Case studies tagged with Urban Forests

Danube-Auen National Park - Vienna, Austria

The Danube-Auen National Park in Vienna aims to multiple ecosystem services combine with trees with regulating services, such as water protection, retention, carbon sequestration, and micro, local, and regional climate regulation.

The National Park fosters an environment providing habitats and biodiversity for animal and plant species to enhance supporting ecosystem functions.

The National Park’s blue and green infrastructure further aims to provide cultural functions by offering open spaces for recreational value, allowing urban dwellers to find aesthetic pleasure, a sense...

Peri-Urban Forest Ostend – Belgium

The peri-urban forest Ostend in Belgium aims to provide a publicly accessible space for recreation, offering educational facilities for local residents and tourists.

Through the afforestation of previous agricultural land and being part of a Green Ribbon (Groen Lint) network surrounding the city core, the peri-urban green space further aims to enhance biodiversity and ecological connectivity.

The afforestation in the coastal and harbour city was planned as a buffer zone between industrial sites and residential areas.

Parkforest Ghent – Belgium

Starting with a single focus on afforestation, the project aimed at integrating Nature-Based Solutions for limiting flooding, enhancing biodiversity and reducing traffic noise pollution.

Following an integrated approach, further objectives included:

Safeguarding agriculture in the long term, by setting aside dedicated areas for agriculture for local farmers;
Increasing road safety for pedestrians and cyclists (restructuring crossings, developing links for recreational traffic);
Providing opportunities for recreation and play;
Safeguarding

Enhancing Brussels Ecological Network - Belgium

The project aims to reconnect green spaces, develop biodiversity and enhance the quality of life in the city. Further objectives include improving the environment for pollination and climate regulation.

Educational services aim at enhancing the ecological awareness of citizens. Another goal is to foster local cohesion by providing a public available urban green space with enhanced biodiversity that allows for social encounters.

Landscape Park Duisburg Nord - Germany

The landscape park aims to fulfil a variety of functions:

The provision of recreation and educational facilities for local residents and visitors, and the encouragement of tourism to the area. Socio-cultural and economic benefits focus on education, culture, sports and history while keeping a sense of place through preserving historic elements of the area.

Another focus lies on water protection (Freshwater storage, management and distribution)

The Landscape Park further aims to regulate micro and regional climate,...

Enhancement of Cultural Ecosystem Services in the Park Forest Grmoščica - Zagreb, Croatia

With the aim to enhance the management and utilisation of Urban Forests as Natural Heritage in Danube Cities, the URBforDAN Interreg Danube project fosters innovative and participatory approaches to build recreational infrastructure that also serves an educational value.

The management of the Urban Forest area also aims at providing regulating ecosystem services.

Landscape Park Tivoli, Rožnik and Šiška hill – Ljubljana, Slovenia

Branko Čeak – Archive the City of Ljubljana

The Landscape park Tivoli, Rožnik and Šiška hill aims to enhance health and well-being of citizens and visitors while conserving natural values and landscape diversity.

The urban green infrastructure of the Landscape Park area further aims to regulate the urban micro-climate, improving air quality and reducing run-off.

Vanhankaupunginlahti, Old Town Bay - Finland

Improving the wetland and forest coverage and urban greenspace connectivity and therefore securing important biodiversity;

Providing recreation and educational facilities for local residents and visitors; Enhancing the health and wellbeing benefits gained through the use of the accessible trail built for well-being and recreation facilities.

Aarhus – A City Perspective (REGREEN Urban Living Lab) - Denmark

In the scope of the REGREEN project, the Aarhus Municipality aims to promote urban liveability, by systematically enhancing and restoring ecosystem services and biodiversity as the basis for Nature-based solutions (NbS):

In this regard, Aarhus aims to improve water quality, water flow management and carbon sequestration.

Further objectives include heat mitigation as well as reforestation and renaturing activities of agricultural land to create urban forests, increase biodiversity sites and allow for open...

Fushan Ecological Park – Qingdao, Shandong Province, China

Restoring the Fushan mountain through a Nature-Based Solutions approach;
Improving the landscape connectivity;
Providing a space for the recreation of citizens.

Uforest Case Study: Barcelona Nature Plan

One of the activities foreseen by the Uforest project is researching innovative Urban Forestry initiatives across Europe. For this reason, the Uforest team has selected and analysed some of the most interesting urban forestry projects in the continent, with the aim to illustrate real practices and eventually inspire others to start greening their cities. Among them, we selected the Barcelona Nature Plan.

The Pla Natura Barcelona (Barcelona Nature Plan) is a public initiative led by the Barcelona City Council with the aim to improve and increase...