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From 2006 onwards, the urban stream Wupper and its riverbanks were redeveloped and ecologically improved via several water management and planning measures across the city of Wuppertal. Initiated by the city administration and the public sector company Wupper, they aimed at improving the environmental- and water quality or the area and enhancing biodiversity in and around the Wupper. These efforts were accompanied by additional citizens' initiatives with the same goal. (Ref. 1, 2, 3, 9). According to the EU Water Framework Directive, 27 percent of the Wupper and its tributaries are now in good condition, which is well above the German average of 8 percent. The complete renaturalization is planned to be completed by 2025. (Ref. 12)

Opened in 2019, the René-Dumont Park which runs adjacent to a railway is "a centerpiece of the urban composition of the Nouveau Saint-Roch neighborhood" in Montpellier. (Ref. 1 and 2). This north/south 1.2-1.3 ha vegetation corridor represents a major of the city's urban renewal plan and "allows a great articulation among existing habitats, infrastructures and a contemporary neighborhood" (Ref. 2). The large area is considered to be exceptional for dense urban centres (Ref. 2). "The Nouveau Saint-Roch district is an example of a social, generational and functional diversity" (Ref. 2).

The intervention included the renovation of lake Jarun and its surrounded park and recreational centre. Efforts were made to improve the amenities at the lake and park in order to bring it closer to the citizens, particularly to disadvantaged groups. It provides facilities for walking, bicycling, various outdoor sports, trim-track of 6500 meters of length, roller skating, etc. Sports facilities are related to an impressive 2250 meters long regatta path where international and world rowing, canoe and kayak contests are held. With daily training and performances, they give Jarun a special, sporting atmosphere (Ref 1, 2, 3, 4).

The park has been upgraded to include newly planted trees and shrubs, a meadow, children playgrounds, sitting areas for adult visitors, a wooden footbridge, and a water retention pond which collects rainwater from the roofs of nearby houses. The aim of the project was to establish and restore near-natural vegetation in the urbanized area, enhance biodiversity at the site, handle rainwater in a smart way, and provide a place for recreation (Ref. 2; Ref. 3; Ref 4). Additional restorations have included the creation of barbecue areas for gathering and cooking, and events are hosted at the space as well (Ref 8). Through voting, wider park expansions have also been approved (Ref 9).

Preserved from urbanization, the square of Chalampé is a bubble of greenery in the heart of old Neudorf. The square had become aged, under-equipped and surrounded by a thin vegetated strip (Ref. 1). The project aims to revitalize Chalampé Square by removing invasive species, replanting vegetation that will remove the shady character of the square and by recreating the plant lines that line the square (Ref. 2).

In 2017, one of Gdynia’s squares was renovated to provide a friendly green public area with aesthetic and social functions. The terrain was regulated by restoring its slope and providing more soil to protect the protruding roots, alleys were reconstructed, lawns created and new vegetation planted [1,3].

This NBS refers to the rehabilitation of a park in 2001, a park which is private as well as a foundation, and its grounds are impeccably well kept. It expands on 18 hectares and its origin dates back to 1923 when Carlos Alberto Cabral, the 2nd Count of Vizela, inherited the Quinta do Lordelo estate, the family’s summer residence in the Rua de Serralves (which was then on the outskirts of Oporto). The garden of the Quinta do Lordelo estate was probably designed by one of the city’s nursery gardeners and was inspired on 19th-century Victorian models. (1)

"Located near several schools, the renovation of this 1,900 m² area, shrubby massifs, grassed areas and varied plants, comes directly from the initiative of local residents" (Ref.1). "During the renovation, the municipal departments ensured the enhancement of biodiversity and ecological management by favoring species that require little watering and phytosanitary treatment" (Ref. 2, page 12).

The "New Nature" also called "La Calanque" is a new housing residency and business designed by the famous architect Jean Nouvel. The building design is inspired by the typical Mediterranean sea landscape called "calanque" (creek in english). "As an essential component of the project, vegetation is ubiquitous from the ground to the façades, from the heart of the buildings to the terraced roofs" (Ref. 2).

The community garden is located in the midst of a housing quarter and in the city district of Grünau, a former Plattenbau-area and forms part of a wider area redevelopment project which turns former brownfield (from the DDR era) into generationally mixed housing units with higher living standards. The idea for the garden arose among its residents, who determined its design and elements. It consists of multi-use zones for young and old residents: a central square, a pond with special flora, plant beds for gardening and harvesting, a wild meadow for recreation and picnics (2,3).