Reduction of energy in the production of new buildings and building materials

The CLEVER Way: Hamburg, Neugraben-Fischbek

The CLEVER Cities project identified the primary planning goals for Neugraben-Fischbek district located in the South-West of the city of Hamburg was to: (a) creating a connective ‘Green Corridor’ to link a system of NbS interventions; (b) establishing horizontal greenery through the construction of green roofs on existing buildings; and (c) address the topic of environmental education and connect the youth with nature. 

Hamburg has aimed at addressing the following challenges, including:

  • Increase biodiversity and nature in the city: To address this, the city

  • ...

Co-Creation of an URBiNAT Healthy Corridor for Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels

Brussels is one of the four follower cities of the URBiNAT project, and was chosen for its green character, its history of involvement in European and international agreements and cooperation, and its current practice of citizen participation in political and territorial processes. The URBiNAT project, implemented in Brussels through a Living Lab in the neighbourhood of Neder-Over-Heembeek, is meant to reconnect the social housing neighbourhoods amongst themselves, with the broader neighbourhood, and with the rest of the city. This in order to reduce socio-spatial fractures linked to its...


Co-Creation of an URBiNAT Healthy Corridor for Nantes Nord, Nantes

URBiNAT intervention area. Nantes Nord perimeter is the study area. This corresponds both to the diagnostic and evaluation scale. The intervention area focuses on a reduced area in the North of Nantes Nord, where are the priority districts (QPV), the social housing districts with concentration of difficulties. Located in the north-western part of the city, the “Nantes Nord” district is one of the 11 districts of Nantes municipality. It is itself subdivided in 9 micro-districts.

The municipality saw an opportunity in URBiNAT as a preliminary to the Global Project. The two projects indeed share the same general objectives of improving the health and the well-being of the inhabitants. URBiNAT also meets the municipality concerns of the co-creation process: the so-called Citizen Dialogue, that the municipality has enforced as a way of doing since 2014. The integration in URBiNAT also allows going further in the co-creation process already existing in Nantes, with especially the co-evaluation phase. The municipality has therefore chosen to integrate Nantes Nord as a...


Co-Creation of an URBiNAT Healthy Corridor for Campaña, Porto

URBiNAT intervention areas. In Porto city, Campanhã parish was identified as one of the priority areas for urban regeneration aiming at a more sustainable improvement of local living conditions. This area faces severe socio-economic challenges territorial aggravated by isolation, due to lack of accessibility, safety, feeling of security and poor overall conditions of the urban space.

The outline of a study area was developed by the Local Taskforce of Porto, according to the previously established commitment by the municipality of Porto to develop the project URBiNAT in this area. The first criteria were to ensure the inclusion of Cerco, Falcão, Lagarteiro, and other social housing neighbourhoods nearby.

Given the intention of implementing new healthy corridors, the study area includes the most relevant strategic green spaces (Oriental Park, Corujeira Plaza, Quinta da Bonjóia, municipal nursery), services (schools, industry, health centres, local associations)...


Co-Creation of an URBiNAT Healthy Corridor for Høje Taastrup, Copenhagen

Høje-Taastrup Municipality is a follower city in the URBiNAT project. The municipality is  sharing its urban regeneration experiences with other cities as well as learning best practices that will reinforce the implementation of the ongoing plans. Within URBiNAT Høje-Taastrup wish to explore the likely facilities to be developed and sustained on the ground where a new Community House is to be built, a passage between the Gregersens Quarter and the station and the linkages to a park which will be developed in the coming years during the refurbishments of the area (see photo). The...



Erosion Protection with Nature-based Solutions in Norway

The Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomy will prevent erosion by strengthening slopes and edges with nature-based solutions (NbS). The aim is to improve local environmental conditions and increase water quality and biodiversity in streams and rivers.

In many creeks and streams, both large and small, erosion is a major problem. The problem arises as a result of various types of interventions in nature and is typically solved with stone and concrete - so-called grey solutions. But the grey solutions often have negative consequences on the local environmental conditions, water quality...



Ecuador: INNOQUA demo site in Quito

INNOQUA is a four-year EU-funded Horizon 2020 project. Bringing expertise from multiple disciplines, the 20 project partners are seeking to demonstrate a novel, modular system for wastewater treatment based on the purifying capacity of earthworms, zooplankton and microalgae, operating under real conditions.

Due to its modular configuration, the INNOQUA system can address multiple aspects of wastewater treatment and water re-use in water stressed communities, rapidly expanding cities and industries – both in developed and developing countries. The decentralised approach helps to...


Shanxi Qixian Wetland Park Restoration Project -Experience- AFD financed

Project introduction:

The Changyuanhe river is in Qixian, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, in North and Middle China and become the main axis of the project, both by its cultural and ecological important for the country. In the past, there were large areas of marsh wetlands along the river, which can regulate and enrich the ecological diversity with good water power. Today the contrast between the upstream natural area (which is still well preserved) and the downstream area (which is dry for four months of the year) is astonished. The project aims to afforest the 30km river...


Pages