„Think about people first, then about traffic routes. A good city is like a good party. People stay there longer than necessary because they feel good." This quote from Danish urban planner Jan Gehl sums up our planning understanding of the Parkway well.

The Parkway is a place that is finely networked, that relates building and open space uses in a variety of ways, and that actively supports climate resilience. A green and diverse space that constantly links the opposites of MOBILITY and DISTURBANCE. Due to the valuable and spatially defining existing trees in the Patrick Henry Village as a starting point, the route was designed in such a way that as many woody plants as possible are preserved. Rainwater is stored in swales, infiltration trenches and rain gardens as a valuable resource, benefiting plants and groundwater. The paved areas are reduced to a minimum and designed as light-coloured surfaces.

The paving material is a newly developed and market-introduced climate stone which absorbs rainfall and can evaporate as much water as a meadow surface (50% instead of 11% to 18% as with conventional paving stones).
The Parkway fulfils the function of a linear park with a high quality of open space, encounter and stay, serves as an inner and outer distributor for the Patrick Henry Village and provides a safe framework for a broad variety of urban mobility types.

The entire program consists of roughly 4 components: The City Green Spine, The River Park, Natural Wetlands, and The Multi-purpose Lake.

City Green Spine aims to provide blue-green solutions for the city of Peja surrounding the Lumbardhi river. The main feature is a green, gradually-stepped riverbank, allowing access to the river and a green space adjacent to the center of Peja.

The River Park is the section between the city and the newly built wastewater treatment plant. More specifically, it connects with the new urban development area of Peja. The River Park has a twofold aim: (1) manage the river, and (2) provide a green, natural environment for residents and tourists.

The Natural Wetlands is the section of the river from the wastewater treatment plant to the lake. It is an area that will be more natural than the River Park, which allows the river to move more freely.

The Development of the Multi-purpose Lake is one of the prestige measures of the program. The current site is degraded due to illegal gravel extraction and pollution. The Multi-purpose Lake will revitalize both socio-economic and ecological values of the site, whilst attracting national and international visitors.

Connectivity of the urban and rural landscape is essential for accessibility and use of the to-be-developed program components. Measures include hike paths and bike paths from the city centre to the Multi-Purpose Lake, via the River Park and the Natural Wetlands. Lastly, a shuttle service will be developed to ensure easy transit between the city centre and the lake.

How can the area of the former racecourse in the east of Bremen be used as a local recreation area for all citizens of Bremen that, in addition to providing important ecosystem services, continues to allow space for experimentation and the unexpected?

The racetrack oval becomes a continuous green ring that leads through the different areas. The outer edge is the most precisely formulated in terms of landscape design and the most regulated in terms of operation. It functions as a perceptible spatial framework and as a clear threshold between inside and outside. In addition, two circular paths provide the overarching connectivity here. The openness of the racecourse center is preserved and staged. It remains open for dynamic changes and is a valuable property that has to be negotiated continuously. Sub-areas are characterized in a variety of ways and occupied by different clusters of use. Individual utilization modules profit from the spatial proximity to each other and can form synergies. The central connecting path is supplemented by a network of secondary footpaths and trails. It runs through the different areas of use of the park and enables a direct and intuitive passage through the area.
The project showcase building at the entrance to the area serves as a hub for networking local actors and sees itself as an open start-up center where new ideas and impulses for the racecourse area are continuously generated.

The concept preserves and further develops existing landscape and utilization structures. It avoids deconstruction and adds new layers to the site - structurally, functionally, and ecologically.

A river in the middle of Hannover's city center holds the potential to be an inviting, green place where city dwellers enjoy spending time. Currently, valuable areas along the Leine's shores between the river and the Cityring are neglected and underused.

In pre-industrial times, the Leine and its tributaries were among the river systems in northern Germany which had the highest quantity of salmon. During industrialization and the resulting pollution of the water bodies many fish species have disappeared. The reduction of the fish stock is linked for example due to the construction of hydroelectric power plants and dams, and the large-scale river development carried out in the 20th century.

Numerous projects since the 1970s have restored and improved the water quality and the ecological connectivity. The renaturation of rivers is an important contribution to a resource-efficient and ecological city.

In the confined spaces of a city, a particularly large number of different demands are placed on water bodies. However, numerous potentials along the Leine remain unused in the inner city. Further, the canalization and urbanization of the stream only allows to a limited extend the return of flora and fauna to the city. Renaturalised rivers in the city can help to cushion the effects of climatic changes. For example, riparian areas can be integrated into flood protection by retaining the water during periods of extreme rainfall. In addition, the design addresses urban planning goals, such as making the river shores more attractive and easily accessible for the citizens.

Since the Leine is an urban river, it ought to be addressed both in ecological as well as in social terms. Various interventions along the riverbank serve to revitalize and enhance the quality of life. The key part of the project are the renaturation of shore opposite to the "Hohes Ufer", the reduction of the cityring and the fish ladder. In these areas, new habitats for flora and fauna are created along with new places and functions for recreation. The fish ladder close to the Friederiken Bridge, will enable the connectivity and improvement of existing habitats and it will increase the visibility of the Leine in the city as a unique selling point.

The concept for the renaturation of the Leine was presented on the 29the of September 2022 with the Leinewelle e.V. and Angler Association and published in the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung (HAZ), among others.

Mtirala National Park is considered one of the most important protected areas in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara in Georgia. The name Mtirala (meaning „to cry") is derived from the 4,500 mm of annual rainfall, making it one of the wettest areas of the former Soviet Union.

The Integrated Masterplan for Mtirala National Park and Korolistavi Village aims to strengthen both wildlife and ecosystem protection as well as local economic development through eco-tourism. CITYFÖRSTER in collaboration with a variety of experts, from business consultancy to mountain bike trail development, developed a masterplan by formulating a 20-year vision for the region, containing 25+ possible interventions promoting and making accessible the "wettest place of Europe" a subtropical European rainforest, as well as a detailed 3-year action plan, eco-tourism and marketing and promotion strategy.

CITYFÖRSTER organized three workshops with the community of Korolistavi village and three stakeholder's workshops, identifying their goals and vision for Mtirala National Park and Korolistavi village.

Regarding the Architectural interventions, we were greatly inspired by the extremely peculiar natural situation of the park. Our aim was to design an architecture that doesn't distort but rather amplifies the peculiarities. This was achieved by designing extremely light, compact, and delicate objects.The function of these objects is not to draw attention to themselves but to be used as devices for understanding their natural surroundings.

Various naturally designed areas in the Hefei City Park form the eco-bank. For example, an existing dam wall is expanded to include a so-called eco-berm. Sealing mats, gravel and sediment as well as a layer of wood and larger stones are applied to the existing structure and thereby provide habitats for plants and animals.

To protect the new habitats, they are only partially accessible to humans. The rich nature with birds, insects, fish and a large variety of grasses, shrubs and trees can be experienced from a respectful distance on guided boardwalks. A unique encounter of plants, animals and people and an exciting retreat in the city.

An existing wood area in the east will be enriched with more trees and thus become a dense urban forest, which has a positive effect on the microclimate and biodiversity. In addition, a retention soil filter takes on hydrological functions. Rainwater is cleaned here and then fed into the lake.

A new shallow water zone with bird islands and bird beaches will be reserved for nature. The panorama pier makes it possible for people to experience this part punctually and at the same time opens up the view over the lake. Through the wooden walkways, human activity is concentrated in selected connecting spaces. The shallow banks, overgrown with aquatic plants, give the lake room to expand during heavy rains without flooding the city. The aquatic plants also have a cleaning function and thus improve the water quality of the reservoir.

The floodplain park in the North of the city park plays a key role in the sponge city of Hefei. The green-blue corridor makes a virtue out of the threat of flooding: Instead of building grey, rigid infrastructure elements hidden under streets and blocks of houses, the park upgrades the required functions and thus creates a socially highly valuable place. It offers space for play, sports and recreation.

A seating area with a view of the largest retention basin invites you to observe the changing water levels. The different states of the water become an experience by wrapping the park in a constantly changing robe. Also, there are numerous offers: a basketball field, a playground and a skating area, while the adjoining market hall is the starting point for the seating steps along the park.

As an invitation to stroll, the Scenic Way meanders through the grounds, past meadows and densely planted groves. Numerous flower beds and small pavilions fill the path with small highlights. The dry stream, which carries water when it rains, runs parallel. Direct paths for cyclists and pedestrians connect the opposite parts of the city.

In addition to the social needs of the city dwellers, the park fulfils another important task: the surface water from the surrounding districts is channelled here and cleaned by hydrophytes in rain gardens. Collected in retention basins, the rainwater can seep away and evaporate. The dry stream diverts any excess water into the wetland. The park is designed for a 50-year flood event.

The Wetland Park in the city park of the sponge city of Hefei creates an adventure space from the infrastructure needed to prevent flooding and to clean the drain water. The green-blue complexes will become visible and tangible core elements of the newly emerging city.

The wet biotope is varied. A variety of visual relationships mediate between the city and the park landscape. Flora and fauna are within reach over the circular footbridges in the middle of the city and, like the various terrace levels, invite you to linger and stroll. Small islands serve as vantage points from which the dynamic water levels can be observed particularly well. In addition, they provide important habitats for various animals and plants and thus promote biodiversity in Hefei.

A sundeck is planned in the east of the wetland. Urbanity and publicity are lived under the wooden roof. Various levels descend towards the wet biotope, creating a variety of places with different qualities that differ in size, shape and activity.

Pre-cleaned water from the northern Floodplain Park is further cleaned by plants close to the water before it is fed into the adjacent reservoir. In addition, the wetland biotope improves the city's sponge function: the absorption capacity of the wetland prevents too much water from being discharged directly into the lake, a concept that counteracts potential flooding scenarios. The transition to the lake is fluid while floating islands mediate between wetland and lake.

How to raise a dike in an innercity environment?

Nexus, from the Latin 'nectere', means a "connection or series of connections linking two or more things". Marconiplein is, indeed, at the crossroad of different flows: not only mobility but ecology, water protection, development.

Our vision is rooted in the understanding of this space as a complex node, where traditionally, absolute priority has been given to transport. Our proposal aims to invert the paradigm of Marconiplein as a space - a sum of several leftover spaces- defined by infrastructures, but rather, addressing high-quality public spaces first, where infrastructural strategy follows. The design of the new square will be led by the principle of unveiling. If in history, infrastructures - considered as a major source of disruption - have been buried, hidden and elevated, technological progress and accurate urban solutions, offer now the opportunity of reconnecting to infrastructures.

Specific solutions will range from sloping squares, new vertical cross-views, increased number of entrances, fostering the square as a seamless public space, where infrastructure is no more perceived as separated from the city.

"Branch in the Landscape" presents a holistic concept that includes both the planned cycle and footpath connection across the Neckar and its relationship with the surrounding urban landscape. The focus is on providing residents and visitors with attractive incentives to switch to environmentally-friendly mobility. Urban planning, traffic, and design aspects are being developed into a uniform green infrastructure as a catalyst for new uses of the adjacent public spaces.

Not only the residents will benefit from the new connections, but also the future users of the cycle expressway between Mannheim and Heidelberg. The infrastructure is deliberately compact and reserved in space and the cityscape. The functional path connection is supplemented at certain points by programmatic balconies, each of which enables a view of different landscapes and thus creates several places to come together and linger.

Purposefully positioned buildings under the bridge structure (with potential uses such as a café and bicycle workshop) not only create a local path through the treetops but also create a new urban edge. Together with the bridge structure, this edge forms a new city gate in the west of Heidelberg and at the same time offers noise protection for the newly created Gneisenaupark.

"Branch in the Landscape" creates a variety of spaces through the contrast between linear infrastructure and soft landscape, which also strengthens existing biotopes, creates new ones, strengthens the Heidelberg cityscape and helps previously separate neighbourhoods to create new synergies.