Urban Environmental Acupuncture for Improving the Sustainability of Dense City Areas – Polish Experiences from the SALUTE4CE Project

Abstract

The idea of urban environmental acupuncture postulates, that in areas with no space available for green spaces, sustainability and climate resistance can be improved by small green spots in key locations. The project SALUTE4CE established pilot environmental acupuncture strategies in Central-European cities. The author was responsible for elaborating an Action Plan for the functional area of Chorzów, Ruda Śląska and Świętochłowice, Poland. The project aimed at finding spots with potential outcomes in terms of sustainability, reducing urban heat islands and improving comfort and quality of spaces, with nature based solutions: from planting climate resistant vegetation and restoring biodiversity, through improving local retention, to green roofs or vertical walls. The concept assumes, that acting in many small places can bring synergic effects and contribute to urban regeneration. Four pilot spots have been constructed so far, and other interventions shall be realized in the coming years. So far the project results have been disseminated in project documents and reports. This paper aims at a summary of project experiences and perspectives in regard to participating Polish cities.

Urban Greening in the Process of Climate Change Adaptation of Large Cities

“…All such activities, although significant in number, are only complementary to the systemic approach to the urban greening process. However, as suggested by Stangel [67], there is an additional dimension to their relevance: their frequency and location-specific variation demonstrate the benefits of including greenery in the climate change adaptation of urban spaces to those who use these spaces. Following the insights of Sullivan et al [35], it becomes evident that the mere presence of trees and grass can be a key element to the shaping of neighbourhood space.…”

A conceptual framework to mitigate the adverse effects of surface urban heat islands through urban acupuncture: a two-phase scenario of diagnosis and prescription at the neighborhood scale

“…On the other hand, Casanova and Hernandez., 2015 incorporated acupuncture principles into public spaces, providing strategies and interventions to revitalize urban life through three main themes: time-based strategies, citizen participation, and substitution (Casanova and Hernandez, 2015;Yimeng, 2015). Finally, Urban Environmental Acupuncture (UEA) suggests that enhancing non-green spaces and implementing nature-based solutions can have a positive impact on sustainable development by reducing SUHIs and improving the comfort and quality of urban spaces (Starzewska-Sikorska et al, 2022;Stangel, 2023).…”

“…Consequently, urgent measures must be promptly implemented through localized interventions to create immediate synergistic effects. These efforts should focus on specific areas and contribute to urban cooling initiatives (Stangel, 2023).…”

Perspective Swap from Central Europe to East Asia: How Relevant Is Urban Environmental Acupuncture in Small-Scale Green Space Development in the Context of the Republic of Korea?

“…The prevention of green infrastructure loss has been challenging due to institutional constraints, especially within the context of existing planning and regulations [15]. Postindustrial European cities often lack urban green spaces and find it a challenge to maintain biodiversity related to urbanization such as transportation and housing expansion [16]. The implementation of urban green infrastructure is often difficult due to a lack of political leadership, responsible parties, interagency cooperation, and procedural guidance and knowledge regarding the nuances of grey versus green infrastructure [17,18].…”

“…Despite the challenges incurred during UEA implementation, the projects and concept offer a pathway toward overcoming barriers of urban green space implementation, at least within dense European urban areas. It has been shown to be easily integrated into the existing planning processes within the four pilot project countries; see [16] for an example.…”