Sustainable production

Huerto del Miravete is one of the several school gardens that have been supported by municipal, regional and national policies for environmental education on orchards. Huerto del Miravete was a two-year-long project, for the creation of a school garden and irrigation system for use by students in the elementary school system. (Ref 1)The presented intervention is an effort to introduce students to the traditional orchards of the region and the labours involved with them, and to educate on ecological processes through student participation in the garden.

The acronym VERDIR stands for Sustainable Rehabilitation and Responsible Innovation (Valorisation de l’Environnement par la Réhabilitation Durable et l’Innovation Responsable) and is a project of the University of Liège, about the development of local economic activities based on urban and peri-urban agriculture. It aims to convert existing brownfield sites according to the needs of the population. This involves the large-scale production of vegetables and plants which can be used for food but also for the pharmaceutical industry and the production of biomass, which is increasingly needed (Ref. 1).

The Sea Heroes Garden is a community garden that was initiated by citizens on an empty lot with the goal to create a garden in which children can play, fruit and vegetables are grown organically and social activities are organized.(1) In the garden, multiple measures allow for storm water retention and the vegetation provides habitat for a broad variety of species. (5).

The Faktory project claims to be the first European smart greenhouse, located in the Science Park of Liege. The building serves as a Private Incubator of young start-ups focusing on tech, but it has sustainability goals, too; it is a showcase of urban agriculture, there is biodiversity integration, and the plants produced in the building contribute to supplying the cafeteria (Ref. 1).

The project was started by a group of local people with the aim of turning a barren piece of land into allotments. The aim was to benefit residents/members of the public by growing their own (local) food (and learning e.g. how to grow fruit, vegetables, and flowers for wildlife as well as bee-keeping). 29 allotments were created. (Ref. 1, 2, 3)

'Proeftuin Erasmusveld' is a new and sustainable urban residential area in The Hague. It will be a new nature-inclusive, energy-efficient, car-free neighbourhood that is created for plants, animals and people promoting healthy living (1). As of November 2020, The building of the neighbourhood with its unique houses and buildings is still in progress (1).

Currently, the area is an 'experimental area' for all kinds of sustainability initiatives that may be used for the realization of the neighbourhood, including self-sufficient 'tiny houses' and urban farmland (1,2). The ambition for Erasmusveld is to become a leading sustainable neighbourhood with a sustainable water system, the use of sustainable energy and a vegetable garden with high connectedness between citizens (4).

The Natural Park of Augsburg - Western Forests covers a 1,200 square kilometer of the natural area. Founded in 2007, the park aims at preservation and development the natural biotopes in the area. As a supplier of timber, as a guarantor for clean air and pure water, and last but not least for recreation seekers, it is of outstanding importance in Bavarian Swabia (Ref. 1).

Wirral Waters is the largest regeneration project in the UK. It will transform over 500 acres of the Birkenhead docklands into an internationally recognizable destination (where e.g. innovation and sustainability will thrive). (Ref. 1, 2). While the whole project will take up to 30 years to finish, the first phase has started in 2019 and building work has begun on three projects which will bring 1,000 homes and breathe new life into 500 acres of former dockland in the town. £220 million will be invested in the next three to four years alone in an effort to build high quality, high-density accommodation with lots of green space and employment opportunities close by (Ref 10,11).

"Formerly a 10 hectare market gardening site, the Repainville area is rich in environmental potential: ponds, streams, springs ... the aquatic environment is present everywhere. There is a great variety of fauna and flora. As an ecosystem that is particularly rare in urban areas, protection and recovery measures are being undertaken" (Ref. 1). The restoration of the wetland of Repainville is part of a flagship project of the municipality in terms of safeguarding biodiversity in urban areas. With arrangements allowing the public to walk there without harming the biological and natural diversity of the place, the site has an educational dimension in order in particular to make young audiences aware of the preservation of the ecosystem (Ref. 7).

The municipality of Catania has promoted an initiative that involves schools and non-profit associations, for which available space for urban gardens and horticulture has been provided. The main aim was to regenerate areas which were used abusively as landfills and for criminal activities. What will be produced must strictly conform to the principles of sustainable production, by using biological products and 0 environmental impact techniques. (Ref.1.)