Welcome to the Atlas

After 2011, in the face of crisis and austerity hardship and the collapse of the central public welfare system, many municipalities assumed the role of enhancing food production through urban allotment gardens. In Ag. Dimitrios (AD), the idea emerged from a couple of newly elected representatives one of whom was part of an agriculture cooperative outside of Athens. A mixture of social and environmental goals were set (to change the microclimate, to change people's habits, to reintroduce contact with nature in the city, to be environment-friendly through good practices, and to create an educational ground for children). [1]

Győr and its surroundings boast many rivers, streams and lakes, and experiences intense flooding almost every year. The main goal of Nagy-Pándzsa project was to reduce the risk of flood and to regenerate the Nature 2000 area (Reference 7). Due to the reconstruction of the water transporting feature and the reconstruction of the flood-gate, the flood protection could improve and the pollution of waters could decrease. Therefore, the conditions of flora and fauna of waters improved and the size of the utilizable area increased (Reference 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).

This NBS is part of a strategy of urban development including social, economic and urban dimensions, aiming at implementing green streams within and between neighbourhoods to enhance the liveability of the area. The main project is the “Green Stream”, which embeds a new vision of urban infrastructures meant as urban and environmental regeneration, by creating public green spaces. The East area of the city hosts a green flux of green corridors, parks, as well as cultural spots, sports facilities and recreation. It is highlighted the social value of this project in terms of creation of public sustainable spaces (Ref.4)

The National Garden Park is the largest park in Ulaanbaatar and the only park of its kind in the capital city of Mongolia, offering multiple environmental services, recreational and commercial functions. Currently, the park extends to 183 hectares, covering 23% of the total green construction in the city, and stretches from the northeastern part of the Marshall Bridge to the Uliastai Bridge in the Bayanzurkh district. In the long term, the park is planned to be extended to have a total area of 973 and to have 1.200.000 trees planted within the “One Million to One Billion” afforestation program. The park offers a range of recreational facilities and services for citizens, including bicycle and pedestrian areas, specialized sports areas and children's playgrounds. It also houses trade and service organizations. As a result, the park has become a popular recreational area for the citizens of the capital and is the most visited urban park in Ulaanbaatar. During the summer, it attracts an estimated 12-15 thousand visitors a day, and during the winter, it sees 6-9 thousand visitors a day. The National Garden park was officially established in 2009 with the aim of protecting the Tuul River Basin's drinking water source, reducing air pollution, and increasing green space to create a healthy eco-environment and providing recreational opportunities for the public. In 2016, the National Garden Park was designated as a local property budgetary enterprise with defined primary functions, management structure, control, and rights under the administration of the Assembly of Citizens' Representatives. The park currently employs 113 staff members (as of 2021). (Ref. 1. and 4)

Assiniboine Landing is a 21 ha housing development to raise the bar for environmental responsibility and evolve the landscaping practices in local communities, particularly regarding stormwater runoff and retention, and parklands. It is one of the neighbourhood communities developed by Qualico Communities in cooperation with Native Plant Solutions, a branch of Ducks Unlimited Canada. The project resulted in integrated systems of native grasses, shoreline vegetation and wetlands, creating communities conducive to the cycles of nature and offering stunning natural landscapes for residents to enjoy (1,5,6,7)

The Naturfreibad Haunstetten is an artificially designed bathing lake in the south of Augsburg with a water surface of 9,200 m² and a maximum depth of four meters. After the regeneration of 1,5 hectares of green space surrounding the lake, the baths were reopened in 2010 (Ref. 1).

The Natural Park of Augsburg - Western Forests covers a 1,200 square kilometer of the natural area. Founded in 2007, the park aims at preservation and development the natural biotopes in the area. As a supplier of timber, as a guarantor for clean air and pure water, and last but not least for recreation seekers, it is of outstanding importance in Bavarian Swabia (Ref. 1).

The once rich in fish Nidda river in the north of Frankfurt was canalized and dammed in the 20th century. River loops were pierced, filled in or made into oxbow lakes. Newly built weirs stopped the fish migration. The expansion provided good protection against flooding, but the river became a canal (2).
In the 1990s, the Nidda neighbours developed a program for the renaturation of the river, the concept "Natural Nidda". It was decided by the city council of Frankfurt am Main in 1998 (2). The project consisted of many measures aiming at the restoration of the natural course and ecosystem of the Nidda river, the creation new habitats for flora and fauna, the expansion of the floodplain area and thus the river's retention capacity, the deconstruction of weirs, the renovation and building of bridges and the reconnection of disconnected branches of Nidda. Besides the environmental aspects, another project goal was to make the riverside more accessible for local offering various ways for relaxation and recreation. (2,7)

The Brackwede open-air pools have been a significant landmark of the city of Bielefeld and part of locals' life since 1926. After several renovations since its opening, in 2005, the maintaining company of the Brackwede open-air pools proposed to convert the pools into natural-water bodies through the application of natural water filtration systems. The pools are supplied from the natural underground stream of Ems-Lutter whose spring water is physically and biologically purified by natural mineral soil filter and water plants. Chlorine is prohibited in this pool - the nature itself ensures water quality (1). Since 2009, the Natural pool of Brackwede offers natural facilities for swimming and other water-related activities besides cultural, sport and recreational opportunities for all (1).