Greenery Systems for Urban Sustainability: State of the Art and Perspective in Italy

Abstract

The inclusion of greenery in our cities is a key factor for sustainability. Considering the shortage of green urban areas, building can play a positive role itself: through the inclusion of greenery systems (GS) such as green roofs and green walls, the building envelope can act as a multiplier of urban green surface. Nevertheless, despite the benefits achievable, GS implementation in the Italian context is still poor. The aim of this study is to produce the Italian state of art in terms of appreciation and promotion of GS solutions as urban quality agents and, on the other hand, in terms of the residual barriers to their spread. This framework can be used as a knowledge base for actions to encourage the adoption of GS in Italian cities. To this end, the study was carried out in three steps: review of GS benefits at urban scale; assessment of the Italian incentives for the GS diffusion; analysis of the current barriers to GS diffusion in the Italian context. The results show an extensive list of achievable benefits at the urban level (e.g. reduction of heat island, rainwater management, etc.) and their recognition in the Italian policies. Nevertheless, the study highlights a shortage in promotion tools, such as tax breaks, and the persistence of barriers to the GS spread (cost's gap between GS solutions and traditional; poor diffusion of GS technological culture). A greater commitment is hoped both in proposing effective incentives, both in a joint effort between administration and research in assessing benefits in relation to local needs and in spreading the technological culture of GS among professionals and consumers.

Towards a circular building industry through digitalisation

“…-First of all, 3D printing with, e.g., concrete can be used to reduce resource use and waste through the design optimization (De Schutter et al, 2018;Oberti & Plantamura, 2015;Rippmann et al, 2018) and minimise transportation distance (Hager et al, 2016;Oberti & Plantamura, 2015). AM/RM from, e.g., lightweight PET material fibre enables both lightweight building structures and the use of recycled materials (Wang, 2020).…”

“…-Second, AM/RM indeed can be done by recycling materials in the concrete mixes (Oberti & Plantamura, 2015), using the mining tailings (Álvarez-Fernández et al, 2021), and reusing (waste) materials (Baiani & Altamura, 2018;Bier & Nazzarri, 2020).…”

“…-AM/RM also allows designers to tailor connection pieces for the reuse of truss and frame elements (Brütting et al, 2021). The modular design of printed structures enables the reuse of building parts at the end-of-life stage (Oberti & Plantamura, 2015). Digital deconstruction is also being researched, e.g., reversible timber beams can be robotically manufactured and disassembled (Kunic et al, 2021).…”

“…-Moreover, AM/RM often provides a safer working environment and reduces injuries on site (Hager et al, 2016;Oberti & Plantamura, 2015), contributing to the wellbeing of construction workers.…”

Adoption and Diffusion of Nature-Based Solutions by Property Owners in Urban Areas: The Case of Green Roofs in Eindhoven, The Netherlands

“…In many regions around the world, the adoption of green roofs can have financial, structural, knowledge and information, technical, and climatic barriers to their implementation [11]. For instance, installation and maintenance costs could be higher in comparison with traditional roof technologies, such as cool roofs [15][16][17]. The physical risks associated with the inadequate implementation of green roofs include structural and static challenges and possible damages to buildings or plants, which could lead to leakages or the undesired growth of wild plants [18].…”