The Urban Nature Atlas is a collection of more than 1000 inspiring nature-based solutions from European cities and beyond.
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City Garden
Nürnberg, Germany
The city garden was a 2000 square meter large communal garden in Nuremberg Eberhardshof district that invites all citizens to take part in gardening and co-operating activities without any costs attached. The project was aimed at promoting sustainability for Nuremberg and the Bavarian region (1). The gardeners try to rely on a variety of different plants, even in their last season, they planted 35 tomatoes, 14 chili, ten potato, and twelve bean varieties alone. In 2013, a bee colony was also established. (7) The project had its last season in 2018, after which it had to be closed because of plans to create a district park in its area. (5) The city garden has established itself as an important leisure facility in Eberhardshof by offering, for example, cooking courses and training courses on tree pruning as well as numerous other topics. (6)
City Island Park Tour
Utrecht, Netherlands
The municipality initiated to realize a healthy and climate-proof 'city island' which includes a large variety of projects, including the City Island Park Tour, which is a cycling/walking tour around the island that includes multiple green-blue infrastructure elements along two canals. Together it can be recognized as a large city park (ref. 2, 6). The tour contains the sights of green banks, recreation possibilities, bridges and boulevard-ways, thereby promoting environmental quality, mobility and attractiveness of the area (ref. 6). A food park at Leeuwensteyn is envisioned for 2050 (ref. 7).
City of 1,000 Tanks
Chennai, India
The ‘City of 1,000 Tanks’ project offers a holistic solution to the problems of floods, water scarcity and pollution in Chennai (Ref. 1). The project's primary objective is to develop a "Water Balance Model" for the city, which involves collecting rainwater, treating wastewater and runoff pollution with decentralized nature-based solutions, as well as prevent climate-change-induced droughts and saline intrusion due to sea-level rise (Ref. 1, 2). This is achieved through developing various nature-based water management solutions and improving the recharge capacity of traditional temple tanks (Ref 1).
The project began in 2018, following the call for action event of the "Water as Leverage for Resilient Cities Asia" (a bilateral program spanning several Asian countries). The Water Balance Model is developed as a strategy with an incremental implementation process (Ref 1, 2). The project started with pilot projects and then progressed to flagship projects before full city-wide implementation (Ref. 3).
The project began in 2018, following the call for action event of the "Water as Leverage for Resilient Cities Asia" (a bilateral program spanning several Asian countries). The Water Balance Model is developed as a strategy with an incremental implementation process (Ref 1, 2). The project started with pilot projects and then progressed to flagship projects before full city-wide implementation (Ref. 3).
City-Park Urban project at Plaine Achille
Saint-Etienne, France
"In order to make this center area attractive and dynamic, the EPASE (Saint-Etienne Public Development Agency) and the town hall of Saint-Etienne have set up an ambitious eco-neighborhood project. This project is based on public spaces that are built on an original urban park model where nature is the driving force behind the site. Nature is at the heart of this "park city" project, realized in record time: in a year and a half, the vast majority of the park's work has been carried out and the neighborhood has begun to change."(Ref. 1)
CityTree
Oslo, Norway
The Urban Ecology Agency of Oslo (Bymiljøetaten) installed two CityTrees in the city of Oslo to act as green lungs in the city and reduce air pollution. The two CityTrees were placed at the Solli plass by Sommerrogata and on Nordraaks plass, close to Slottsparken. The CityTree is an environmentally-friendly plant wall with benches. (Ref. 2) It is an invention of a German company, Green City Solutions, and acts both as an aesthetically attractive furniture for resting, while simultaneously combating air pollution in city centres. (Ref. 1)
CityTree in Budapest
Budapest, Hungary
CityTree is a four-meter high freestanding installation that is able to purify city air of harmful pollutants by using a special moss culture. (Reference 1) The local government of the 3rd district tested the technology under a 6 month trial from September 2017 to March 2018. The CityTree pilot project in Budapest was concluded, once the district administration decided not to continue the project further due to technical reasons. The irrigation system started to malfunction very early in the trial period, which caused the mosses to dry out and thus producing no quantifiable results. (Reference 9)
CITYWATER: Biofiltration at Maunulanpuisto Park
Helsinki / Helsingfors, Finland
As part of the EU Life+ CITYWATER project (of 3 cities), a sustainable stormwater management solution based on biofiltration was implemented in Maunulanpuisto Park in Helsinki, in order to purify rainwater and meltwater and improve water quality in the Haaganpuro Brook.
As the drainage area is heavily trafficked and paved with asphalt, high solid, nutrient and oil levels have occasionally been measured in the rainwater and meltwater entering the Haaganpuro brook. Such contamination is harmful to the fish stocks (e.g. trout) and other organisms in the brook. The biofiltration solution was the first of its kind in Helsinki. The solution also supported the City of Helsinki stormwater strategy, which aims at changing management towards sustainable solutions and states that stormwater should in first hand be infiltrated on spot, where it is created (ref. 1).
As the drainage area is heavily trafficked and paved with asphalt, high solid, nutrient and oil levels have occasionally been measured in the rainwater and meltwater entering the Haaganpuro brook. Such contamination is harmful to the fish stocks (e.g. trout) and other organisms in the brook. The biofiltration solution was the first of its kind in Helsinki. The solution also supported the City of Helsinki stormwater strategy, which aims at changing management towards sustainable solutions and states that stormwater should in first hand be infiltrated on spot, where it is created (ref. 1).
Cleaning "Blato" shrubs and informal waste disposal site
Zagreb, Croatia
The intervention was planned to revitalize and clean a derelict area close to the university hospital in Blato. Before the project was implemented, the area was an informal waste disposal site for the locals. The area was neglected for more than 30 years. Initially, Mayor Milan Bandić planned a large urban park with a thermal spa in the spot. The area was cleaned and some of the constructions had begun, but later it stopped due to some political hurdles (Ref 1, 2).
The first phase, cleaning the shrubs and waste from the area has been completed in 2015, but the use of the area has not been determined yet, therefore the project has not been completed (Ref 1).
The first phase, cleaning the shrubs and waste from the area has been completed in 2015, but the use of the area has not been determined yet, therefore the project has not been completed (Ref 1).
Cleaning of the Chirita Pond
Iaşi (FUA), Romania
The Chirita dam is the drinking water reserve of Iasi. The lake is protected by law, with bathing or fishing prohibited. In 2013 it was cleaned and sanitized since it became an area where many people used to dump their house residues. As such a national campaign sponsored by an NGO having social responsibility claims implemented this NBS, which meant cleaning the shores of the lake (1).
Cleavleys Wet Woodland renaturalisation
Greater Manchester , United Kingdom
City of Trees is an innovative movement set to re-invigorate Greater Manchester’s landscape by transforming underused woodland and planting a tree for every person who lives there (ref 1). Manchester City of Trees had undertaken work to improve water quality of a tributary of Worsley Brook through channel naturalisation and create wet woodland in the Cleavleys Nursery. The discharge from the tributary caused water quality failures in Worsley Brook under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (Ref 3). This project allowed the stream to take a more natural course through the woodland and the waterlogged woods provide habitats to species and remedy these water quality issues (Ref 3).
