International Garden Show and Green Network
Hamburg has continued to play a consistent role in the protection and expansion of green areas. The city’s newest addition includes the 2013 International Garden Show, a 100 hectare park created in the center of the Elbe Island Wilhelmsburg. Parks, playgrounds, sports fields, gardens and cemeteries, ultimately connecting larger and smaller areas of Hamburg’s green spaces to form a green network. Whether cycling or by foot, Hamburg’s green network promotes undisturbed eco-friendly travel throughout the city.

Urban Conservation
A growing city such as Hamburg needs to maintain nature-protected areas as habit for wild plants and animals, as well as recreation and adventure for the city’s population. Hamburg aims to designate and enhance numerous protected areas of varied categories:

1. Landscape conservation areas serve to conserve, protect and restore landscapes holding special regional and cultural significance. Currently roughly 22 percent of the Hamburg land area is designated to landscape conservation.
   
   
2. Nature reserves protecting endangered habitat to rare or endangered animal and plant species are subjected to stricter protection in Hamburg. Nature reserves now account for 8 percent of the city-state of Hamburg’s surface- placing the Hanseatic city ahead in comparison to national figures.
   
   
3. Hamburg is one of the few cities with its own national park. The city is momentarily undergoing efforts to recognize the sensitive ecosystem of the Wadden Sea National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.