Changing image of the urban environment

Promenade along river Danube

  • Develop a concept and implement numerous pilot projects on the riverbank

The main purpose of the project is to design a promande among the Danube quays in Budapest, planting plants, building installations, and awareness rising. The goal is the sharing of the sensation of the Danube in the city, recommending the daily utilization of the river side to citizens.

The project is a good example for the implementation of strategic NBSs, with putting great emphasis on the corporate development and implementation, by creating networks. 

The...

Urban Farm Supplied School Canteens, Managed by the Municipality of Mouans-Sartoux

Canteens of Mouans-Sartoux supplied by a sustainable urban farm
  • [Organic] food production
  • Supply school canteen with organic food products
  • Local food network
  • Environmental education
  • 2sd rank objectives: Research/experiment, social dynamic

The project has two complementary components:

  1. An urban farm:
    Vegetable production (surface of 4+2 ha) and food process supply for the school canteens of the city (around 1200 meals) => 85% of the fruit and vegetables consumed
  2. A territorial project:
  3. ...

Urban Natural Park, Based on Natural, Historical and Cultural Heritage Promotion and Eco-Citizenship

Strasbourg municipality
  • Creation of an urban natural park as a metropolitan governance tool
  • Encourage sustainable territorial development based on natural, historical and cultural heritage promotion, and eco-citizenship
  • Deliver sustainable solutions at a large scale to maximize benefits for society and the environment

The action encourages sustainable territorial development based on natural, historical and cultural heritage promotion and eco-citizenship. The governance is based on a charter included in the Local Urbanism Plan...

Blue Beach Case Study of Valenton (Val de Marne, France), Fertile Soil Construction by Using Recycled Materials

Blue Beach Park Overview

Soil construction with wastes. 

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Urban Challenges:

1. Climate issues: Climate adaptation
2. Urban water management and quality: Urban water management and quality
4. Urban space and Biodiversity: Urban space management 
5. Urban Regeneration and Soil: Soil management
7. Public health and well-being: Quality of life, Health
8. Environmental justice and social cohesion: Social cohesion
11. Green economy: Circular economy, Direct economic value of NbS...

Green Roof of Aimé Césaire School Complex

Aimé Césaire Primary School: A Garden Home (Source: urbannext.net/aime-cesaire-primary-school)

In 2013, an experimental and educational project, conceived as a garden home for a school, was built at the heart of the green district known as ‘Duke’s Meadow’ on the Île de Nantes. The building’s roof was covered by 2,700 square meters of natural dunes.

The objective is to create a green roof, relying heavily on a phytosociological approach to plant colonization and high biodiversity, but also a site that is easy to manage.

The originality of its green roof results from a co-construction between architects and landscape designer. Its qualities are undeniable, and this...

Bézannes Joint Development Zone (Reed Bed Park), Storm-water Management Solution

Entrance of the Reed bed Park (Parc de la Roselière)
  • Rainwater management of a 172ha area in response to a waterproofing construction

This NbS is a construction ex nihilo of a landscaped park as alternative stormwater management solution to a traditionnal civil engineering management (tubes). It takes place in a 172ha area in the city of Bézannes (Reims Métropole). This project has been implemented in response to the waterproofing of this area (strong urbanisation level).

The project is caracterized by an artificial river leading to a permanent lagoon and a reed bed. Then a wetland manage the water...

Green Façade Pilot Project, INPS, Genova

 INPS (National Institute  Social Insurance) Green Facade - Genoa neighborhood of Sestri Ponente

A vertical greening system installed on the facade of an office building built early in the last century and renovated in the 1980’s, owned by INPS (National Institute of Social Insurance) and located in the city center of the Genova neighborhood of Sestri Ponente.

INPS Green Facade is a pilot project coordinated by the University of Genoa (DAD) which aims to quantify the positive effects of the green envelopes in densely built urban environment. Monitoring activities are focused on the evaluation of the environmental benefits, both economic and social, in particular in densely...

Let's Crop the Diversity (LCD)

  • Regenerate abandoned, unused and/or under-used spaces in densely urbanized areas
  • Promote innovative agricultural practices
  • Involvement of citizens and marginalized social classes (Social benefits)

“Let’s Crop the Diversity” (LCD) aims to redevelop urban spaces through the coproduction of solutions based on nature (NbS) to promote resilience and environmental quality of the geographical areas of intervention.

The goal of this project is developing an Urban Agricultural System that, thanks to the...

Park Spoor Noord, Antwerp

park-spoor-noord4credit-antwerp-municipality.jpg

The release of an open public space with such dimensions in a densely-built city district offered a unique opportunity to restore the connection among the surrounding areas with a solid green lung.  The site was previously a brownfield land that needed remediation. (During the entire remediation operation, approximately 100,000 m³ of land was excavated) However, even the residents of the neighboring areas faced with initial skepticism the usefulness of a park in the specific location.

The idea was to have an economically viable park that would function as social space, a space that...

Operatie STEENBREEK

Operation Stone Break (Dutch wordplay) - Source : Operatie SteenBreek Fondation

Operatie Steenbreek  is a foundation that organizes awareness raising campaigns and offers assistance with regards to greening private gardens. Many gardens and streets in the Netherlands are covered with tiles that cannot absorp the rainwater from heavy rainfall.

The idea behind the initiative is to encourage citizens to remove the tiles and stones from their gardens/backyards and replace it with grass, plants and trees for better drainage and to increase the biodiversity.

Thanks to an app., citizens can be adviced and exchange plants with neighbours. Citizens can...