What do butterfly gardens for schools, therapeutic gardens and a community-based food forest have in common? They are just some of the many examples of nature-based solutions implemented in former industrial areas of the proGIreg front-runner cities of Turin, Zagreb and Dortmund. The project team has recently published a huge number of up-to-date factsheets on the various interventions carried out together with local citizens. These factsheets – available on the Turin, Zagreb and Dortmund webpages - show how, through proGIreg, nature-based solutions are paving the way for regeneration in large post-industrial areas, where challenges range from dealing with contaminated soil to regenerating derelict and inaccessible spaces, all left behind by former industries.

In Zagreb, for example, the local team has created a modular urban farm, which combines two nature-based solutions: green roofs and walls as well as aquaponics. The modular container features green walls and roof technologies on the outside, and a small aquaponics system inside. The green wall and roof significantly reduce the sensitivity of the container to atmospheric conditions - insulating the inside of the farm from temperature extremes and absorbing excess rainwater through the green roof technology. The container is mobile and can change location as needed, for example for experimentation at Zagreb University.

Overall, the factsheets provide contact points, for those interested in getting involved, and show the importance of co-designing and co-implementing with local residents; this ensure that the urban gardens, aquaponics systems and green and open spaces are used and become part of the daily lives of local communities.