Waste management

The historical canal that was disconnected by a road in the 1970s is currently being restored by the municipality, creating a lively atmosphere allowing for water recreation, a boulevard and green spaces (ref. 1). A small element of this restoration is the addition of green elements by a citizen group, which entails improving ecological, aesthetic and historical quality of the canal by implementing eco-friendly riverbanks, green connecting zones and floating vegetation islands (ref. 3,9,11,12).

Manchester’s Stevenson Square was given a green makeover. In addition to securing funds from Manchester City Council, the project underwent a substantial crowd fundraising campaign to transform the square into an ‘urban oasis’ and provide street trees, permeable pavements and planters.The pavement was extended on one side of Stevenson Square which enabled street trees to be planted. More tree planting undertook on the central reservation and a green roof was designed to collect and store rainwater. Self-irrigating hanging baskets were installed on lamp posts (ref 4).

Wigan Flashes Project is encouraging natural re-colonisation to a site of very high conservation value and an enormous asset for recreation for the local community. The Wigan Flashes are a group of eight shallow wetlands, formed originally as a result of mining subsidence, which extend south from near Wigan's town centre. Over time, the industrial landscape has evolved in to a mixture of open water, reedbed, mossland, willow carr and fenland (ref 1).

Three London Plane trees were planted in a specially designed trench in Howard Street, Salford, Greater Manchester in 2015 with the aim of capturing the impact that trees had on both cleaning polluted water from road runoff and managing levels of surface water, which can lead to flooding when not properly managed (ref 1). This project in the City of Salford was created to study how trees can aid in the management of urban stormwater as a novel retrofitted street tree demonstration (ref 3). It was led by Manchester's City of Trees movement. (Ref 3)

The Connswater Community Greenway has created a 9km linear park project in East Belfast following the course of the Connswater, Knock and Loop Rivers, connecting the open and green spaces. As part of the project the Connswater River will be cleaned and brought back to life. The Greenway will create attractive, safe and accessible parkland for recreation and community activities. The project will improve the quality of life for the people of east Belfast as a whole new greener environment will emerge. (Ref1)

Connswater Community Greenway is a visionary urban regeneration project that is transforming East Belfast by combining improved flood protection with the creation of public spaces and pedestrian/ cycle routes that connect communities. (Ref 6)

"This 26-hectare park, the largest in Clermont-Ferrand, offers a privileged view of the city. Several wooded areas serve as shelters for permanent and passing wildlife. For the last two years, gardeners in the park have no longer used pesticides to maintain Montjuzet Park, the effects are already measurable on the enrichment of flora and fauna." "During the development of the Parc Montjuzet, the choice was made to keep 9 hectares without intervention. These hectares could be a source of some ecological richness. Hives have been established near this area since 2009." (Ref. 1) This park has the Refuge LPO label. (Ref 2)

Liko-Noe is a business office building that meets all of its energy demands on its own and has a sophisticated system of water reuse and management. The building features a green roof, a green facade, and water storage ponds on the outside (Ref. 1). The building has a constructed treatment wetland for the wastewater treatment, uses solar energy for photovoltaic panels as well as thermal wall (Ref. 4). The aim of the project is to demonstrate that nature-based building techniques can significantly help address the challenges of soil and water degradation, and climate change (Ref. 1).

The Bradford Beck project is a pilot project looking at new ways of managing and improving rivers. The Bradford Beck is a small river system of around 11km that flows through the City of Bradford. The beck used to be known as the filthiest river in England. In this project, activities are aimed at bringing the becks back to life and full health, for long term restoration of the Beck. It will provide a new focus of water-based socio-economic regeneration in Bradford (reference 1). The project established that a large proportion of the Bradford Beck catchment could be monitored with observations at just 12 strategic points along the course of the Beck, so observations would be made at all 12 points on different days of the week and at different times of the day (ref 6). A record of the status of the Beck at each point would be taken. This would include the level of the water, the colour of the water, smell, turbidity and a photograph of each site (ref 6).

Park Sainte-Marie is the second largest park in Nancy (Ref. 8). "The park Sainte-Marie hides varieties of splendid oaks and many other rare plants. It also hosts that annual "Nature in Festivities" event in the first weekend of May which represents the largest plant market in the region (Ref. 2). "This park was awarded the "Tourism and Handicap" labels in 2007 and "Outstanding Garden" in 2010" (Ref. 1). "An old Alsatian House , created for the International Exhibition of the East of France in 1909" is conserved within the park (Ref. 8).

"The desire to integrate trees in the heart of Nancy constitutes a long-standing commitment. The first Charter for Trees of Nancy was signed in 1996. Plant diversity was strengthened and the protection of trees accentuated, in particular thanks to the requirements of the Local Urban Planning. In 2013, the new version of the Charter will make it possible to engage all the actors of urban policy to increase protection of the tree, to be vital to biodiversity and to the quality of the living environment" (Ref. 1). "New legal, urban, ecological and social issues have emerged. The old charter now requires improvements in the face of certain evolutions. It was decided to renew it. This new document is in line with the previous one and faces the new issues of the trees in the city" (Ref. 1, p 9).