Enhancing sustainable urbanisation

Upscaling the Tzipori river restorations in Israel

After a decade of restoration measures along the Tzipori stream in Israel, this case study will monitor their success and aims at upscaling measures to the watershed scale in order to create a model for management of stream basin rehabilitation.

This case study is one of 17 that are part of the EU Horizon2020 project MERLIN - Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of freshwater-related ecosystems in a Landscape context: INnovation, upscaling and transformation.

Emscher: NbS for dykes along Europe's most expensive river

flowering Emscher dykes (photo: Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband)

For almost 30 years, until 2022, the Emscher river, flowing through Germany's larges metropolitan region, the Ruhrgebiet, has been restored from a heavily sewage loaded system to a vital river. As the river is located in a densely populated area, dykes and other flood protection structure are necessary at least in some part. This case study aims at transitioning the land use on these dykes and near river areas towards extensive meadows. It is a step towards creating synergies between river maintenance and nature protection.

This case study is one of 17 that are part of the EU...

Nature Based-Solutions in Valencia: for a better Benicalap, greener, and more sustainable

To demonstrate the potential of nature-based solutions to reduce heat stress, manage water and improve wellbeing and social cohesion
To engage local people in designing nature-based solutions that meet their needs
To develop an effective strategy for nature-based solutions across the city

Nature-based solutions in Wroclaw: Renovated courtyards and green streets

To demonstrate the potential for nature-based solutions to reduce heat stress and flooding and provide other co-benefits
To engage citizens in designing nature-based solutions that meet their needs.
To develop an effective strategy for nature-based solutions to contribute to climate change adaptation across the city.

Digital Beehive

Create healthy bee communities and work to preserve the biodiversity. By tracking the beehives and thus gathering information about the bee communities and their behaviour, extreme weather events can be predicted.

Community-supported Agriculture Group

Maintaining a CSA initiative with 80 members with a special discount for low income households and social initiatives.

Linderud Community Garden

Developing the communal area as a social meeting place for the local neighborhood, strengthening the community feeling and building a sense of ownership of the area. By providing growing space to different local entrepreneurs, the garden supports the local green economy and helps building a network of initiatives with different social impact.

Edible Landscaping

Explore how to best maintain existing areas of edible urban greenery - and integrate new ones - into the area, as well as how these green spaces can be used to connect the existing neighbours with the new ones by providing spaces for community gardening, togetherness and knowledge exchange.

Cemetery Conversion

Exploring how to successfully integrate a community garden into a cemetery, thereby regenerating underused green space in a city and introducing multifunctional uses.

Kristianstads Vattenrike - Sweden’s oldest UNESCO biosphere reserve

In 2005, the UN agency UNESCO approved Kristianstads Vattenriket as a biosphere reserve covering 100 000 ha, and one of 700 in the world. This means Kristianstads Vattenrike is an internationally recognized model for sustainable development. The Vattenrike encompasses two thirds of the municipality of Kristianstad, with the goal to “preserve, develop and support the landscape's values”.

Nature-based solutions have been key for protection against droughts, floods, and preservation of the area, as well as nutrient leakage into the Baltic Sea.

The areas in Vattenriket include...