plants with a migration background that have been delighting walkers and visitors to the Main metropolis ever since. (2).

The project revitalized beaches around three lakes near Poznan: Kierskie, Strzeszynskie, and Rusalka. Over 1000-ha of forest and three lakes located within the city borders make this a unique recreational area for the inhabitants of Poznan and its surroundings. The project aims to modernize the neglected beaches and build basic infrastructure and communication paths. The plans involved cleaning of the area, planting greenery, regulation of the lake beachline, introducing environmentally friendly solutions (e.g. solar lamps), open-air playgrounds and gyms, and renovation/installation of the new bridges over the lakes [1].

In 1995 the city of Munich decided to implement a new green residential district in the derelict area of the former Munich-Riem airport which was closed in 1992. (Reference 9) The area was designed to have an intensively used residential area in the north and an extensively used green recreational area in the south. The project was completed in 2005. It is 210 hectares large, making it the third-largest public park in Munich. (Reference 1) The park includes a 10-hectare large artificial lake, a 15-hectare large forest and two 20 meter high artificial observation and toboggan hills made from the demolition material of the former airport. (Reference 9) The park is appreciated by people but concerns about the loss of biodiversity have been raised. Citizens use the park for walking, cycling, swimming in the lake or simply for relaxation. (Reference 4)