Speakers
Description
Natural spaces are recognized as climate and environmental balancers for urban areas, becoming necessary to restore biodiversity and counter the effects of climate change (Maudsley & Wallsten, 2024; IPBES, 2019; IPCC 2022). Nature-based solutions (NbS) are an essential resource to guide the planning, design, and sustainable management of the cities of the future (UN, 2022). In Europe, the reintroduction of nature into cities is encouraged through the development of green and blue infrastructure, developed according to integrated urban planning and design that adopts widespread use of NbS (EC, 2020). NbS and green and blue infrastructure are recognized for their key role in increasing climate resilience through the development of a network of natural and semi-natural areas-connecting urban to rural spaces-that can provide a wide range of ecosystem benefits (EEA, 2021). The recent Nature Restoration Law aims to restore 20 percent of degraded ecosystems, focusing particularly on urban ecosystems with the ambitious goal of increasing green space in cities without losing more natural areas by 2030, while increasing tree cover (UE, 2024).
The paper describes the development of a demonstration project that addresses climate change adaptation in a marginal urban district that is most vulnerable to the hazards of Urban Heat Island and Urban Flooding caused by Extreme Rainfall. The project is the result of a National Research of Relevant Interest in which innovative concepts, tools and methods related to sustainable and climate-resilient planning and design were developed to address environmental and climate challenges within the Scandicci Urban District in the Metropolitan City of Florence.
The paper describes the innovative results of the research found in the different stages of design experimentation. At the preliminary spatial survey stage, the article describes the methodology used to build the knowledge framework for assessing the characteristics of urban systems and their vulnerability to the effects of climate change. To this end, the paper shows the multi-layer analysis developed and the use of the GIS (Geographic Information System) application, which led to the selection of two experimental “urban transects” that are significant from the point of view of redevelopment of the existing fabric and in the development of a planned expansion area. Similarly, in the elaboration phase of the developed demonstration projects, the article reports the different climate-adaptive intervention scenarios prefigured, showing the adaptation solutions employed, both Nature-based Solutions and artificial solutions, developed in ecosystem form to create a resilient green infrastructure.
The article demonstrates how, through targeted actions on urban public space, it has been possible to achieve significant benefits in terms of both adapting to the impacts of climate change and increasing urban quality and livability in terms of comfort, health and safety. These actions have supported nature restoration and strengthened ecosystem services by providing practical support for urban adaptation strategies. In this case, through the use of predictive tools such as the ENVI-met software and the runoff predictive calculation method, the paper demonstrates the effectiveness of the adopted NbS solutions and the benefits toward users in the upgraded spaces. Furthermore, the contribution shows how it was possible to assess performance in advance and act with the necessary corrective measures to bring existing projects in line with the designated resilience goals. The integration and complementarity of NbS within the built environment at the urban and architectural levels has enabled the promotion of new urban ecological landscapes that can mitigate the negative effects of urbanization in favor of biodiversity and ecosystem health.
References
EC (2020), Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 - bringing nature back into our lives’ (COM(2020) 380 final of 20 May 2020).
EEA (2021), Nature-based solutions in Europe: Policy, knowledge and practise for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
IPBES (2019). Intergovernmental science-policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services, IPBES secretariat, Bonn.
IPCC (2022). Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability – Summary for Policymakers, Switzerland.
Maudsley A. & Wallsten B. (2024). Towards Regenerative Neighbourhoods: European Cases, Insights, and Initiatives. A Curated Compilation made by the Circular Urban Economies Transition Pathway in the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership (DUT).
UN (2022). World Cities Report 2022: Envisaging the Future of Cities. New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
UE (2024). Unione Europea. Regolamento (UE) 2024/1234 del Parlamento europeo e del Consiglio del 17 giugno 2024 sul ripristino della natura. Gazzetta ufficiale dell'Unione europea.
| Keywords | Climate change, Adaptive design, Nature-based solutions; Regenerative design; Urban resilience |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
