Author: Sanja Jerković

We consider the topics of reuse of spaces and buildings and green infrastructure to be of utmost importance when talking about sustainable urban development and limiting urban sprawl. These two topics go hand in hand and it is extremely important for us to approach to them in that manner. When planning the reuse of existing spaces and buildings, we aim to incorporate green infrastructure as an element that contributes to sustainability and to the improvement of quality of life for our citizens. We are strongly dedicated to this. As a partner in SUL NBS Partnership, Zagreb is developing a guide that gathers all information on available financing and funding instruments and models. It also includes both private and public funds, the NBS reference framework and good practice examples of NBS projects implemented in EU cities. We aim to create a practical tool for local and regional authorities, as well as private investors, which will lead to improving the implementation of NBS, as they will be able to access the information on financing NBS projects more easily. In Croatia, Zagreb is one of the leading cities in implementing NBS. The city of Zagreb is currently implementing and preparing several NBS projects, such as ProGIReg, Zagreb on the Sava river, City of Youth and Črnomerec creek. ProGIReg, short for ‘Productive Green Infrastructure for Post-industrial Urban Regeneration’ will develop nature-based solutions on the technical level through NBS implementation; on the social level through co-design, a joint creation and NBS implementation in cooperation with local community; and on the economic level through combining NBS with business models ready for the market. The project involves several stages in which various nature-based solutions are going to be implemented, such as reconstruction of the existing factory building using green walls and roofs; construction of a bike path that will connect marginalised areas through the green corridor; aquaponics –a link between aquaculture and hydroculture in a circular system that saves resources and mimics the natural nitrogen cycle; and construction of urban gardens. Findings of ESPON research projects and policy briefs are important to us, especially in the way that they help us to get new points of view on existing challenges we face and to determine our course of action.