Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Areas: A European Analysis

Abstract

Currently, the world is facing resource scarcity as the environmental impacts of human intervention continue to intensify. To facilitate the conservation and recovery of ecosystems and to transform cities into more sustainable, intelligent, regenerative, and resilient environments, the concepts of circularity and nature-based solutions (NbS) are applied. The role of NbS within green infrastructure in urban resilience is recognised, and considerable efforts are being made by the European Commission (EC) to achieve the European sustainability goals. However, it is not fully evidenced, in an integrated way, which are the main NbS implemented in the urban environment and their effects. This article aims to identify the main and most recent NbS applied in urban environments at the European level and to analyse the integration of different measures as an innovative analysis based on real cases. For this purpose, this work presents a literature review of 69 projects implemented in 24 European cities, as well as 8 urban actions and 3 spatial scales of implementation at the district level. Therefore, there is great potential for NbS adoption in buildings and their surroundings, which are still not prioritized, given the lack of effective monitoring of the effects of NbS.

RivEr/Generation_LAB-Linking Resilience with Inclusiveness in the Urban-Built Environment of Rome

“…Moreover, the development of the above-mentioned strategies and actions assumes even more strength if considered in the framework of the innovative planning approach of eco-districts to climate-proof urban design, which articulate adaptation and mitigation planning and design solutions with particular attention to soil, vegetation, water and energy and integrate nature-based solutions with the new issues of smart and inclusive cities [47,48].…”

Research on Supply Chain Network Resilience: Considering Risk Propagation and Node Type

“…It refers to the property of an object that undergoes deformation under an external force and can recover its original size and shape when the external force is withdrawn. The concept of resilience has been widely used, for example, in psychology [33,34], ecology [35], and economics [36,37]. It is defined differently in different research areas.…”

Influence of Green Roofs on the Design of a Public Stormwater Drainage System: A Case Study

“…Indeed, according to a very recent study by Bona et al [34], in Europe continuous efforts are being made to increase and integrate NBS for mitigation and adaptation to climate challenges, with the development of resilience in cities aiming at sustainability. Its implementation is directly aligned with the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, playing an active role in the strategic implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [35].…”