Social justice and equity

The Surco district of Lima has implemented a vertical bio-garden occupying a 685 square meter area within El Aire Park. The garden comprises a 600-meter linear structure supporting 11,000 planters fabricated from recycled plastic bottles. This system yields a substantial crop production of between 400 and 1,500 varieties on a 20-day cycle (1).
Initiated by the Municipality of Santiago de Surco, the bio-garden is designed to contribute to the district's economic, nutritional, and environmental sustainability (1, 2, 3, 5). By cultivating high-protein, nutrient-rich crops, the municipality provides essential sustenance to 24 local community kitchens (1), a local market (3), parishes, and social aid organizations (1).
To optimize crop yield, the municipality has implemented specialized techniques, including seedling cultivation, harvesting, and organic fertilization, to prevent pest and disease infestations (1). Since its implementation in 2020 with an initial 7,000 planters, the project has expanded by 300% to accommodate 11,000 (1). Cultivated plant varieties include medicinal herbs, leafy greens, root vegetables, and infusion ingredients (2, 5).
Additionally, the initiative serves as an educational platform, demonstrating and spreading sustainable home gardening practices utilising recycled materials such as plastic bottles (3, 5).

A community garden opened in 2023 on the Technological University (TU) Dublin Blanchardstown campus. This environmental education and social inclusion project is a collaborative effort involving Fingal County Council, Global Action Plan Ireland, TU Dublin, and the local community. It provides a space for local groups and schools to grow fresh produce, reconnect with nature, and foster a stronger sense of community.
Rooted in a successful template developed by Global Action Plan in Ballymun, this initiative promotes social and cultural inclusion alongside environmental education. The Green Living & Sustainability Community Garden (GLAS) aims to create an inclusive environment that welcomes individuals of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. More than a site for cultivating plants, flowers, and vegetables, the garden serves as a hub for fostering social connections, enhancing well-being, and offering valuable educational opportunities.
The garden provides individuals with the chance to engage in social horticulture, exploring the connections between food, health, biodiversity, and global issues such as climate change. It operates on organic and regenerative principles, with all tasks and harvests shared by volunteers. Additionally, the garden will support youth gardening projects and public workshops on topics such as growing food, composting, water harvesting, and waste management. Beyond its environmental benefits, the garden helps people connect with one another, positively impacting social, physical, and mental well-being.

The project aims to modernize Ciurchi Park, also known as "Tătărași Park," due to the degraded state of its current infrastructure (1 - 8). Initiated by the Municipality of Iași, the initiative seeks furthermore to increase the amount of green space per inhabitant in the city and reduce overcrowding in other parks, thereby diversifying options for citizens (1 - 9). Planning for the project began in 2022, and the bidding process for its execution was released in April 2024, which is still awaiting a decision (1, 2. 7).
The implementation is expected to involve interventions in existing green spaces, including the planting of 120 trees, 1,000 bushes, and approximately 2,000 species of flowers and ornamental plants. The project will also feature a monitoring program for tree species, management of existing vegetation to protect healthy trees, and removal of invasive or degraded plants (1, 2, 4, 8). Additionally, it will include benches, facilities for physical exercise, an underground waste collector, and a rainwater drainage system, among other infrastructure improvements (1 to 8).
The project is expected to be financed by the local budget and EU funds, with a total estimated cost exceeding 5,000,000 euros, including taxes (2, 4). It is included in the Integrated Urban Development Strategy 2015-2030 for the city (8, p. 12).
The goals of the project are to modernize the park, improve accessibility for citizens in the surrounding area, minimize management costs for the municipality, ensure a sustainable habitat for flora and fauna with minimal invasive interventions, and harmonize architectural proposals with the landscape (6, 8, p. 32). Other objectives include protecting biodiversity, enhancing the park’s aesthetics and the overall city environment, and reducing CO2 emissions, which will ultimately improve the quality of life for surrounding residents (8, p. 141).

The Detroit RiverWalk is an urban development project along the Detroit River, designed to reconnect residents with their waterfront and revitalize a historically industrial area. Once characterized by abandoned buildings and industrial debris, the riverfront between the MacArthur and Ambassador Bridges had long been inaccessible to the public. To address this, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy was established in 2003 to lead the redevelopment of this space.
The RiverWalk currently stretches along a 3.5-mile section, with plans to expand to 5.5 miles, integrating ecological restoration, public access, and recreational opportunities. The esplanade features native landscaping, artistic elements, and amenities, including four pavilions, a custom carousel, and areas for fishing, walking, biking, and inline skating.
Environmental remediation has been a crucial part of the project. In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy successfully cleaned up 13,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment, significantly reducing pollution and contributing to the removal of the Detroit River from the list of the most polluted sites in the Great Lakes. Furthermore, the project also includes greenways, park creation and revitalization.
The RiverWalk is not just a public space; it symbolizes Detroit’s transformation from a Rust Belt city to a sustainable urban environment. It exemplifies the power of public-private partnerships in revitalizing urban areas. The RiverWalk continues to expand, with plans to connect various parks and extend to the Ambassador Bridge, further enhancing the city’s waterfront. Its success was recognized in 2021 when it was named the Best Riverwalk in America by USA Today, cementing its status as a model for urban renewal and community engagement. (Ref. 1, 2, 3, 4)

Sourced from Northern Worcestershire, the River Stour has played a significant role in the industrial heritage of Birmingham and the Black Country (Ref 1). It consists of 11 Water Framework Directive water bodies and multiple tributaries, spanning 200 km in length (Ref 2, 3). Once a pristine Salmonid river that powered the Industrial Revolution, rapid industrialization severely impacted the river, leaving it heavily polluted with sewage (ibid.).
Initiated by the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust (BBCWT) in 2021, the Love Your River Stour (LYRS) project focuses on Dudley and Wolverhampton, aiming to transform the River Stour and its surrounding green spaces into a beautiful, wildlife-rich source of pride for local communities and to create a corridor for wildlife to thrive through the heart of the Black Country (Ref 4).
Phase 1 of the project was completed in June 2023, bringing significant improvements along the river (Ref 5, 6, 7, 8). In Phase 2, the project will extend to a stretch running through Cradley Heath and Lye (Ref 7, 8). This initiative is funded by the UK Government's Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

The pilot project in Bairro Padre Cruz, Carnide, Lisbon, is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing women's safety in public spaces and improving access to public transport. Launched in June 2024, this project stems from extensive consultations with local women to address their specific security concerns (Ref1). It involves strategic interventions like better lighting and the relocation of bus stops to safer areas, ensuring a more secure environment for women (Ref4). A key element of the project is the greening of the area through tree planting and the creation of more harmonised public spaces, contributing to a more pleasant and welcoming neighbourhood (Ref2). Funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), this initiative aims to foster greater inclusivity and safety in urban design, with completion expected by 2025 (Ref4).

The Tres Rios Ecosystem Restoration Project is an ambitious initiative aimed at revitalizing a seven-mile stretch of the Salt and Gila Rivers in Phoenix, Arizona. The Tres Rios Environmental Restoration project involves the rehabilitation of nearly 700 acres in and around the Salt River, restoring a vital wetland and riparian habitat. Initially conceived in 1993 to tackle water quality issues and improve flood control, the project gained significant traction in the 2000s through a partnership between the City of Phoenix and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Funding was structured with 65 percent from the USACE and 35 percent from the City of Phoenix and the Sub-Regional Operating Group Members, including Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, and Mesa.
The Tres Rios project encompasses habitat restoration, flood control, and recreational development, with the primary objectives being to restore a degraded ecosystem, enhance water quality, and provide new recreational spaces. Construction involved relocating 1.6 million cubic yards of earth to shape three large wetland zones and two deep-water retention basins. Additionally, 18,000 feet of underground water lines and 600 feet of 84-inch fiberglass effluent pipelines were installed. To establish a thriving wetland habitat, the project coordinated the planting of over 300,000 aquatic and terrestrial plants.
Habitat restoration efforts re-establish native vegetation and create wetland areas that support local biodiversity. The lush and scenic Tres Rios is now home to more than 150 different species of birds and animals like muskrats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, bobcats, and beavers. By using treated wastewater to sustain the ecosystem, the project reduces dependency on natural water sources, thereby helping to mitigate water scarcity. The Tres Rios Ecosystem Restoration Project serves as a model for sustainable urban ecological initiatives, combining environmental health with community benefits. (1-8, 10-13)

The project features a vertical garden, or "living wall," on the facade of a residential building in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. Constructed in 2016, the building replaced a WWII-damaged plot situated between two existing structures. With a strong emphasis on sustainability, the project minimizes its ecological footprint in various ways. The 660-square-meter plot retained original elements of the location’s history: the two surviving sections along Glogauer and Reichenberger Strasse were restored after the war, while the rubble from the destroyed corner was used to fill in the basement. This approach allowed the new construction to be built over the original foundations, preserving historical integrity while reducing construction costs and material use.
At the core of the building’s design is a green agenda, embodied in the vertical garden that helps absorb noise and pollution from the bustling street below, improving air quality for residents and passersby. The selection of winter-hardy plants ensures that the facade remains green year-round, while also cooling the surrounding area and mitigating the urban heat effect, which is especially valuable in densely populated neighborhoods. The greenery contributes to the local microclimate, providing both environmental and aesthetic benefits.
For residents, the garden is made accessible through rectangular box balconies that project from the green wall, allowing them to engage closely with the plants and enjoy the immersive garden atmosphere. The plants grow on a support structure that is securely anchored in the brickwork, receiving water and nutrients through an integrated, precision-controlled irrigation and fertilization system. Maintenance of the plants occurs twice a year, with new additions planted each spring to maintain the garden’s health and visual appeal.
The building itself, privately owned, contains a mix of holiday rentals and residential apartments. Architect Sarah Revière designed the project. (1-6)

The Heat Action Planning project in the Lindo Park-Roesley Park Neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona, specifically addresses the heat-related challenges residents face in this area. Phoenix is particularly vulnerable to extreme heat events, and this project aims to provide both mitigation and adaptation strategies to reduce the direct impacts of heat and help residents cope more effectively with these conditions. As part of the city’s broader Heat Action Plan, the Lindo Park-Roesley Park initiative is one of three target areas, including Edison-Eastlake, just east of downtown Phoenix, and the Water Tower Improvement District in the City of Mesa. The project focuses on heat hazards such as extreme temperature events and the urban heat island effect, which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.
This project is a collaborative effort, uniting a range of stakeholders including The Nature Conservancy, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance, the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network, Arizona State University’s Urban Climate Research Center, and the local residents. Together, these partners are working to develop comprehensive heat mitigation and adaptation strategies that address social equity and strengthen community engagement. Furthermore, the Heat Action Planning process was designed to serve as a model for future heat resilience efforts and create a local, contextual, and culturally appropriate vision of a safer, healthier future. The iterative planning and engagement method used by the project team strengthened relationships within and between
neighborhoods, community-based organizations, decision-makers, and the core team, and it combined storytelling wisdom and scientific evidence to better understand current and future challenges residents face during extreme heat events.The ultimate aim is to foster a more resilient and equitable neighborhood (1-7).

Phoenix faces substantial challenges related to extreme heat, air quality, and social inequity (1-11). The Phoenix Tree Equity Pledge, launched in 2021, is a comprehensive city-wide initiative focused on addressing urban tree inequity and reducing the effects of extreme heat, especially in communities most vulnerable to these conditions (1-12). Partnering with American Forests, the country’s oldest conservation nonprofit, the initiative aims to achieve “tree equity” by 2030, ensuring all neighborhoods receive the benefits trees offer (1).
To reach this goal, the city will focus on enhancing tree coverage in underserved neighborhoods through the development of a Residential Tree Equity Accelerator, which plans to plant 20,000 trees across 25 neighborhoods by 2030 (1-12). By utilizing the Tree Equity Score developed by American Forests, the city can monitor progress, identify areas of need, and measure the impact of these projects (2-4, 9, 11).
To foster public engagement, the initiative will collaborate with residents, businesses, and local organizations to support tree-related projects, raise awareness of the benefits of trees, and promote tree stewardship (1, 4, 15). Additionally, the project aims to create green opportunities within the community by establishing supportive policies and regulations for tree planting and care and by creating pathways to green jobs (1, 7-9, 13-14). Recognizing that heat affects communities unequally, the Tree Equity Pledge seeks to increase canopy coverage in targeted neighborhoods, improving air quality, reducing the urban heat island effect, and enhancing overall community health (1, 7-9, 13-14).