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.

 

Key challenges

Nature-based solution

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Reconstruction of the Iron Spring Ponds

Bratislava, Slovakia

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)
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Reconstruction of the Lepiku channel

Tallinn, Estonia

This project aimed at the reconstruction of the Lepiku channel that is part of the drainage system, which starts next to the Tallinn Botanic Garden and includes wetlands, detention ponds, ditches and channels and flows into the Pirita river. The aim of the project was to improve the quality of the stormwater that flows into the Pirita river which is a Natura 2000 site and flows into the Baltic Sea. The work included: widening of channel bottom in different segments, creating artificial dykes and rapids and creating suitable conditions for the aquatic plants exhibited in Botanic Garden (ref 1). With the project, 200m of the channel was reconstructed (ref. 5).
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Reconstruction of the Southern Bank of the Schütt Island

Nürnberg, Germany

The Reconstruction of the Southern Bank of Schütt Island is the starting point of the regeneration of the Old City of Nurnberg. Within the project, the access to water and recreational functions of the river banks were improved. (1) The project was completed on an 1800 square meter large area, which includes open meadow areas, a 170-meter-long bank terrace, trees, and benches. (6) Public participation through co-planning and consultation was also involved in the planning process. (1)
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Recovery of the English Garden

Sintra, Portugal

“The Sintra Parks concluded the project of recovery of the English Garden, in the Park of Pena, that aimed to stop the advanced state of degradation of this area and to solve situations that represented a risk to the mobility and safety of the visitors.” (ref 1)
The NBS includes planting trees to regrow the tree cover of the area. (ref 1)

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Recovery of the Royal Gardens

Venezia, Italy

The Royal Gardens, situated between Piazza San Marco and the Bacino di San Marco, came into being during the Napoleonic occupation of the city and used to be a space for recreational activities for locals for many years after the monarchy was over. During past decades, the gardens have progressively deteriorated. Their original design is now barely legible, in terms both of geometrical patterns and the placement of trees and shrubs. They were rapidly becoming a derelict area. This intervention consists of their recovery by restoring the original vegetation by recovering still-living plants and introducing new ones. Between 2015 and 2019 the Gardens underwent complex restoration, carried out by the Foundation and planned by the gardener and landscape architect Paolo Pejrone, student of Russell Page and Roberto Burle-Marx, while architectural renovation and the rebuilding of the greenhouse was planned by architect Alberto Torsello, based on a project drawn up by Carlo Aymonino and Gabriella Barbini. Reopened in December 2019, the Royal Gardens, rich in unexpected perspectives and luxuriant growth, have reacquired their formal excellence and botanical complexity, in coherence with their historic nineteenth-century design. (1, 2 and 7).
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Recovery of Villa Doria Lake

Genova, Italy

The lake, which is fed by brook Rio Archetti, is located in the highest section of the park, immediately down from the Villa Doria camping ground, in an area of the public park that is not very frequented. It used to be in great decline, because of many maintenance and environmental factors. This intervention brought it back to its original estate, recreating the original historical and natural value the area had, highly popular among local residents as a green place where to enjoy calm and silence in the center of the city. (1,2)
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Recreation in 'Jaroszowka'

Białystok, Poland

The NBS is located on a previously neglected basketball and other games fields with obsolete and long unused equipment. Owing to the citizens’ initiative, the municipality built a new sport and leisure site at the Jaroszowka housing estate in Białystok. The project has increased social integration between different generations and provided a comfortable, safe and surrounded by nature space for sports and recreation. The project involved the planting of greenery, building a multifunctional playground and a multisport field, and it was complemented by benches, toilets, CCTV, and lights [1,2,4].

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Recreation park Bremen West (Walle and Gröpelingen)

Bremen, Germany

Revitalization of a large urban park in the Walle and Gröpelingen districts of Bremen. The current park constitutes a neglected area of the former port and shipyards sites with around 4,000 small garden parcels.The local government consulted with numerous societal actors the envisioned project, which aims at the revitalization of the park's both green and blue infrastructure. The goal of the intervention is to create a large recreational park for the districts of Walle and Gröpelingen, which will improve the image of the districts, help with their economic revitalization and provide sustainable practices for urban green care and community gardening (Ref. 2, 3). "Between September 2017 and September 2020, the Green West of Bremen was the focus of the federally funded project "Green Urban Labs" (Ref. 5). As of 2020, "Several of these building blocks have already been started or implemented and have led to an improvement in the cooperation between the actors on site, to an upgrading of the infrastructure and biotopes as well as to an increase in the popularity of the previously rather unknown area" (Ref. 5).
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Recreational area Ciric

Iaşi (FUA), Romania

The Ciric Entertainment Area is a bordering area of ​​the city, located 6 km away from the city center. Before the Second World War Ciric did not exist on the map, being a hollow valley without a forest. Nowadays, being arranged as a recreational site, Lake Ciric is surrounded by a beautiful forest. The rehabilitation aimed at creating easy access to the area, to include it in the functional green area of the city and to increase the quality of life for Iasi's inhabitants (1, 2).
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Recreational squares in Redlowo

Gdynia, Poland

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].

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