Grass

The park, dedicated to the Sicilian judge assassinated by the mafia in the early 90s, was the object of a regeneration project by two associations (with the approval of the municipality). The initiative was practically implemented by kids of several schools in Catania, which were invited to the park with the intention of cleaning the area to make the spot available to new plants and trees. This is not just a natural intervention, it is of great cultural and social value for the importance of the character for the city and region. (Ref.1.)

An old hippodrome will be transformed into a natural urban park. "The Metropole of Rouen has launched this reconversion project of in consultation with residents and associations. It is the Mutabilis group that has been chosen to carry out this transformation, the first work of which will begin in 2017. The project, called "Champ Libre", integrates all the components essential to urban life: a place of discovery, nature and innovative agriculture" (Ref. 6).

Citizens have taken the initiative to create a community garden on an area where an abandoned building was located. With community engagement and support form public and private sector actors along with non-profit organisations, the garden was officially opened in 2011, bringing urban green space closer to the residents of the quarter. (1,2,3) The garden consists of recreational facilities, green space, a vegetable garden, fruit trees, a pond and activities are organized, which all largely contributes to social cohesion. The community has formed multiple groups that are responsible for parts of the community garden. (1)

The Molenvlietpark is a large park in the Viletzoom area of The Hague which will serve as an ecological corridor and stormwater storage. Beside flowery grasslands, the park has several interconnected ponds serving as water storing facilities that can temporarily collect a large amount of water during heavy rainfall. The green and blue areas with diverse vegetation provide habitat for a large variety of species and a fish spawning ground supporting biodiversity (1,5,6,7). It will also include paths for cyclists and pedestrians. (1) The first phase of the park construction has been completed, while the second phase is planned to be executed in 2021-2022.

After 3 years of works, in 2020 the city of Gdynia revitalized one of its largest parks with a panoramic view on the rest of the city. Planned activities had included new greenery (suitable for the local climate conditions), rebuilding vegetation, creation of the educational paths, building water playground facilities and a sensory garden, open-air gyms and improved infrastructure for the disabled [1,2,3]. The final project focused on the renovation of the amphitheatre and the drainage system underground. Residents have been enjoying the park since June 2020 [7].

This citizen-based initiative takes place in the heart of the city, in between the streets Montesano, San Michele, Carcaci, Sangiuliano. The project is the result of a collaboration among residents, artists and shop owners who are planning the regeneration of the area, which is currently in a state of decay. In particular, they realize green interventions (biological horticulture gardens, 100 new plantations) in the streets and on the buildings, to make the area more liveable and attractive for tourism. The initiative is fully supported by the municipality, who implemented the public areas to implement the interventions. (Ref.1.) This NBS has been an annual event, happening since 2013 (Ref. 2).

This local initiative has revitalized the most neglected places in the district and transformed them into green areas for leisure and recreation. The project resulted in the planting of new greenery (grasses, bushes, and flowers) and better maintenance of the existing plants, as well as installation of leisure and sports equipment (including benches and open-air gym) [1,2].

In this neighbourhood, this is the first initiative of this type which have utilized the neglected area for the creation of an open-air dog runway with agility track and a park for the residents. The project seeks to improve the aesthetics of the surroundings by planting greenery in the park and along the track. The wider goal of the initiative is to protect the area from further urban development in favour of more greenery in the city [1].

The project aims at realizing a large urban park to link the city and the sea coast. It is a project of significant social value, as it takes place in a neighbourhood which has been in a state of decay for 50 years. The intervention includes new facilities for recreation and sport, but first of all new plantations and the creation of rooftop gardens. It would be the second-largest park of the city, by linking the city and the sea. (Ref.1.)

The aim of the project was to extend and cover one of Germany’s busiest highways, the south-north highway (A7). The highway had divided neighborhoods from each other and had had negative environmental effects like noise and air pollution. The new green roof will have three parts that connect the existing green surfaces to each other, these parts constitute the three phases of the construction. The urban areas in the vicinity of the noise-reduced motorway will be developed for residential construction. The project also includes the reconstruction of the Langenfelder Brücke in a way which makes the bridge wider, and also provides better noise protection for locals. (Reference 10) In September 2020, only the first phase has been completed, and the final completion is planned for 2028. (Reference 1, 3, 12).