Examples of urban greening in Ukraine and around the world
Urban greening has many benefits, including improvement of air quality, mitigating the heat island effect, and improving the physical and psychological well-being of residents. To the occasion of World Earth Day, which is traditionally marked on March 20 (in many countries it is the vernal equinox), several examples of greening projects in Ukraine and around the world were prepared for EECU communities.
Urban greening in Ukraine
This is the first initiative in Ukraine for post-war greening of territories affected by russian aggression. It was launched in 2023 by the group of companies Octava. The project aims to record cases of green space destruction and provide citizens with plants for restoration on special conditions.
2. The Green City program for comprehensive greening of Zaporizhzhia for 2019-2029
Before russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia community developed a comprehensive greening program for the city for 10 years. The goal of the program is to conduct a set of measures to preserve, reconstruct and increase the city's green spaces in accordance with state building and sanitary standards and to create more favorable conditions for citizens' lives. The need to develop this Program was caused by the lack of a concept for preserving, reconstructing and expanding the city's green areas.
3. "The City Noises Differently" is a project to preserve ancient trees in Rivne
The project was implemented in 2021 by the NGO Sustainable City Development Agency and the Garden of Stories. The main goals of the project were to preserve ancient trees, support environmental initiatives, promote careful attitudes towards green spaces, and increase green spaces. Read more by this link.
International examples
1. Garden City Actions Plan in Singapore
Singapore has implemented an initiative to improve the quality of urban green spaces and promote biodiversity. The project was based on the introduction of vegetation in public places. Approved in 1975, the Garden City Actions Plan required the government and private institutions to reserve space for trees and vegetation. As a result, campaigns such as Clean and Green Week were introduced, public environmental education was improved, and the network of pedestrian and tree-lined corridors connecting parks to each other and the number of new trees increased from 158,600 in 1974 to 1.4 million in June 2014.
2. Urban Greening 2021 program in Berlin (Stadtgrün 2021)
In early June 2021, the reconstruction of the central promenade in front of the Adlon Hotel was completed. Perennials were planted under the linden trees, which bloom from May until frost. Unter den Linden street is set to regain its importance as Berlin's attractive metropolitan boulevard through a fundamental reconstruction. Not since the 1950s have there been more comprehensive ideas for the further development of the boulevard in the heart of historic Berlin.
The Urban Greening 2021 program aims to increase the amount of green space, promote urban agriculture, and strengthen the city's resilience to climate change. The city administration is also making efforts to revitalize (restore) abandoned spaces, expand tree planting programs, and create community gardens and vegetable gardens.
New planning for the transportation system began in the fall of 2023. In order to accelerate the improvement of the central promenade, design planning for open areas has been launched. The main vision is to create a public space with a higher quality of life and greater traffic safety for all.