€100,000 - €500,000

The Green Kindergarten aims to build a pre-school educational establishment in responding to the city’s social, cultural and educational, and ecological needs. The building will include a vegetated roof, which will not only fulfil an aesthetic aspect, but also other important ecological and environmental features and functions related to the operation and maintenance of the building. (8, 12)

The 18 km long Rheindorfer stream flowing into the Rhine has faced increased urbanization, industrial activity and surface sealing over the last decades of the 20th century. As a result, numerous interventions were made to its original structure, such as the creation of a concrete bed for the stream and the straightening of the stream course. Meanwhile, an increasing amount of pressure was put on its water carrying capacity. In order to improve the flood retention capacity of the stream, the renaturalization project of the stream was executed in some parts of the water body. The project aims were 1) to restore the natural course of the stream and the state of the riverbeds, thus enhancing the stream's capacity to buffer floods, 2) restore the natural biodiversity of the floodplain and 3) to create a recreational area for locals (1,2).

This NBS involved the reconstruction of two of the total of four lakes/ponds at the Iron Fountain (Železná studnička) and was one of the project sites undertaken by the Bratislava Zelenaj project. (7, 8, 10) The location served as a recreational and relaxing spot for locals and tourists. To undertake the reconstruction, the two lakes/ponds no. 3 and no. 4 had to be discharged. Upon doing so many species of fish were found, including carp, caras, catfish, rabbitfish, toothpick, lure or amur, and also bivalve molluscs and troughs. Reconstruction of water reservoirs (ponds) no. 3 and no. 4 were implemented by the City of Bratislava within the framework of the project in cooperation with the Monumental Office of the Slovak Republic and the Municipal Forests company. (9, 11, 20)

The Svoradova small park is an NBS site of the Bratislava zelenaj project. The newly renovated park (once part of the historical Pálffy Garden) on Svoradova Street in Old Town was previously abandoned and neglected. (14) It is part of the citywide Bratislava zelenaj project aimed at protecting and promoting the welfare of the city’s vulnerable citizens from the effects of climate change, (1) providing a safe recreational space for children (with a small playground for playing and swings). The park also has new lighting, and the whole space is home to new flowers, bridges and trees. (10, 12, 18)

In 2014, the Bielefeld Botanical Garden was expanded with a 2,700 land, previously owned by the local municipality. The extension area and the “old” part of the Botanical Garden were visually and functionally separated by the dense, sometimes gloomy woody vegetation of the "new" area where the watercourse and the small reservoirs were barely noticeable. The aim of the redevelopment is to integrate the entire extension area into the old botanical garden using pathways between the old and the new areas of the botanical garden, the improvements of water body and vegetation areas. The redevelopment also includes the renovation of buildings in the "old" area of the botanical garden, the installation of new recreation facilities and the building of a pharmacy garden. The planning and implementation process is lead by the Friends of the Botanical Garden Bielefeld Association (Verein Freunde DesBotanischen Gartens Bielefeld e.V) in close cooperation with the Environmental Agency of the local municipality (1,2, 7,10,11)

This NBS site is part of the Bratislava Zelenaj Project. This particular NBS involves the creation of vegetation on buildings as a means to mitigate the effects of climate change in cities due to urban overheating caused by global warming. It targets the residents of the Archa House of Seniors (Domove seniorov Archa) in Bratislava as part of the citywide project “Bratislava is preparing for climate change” with the aim of protecting and promoting the welfare of the city’s vulnerable citizens from climate change effects. The roof's main function is buffering the discharge of excess rainwater. (10)

The square is located in the most stigmatized area of Budapest, in the 8th district. The project was part of the third phase of the socially sensitive urban regeneration programme of the neighbourhood, the so-called Magdolna Quarter Programme III. Within the renovation of the park, 12,000 plants were planted and 8,125 square metres of grassland was created, which has its own irrigation system. During the rehabilitation, the green area was expanded to one hectare. The park was renovated with the involvement of local people. The local participants later established an association that provides them a legal framework for taking care of the park. The aim of the project was to strengthen social cohesion, sense of security, and to ensure the sustainability of the newly renovated park. (Reference 3)

The Green and Blue Network in France is a national policy which "aims to restore ecological continuity in order to promote the migration of species and the resilience of ecosystems to face habitat threats and climate change. It also aims to strengthen the place of nature in the city and public awareness." In Montpellier, implementation of "this project has improved knowledge of the city's natural heritage and enhanced ecological continuity, as well as protecting, and sustainably managing high-potential sites and integrating the social dimension, raising public awareness, the observation of nature"(Ref. 2).

The Port of Alicante is finalizing the installation of a new environmental barrier at Pier 17, where bulk unloading is carried out, based on a water atomization method that allows dust particles to fall to the ground of the port area and not arrive by air to the city. (Ref 11) This initiative comprises activities to reduce pollution in the port, such as a vegetable barrier against the air pollution produced by the dust during the unloading of bulk materials, supplied by an irrigation system that recovers non-drinkable water from a nearby plant. It includes the extension of the Parque del Mar, to recover historical points for tourism and the funding of a research project on air pollution (Ref. 12). “This measure is integrated within the Plan of Urban Integration of the Port of Alicante, improving the landscape impact and the port-city boundary zones from the southern access of the urban environment, along with the “Parque del Mar”, to the west zone with the installation of vegetal screens in the inner zone of the port, contributing to an important particle retention and CO2 reduction.” (Ref. 1). Inside the park, which can be traversed through paths, there is a small ornamental lake with rockery and it has children's games and petanque courts, gymnastics courts and recreational areas. The green corridor has been created with the creation of artificial mounds, for which 65,000 cubic meters of earth have been necessary, which act as a vegetal screen and visually and acoustically isolate the port facilities of the city. (Ref 7)

Göteborg is in need to strengthen the conditions for those who today, to a certain extent, rely on food production or farming. Also, the demand for locally produced and non-toxic food is increasing by Swedish consumers. Green Production aims to create opportunities for urban agriculture that is financially viable within and around the city. Green Production will build knowledge and conduct research by bringing together key stakeholders around a number of focus-projects within the area. Green Production aims to create opportunities for urban agriculture that is financially viable within and around the city. Green Production will build knowledge and conduct research by bringing together key stakeholders around a number of focus-projects within the area. The original idea regarding these focus-projects is that they either will be based in a specific spot and, for example, linking new technologies with new jobs, or involve a process where entrepreneurs meet landowners, consumers, wholesalers, etc. The goal of these focus-projects, in addition, to gather knowledge and create new contacts and networks, is that they may develop a number of innovative urban agriculture projects and business ideas in and around the city. (Ref. 1, 3, 4)