The city of Trenčín as the target area of implementation of the project belongs to ecologically balanced cities, with a number of urban parks and residential greenery – the “green lungs” of the city, which create a pleasant environment for the inhabitants, but due to the ongoing climate change it is more necessary, with a professional approach to reconstruct their growing structures for future generations. The aim of the present project “Green Lung of the City – Revitalisation of Space Atria Trenčín” is to protect and support ecosystem services of the green lungs of the city of Trenčín provided by the public green space atrium as an element of green infrastructure and its integration with elements of gray infrastructure contributing to the improvement of the quality of life in the urban environment and the adaptability of the territory of Trenčín to climate change. The aim of the project is to be achieved by revitalising urban elements and greening the wide-spectrum cultural and open space atrium with the application of ecological principles of creation and protection of greenery. The space is intended to provide biodiversity with the right environment, enable ecosystems to function by connecting urban, suburban and rural areas (central urban zone, Brezina forest park, South settlement) and integrate elements of green and grey infrastructure for the sustainable management of rainfall water, helping to adapt the territory of Trenčín to climate change. The result of the project will be to increase the share of green infrastructure in the total area of the city of Trenčín through 1 element of green infrastructure and 1288 m² of restored open space in the city area – Trenčín. The physical output of the main activity of the project in the form of 1288 m² of restored open space in the city area – Trenčín should help to increase the share of green infrastructure in the total area of the city of Trenčín and thus contribute to increasing the resilience of the settlement environment to the negative impacts of climate change, in particular by reducing the effect of urban temperature islands and negative management of rainwater. Increasing the resilience of settlements that respond to the expected challenges of further development of society should be achieved through nature and landscape protection, building elements of green infrastructure that provide benefits for the health of the population, such as cleaner air and better water quality, delivering physical, psychological, emotional and socio-economic benefits for the individual and society by combining health-recreational and ecological-stabilising functions. The project is thus fully in line with the IROP intervention strategy, and by implementing the project we will contribute to the achievement of strategic urban, regional, national and European objectives in the field of improving environmental aspects in cities and urban areas by building elements of green infrastructure and adapting the urbanised environment to climate change, as well as by introducing system elements to reduce air pollution and noise in order to improve the quality of life for residents of Trenčín. It has the full ambition to contribute to human well-being through the complex of ecosystem services of a limited area – the space of the atrium – through the provision of food – tree fruits, shrubs, water, wood, a stable climate, disaster prevention, leisure and spiritual values – i.e. the measures identified in the European Strategy Paper – Green Infrastructure – Enhancing Europe’s natural capital.
