A Discussion on the Application of Terminology for Urban Soil Sealing Mitigation Practices

Abstract

Soil sealing is one of the most serious environmental problems today regarding its impact on cities. This article presents an analysis of the different urban practices currently used to mitigate the effects of soil sealing in urban areas. The main typologies, characteristics, differences, similarities and objectives have been considered. The practices analyzed were SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems), LIDs (Low Impact Developments), BMPs (Best Management Practices), WSUD (Water Sensitive Urban Design), GI (Green Infrastructure), and NbS (Nature-based Solutions). To understand the impact of these terms, an analysis of their presence in the scientific literature over the last 10 years is carried out. The results indicate that the trend in the use of these terms is increasing, with the number of articles having doubled in the last 10 years. This indicates the importance that the problem of soil sealing has acquired in the world, and the relevant environmental benefits of addressing it.

Advances in the Integration of Sustainable Drainage Systems into Urban Planning: A Case Study

“…To mitigate this, an approach to surface water management that reduces water quantity (flooding) and water quality (pollution) and restores lost biodiversity and amenity is known collectively as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). These systems have been used since the 1990s as a measure to reduce the effects of soil sealing in urban areas and they are known by different terms [11]: SuDS, LIDs (Low Impact Developments), BMPs (Best Management Practices), WSUD (Water-Sensitive Urban Design), GI (Green Infrastructures) or NbS (Nature-based Solutions), among others. While each of these systems has its own unique characteristics, they also share common aspects.…”

Citizen Willingness to Pay for the Implementation of Urban Green Infrastructure in the Pilot Sponge Cities in China

“…Developed countries (e.g., in the European Union) have long recognized these urgency problems and coping with new urban water management strategies and practices based on the concepts of "urban green infrastructure" [10][11][12], "Ecosystem Services" [13,14], or "Ecosystem-based approaches" [15,16] and "Nature-Based Solutions" [13,17,18]. The green infrastructure concept has a broader concept inspired by and supported by nature, providing environmental, social and economic benefits [19,20]. For urban stormwater management, urban green infrastructure has been suggested as an alternative to conventional management facilities, which is the provision and maintenance of natural and semi-natural green spaces within built "gray" infrastructure [20].…”

“…The green infrastructure concept has a broader concept inspired by and supported by nature, providing environmental, social and economic benefits [19,20]. For urban stormwater management, urban green infrastructure has been suggested as an alternative to conventional management facilities, which is the provision and maintenance of natural and semi-natural green spaces within built "gray" infrastructure [20]. Urban green infrastructure measurements include soil and vegetation, green roofs, rain gardens and wetlands, to control stormwater runoff comprehensively [21][22][23][24].…”