The Urban Nature Atlas is a collection of more than 1000 inspiring nature-based solutions from European cities and beyond. 

Use the Quick Filter by selecting an icon or the Advanced Filter to identify specific nature-based solution projects of your interests. The map will be updated to show the results of your search, and a list of all relevant projects will be displayed below. Click on the title of the nature-based solutions to see further information. If you would like to remove a selected quick filter, click on it to reset.

 

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Green Campus at the Zagreb University

Zagreb, Croatia

The project involved the redevelopment of old military infrastructure at the periphery of the Zagreb city (Boronaj) into a green and carbon-negative university campus. The Boronaj campus has planned to be the green campus of the university and includes the use of renewable energy (biomass, geothermal and solar), treatment cell for wastewater and a huge green area (with trees and shrubs). The buildings (constructed and to be constructed) are planned to be carbon negative (Ref 1). A significant portion of the campus is the green areas (with trees and shrubs). This was created with the aim to contribute and maintain the native species diversity (Ref 3, 4). In addition to increasing the biodiversity of the city, the tree species has improved the air quality of the area and reduced the local air temperature. The project is partially completed. Some buildings are yet to be constructed. The Campus was officially opened on October 12th 2007 and for now, it hosts 4 university units: Centre for Croatian Studies, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Traffic Engineering and Faculty of Economics and Business (only vocational study programmes in economics and business). Five other faculties are also planning to relocate to the Campus in the next few years. Besides the (re)construction of university buildings, campus will be home to a sports centre, student residence hall and a number of institutes. The project is partially completed, some of the buildings are completed while some are yet to be constructed. (Ref 1, 3, 7).
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Green Campus Initiatives at Nazarbayev University

Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

Nazarbayev University (NU) launched the Green Campus (GC) project in 2016 to promote environmental sustainability (2). The GC concept is based on principles of the sustainable development and aims to focus on the greenhouse gas emissions reduction and waste management processes (1, 5). The university has established a Green Campus office, a Green Campus University Committee and the NU Green Society for the implementation of the project (2).

One of the main activities of the Green Campus is organizing tree-planting events on campus. To date, more than 1000 trees have been planted, with funds donated by university sponsors or raised via the collection and recycling of campus wastepaper [3, 4]. Additionally, the initiative also implemented a separate waste collection process for six types of waste: paper, plastic, glass, metal, batteries, and light bulbs. The collected waste is sent for recycling to selected companies [2].

Before Earth Day, NU also hosts an annual Green Week in April, to promote sustainability practices within its community. The Green Week program typically includes eco-talks by experts, workshops, garage sales, vegetarian food fairs, eco-trips, art exhibitions, and environmental movie screenings [2, 4, 5]. Climate Week, training courses, and Climate Launchpad are also part of the university's green initiatives to educate students on environmental practices [5].
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Green cities and urban forests – Sicilian spring

Catania, Italy

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).
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Green City

Ulan-Ude, Russia

In 2019, in the city of Ulan-Ude, the most comprehensive and large-scale action "Green City" was launched [2,3,4,5,12], with the goal of creating an efficient and sustainable greening system in Ulan-Ude [1,7]. Nowadays, according to the city's norms, there are two times fewer green spaces per resident than is customary [7]. According to this program, by 2024, the provision of the population with public green spaces should be 10 sq. m per person [1,8]. Within the framework of the project, effective technologies for greening are already being introduced, and all green spaces growing in the city are being monitored [3,5,6]. Planting of green spaces is carried out under the guidance of the Scientific and Technical Council for the Integrated Greening of the City, which includes Buryat scientists and specialists from the City Administration [2].
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Green city - rich in species and diverse

Hannover, Germany

The project is a close-to-nature maintenance concept that combines the diverse usage requirements in public green spaces and the promotion of biological diversity through near-natural care. (Reference 1) It aims to promote biodiversity in the area through the plantings of local trees, installation of deadwood stacks, dry stone walls and boulders, which will help in the increased interconnectedness of the green areas and provide for structured habitat for the local species. The initiative also involves development of ecological standards for the handling of green spaces in the country, such as natural care practices that will protect local biodiversity (e.g. adapted mowing regime for lawns, flower meadows). (Reference 1, 2)
The "Urban green - species-rich and diverse" project is a cooperation project of the alliance "Municipalities for Biological Diversity eV" (Alliance) and the German Environmental Aid eV and with the participation of the five partner municipalities Frankfurt am Main, Hanover, Wernigerode, Kirchhain and Neu- Response. The project is funded in the Federal Biodiversity Program by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety. The experiences and results of the pilot project are further incorporated into the maintenance requirements for public green spaces in the urban area in other municipalities (Reference 1, 7).
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Green city Manegg

Zürich, Switzerland

The Generalunternehmung Losinger Marazzi AG is developing a sustainable city quarter with Greencity, incorporating alley trees, pocket parks, house gardens, and green areas attached to the buildings (Ref 2). The landscape concept contrasts the new concentration of urban housing, services, and businesses with the landscape’s natural geomorphological features. The place is very close to the Sihl river. The river landscape defines western and eastern Manegg which benefit from other characteristic natural features, forests and the grasslands of the Entlisberger embankment. The newly erected, densely built “GreenCity” dovetails with the natural landscape it’s nested in (Ref 1).
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Green Corridor of Cordillera del Sur

Murcia, Spain

This intervention was a proposed citizen project to connect the southern districts with Murcia by converting the abandoned railroad tracks into a green corridor. The intervention aims to transform the abandoned space into a green mobility corridor for various forms of transportation, from public buses to bicycles, and for pedestrian and leisurely use as well. (Reference 1 and 2). In 2019, there was the opening event to show this Green Corridor's construction, which is now the longest in the region.
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Green corridor of the Guadalhorce Valley

Málaga, Spain

A 5km section green corridor in the province of Malaga. The initial intervention was planned and opened in 2015, converting non-operational train tracks into a green path for pedestrian and cyclist use. (ref 1,4). The whole corridor will unite the Natural Site of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes with the natural site of the mouth of the Guadalhorce river. (ref 3)
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Green Corridor on Platenstraße

Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Platenstrasse in the Ginnheim district of Frankfurt was laid out as a four-lane feeder in the 1960s. It leads through the settlement of the same name, which was formerly the housing area of ​​the US armed forces. After their withdrawal in 1994, the settlement came into municipal ownership. Many large families, often with a migration background, moved in. Wild parking lots and storage spaces were created without any quality of stay. In 2000, discussion about the redesign of the Plattenstrasse started and in 2015 it was completely transformed into a green corridor. The street space was rearranged and the paved areas were reduced to the necessary extent. Sensitive planning and respect for the established structures helped to preserve the character of the district while significantly increasing the green area with recreational facilities. (1)
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Green courtyards of Szczecin

Szczecin, Poland

The program aims to change gray urban courtyards into friendly places - the green oasis for neighborhood meetings and resting areas. Small project proposals developed by the housing associations for the revitalization/transformation of courtyards from all over the city compete for co-funding (up to 75%) from the city council. Many projects (over 86 by the year 2015) have been funded and implemented since the beginning of the initiative in 2008.(1)(2)
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