scholarly journals Local Scale Prioritisation of Green Infrastructure for Enhancing Biodiversity in Peri-Urban Agroecosystems: A Multi-Step Process Applied in the Metropolitan City of Rome (Italy)

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Capotorti ◽  
Vera De Lazzari ◽  
Marta Alós Ortí
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Riparian Ecosystems ◽  
Metropolitan City ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Complex Solutions

Urban–rural interfaces represent complex systems that require complex solutions for sustainable development and resilience against pollution, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss and impaired flux of ecosystem services (ES). Green infrastructure (GI) is increasingly recognised as an effective tool for addressing such a complexity, but needs priority setting to maximise benefits and minimise drawbacks of implementation. Therefore, a prioritisation approach focused on biodiversity and ES in peri-urban areas is required. In the present work, a systematic and hierarchical framework is proposed for setting priority GI objectives, location and actions aimed at enhancing local biodiversity, ES flux and farming sustainability in urban peripheries. By means of a case study in the Metropolitan City of Rome, the framework allowed identification of the main demand for ES and biodiversity; the most suitable location for GI implementation; and the best cost-effective actions. The GI implementation showed an improvement in terms of wooded hedgerow density, an increase regarding the ecological connectivity of riparian ecosystems, and an increment of agroecosystems designated to enhance the ecological network and wildlife support. Finally, the prioritisation framework contributes to fostering environmental benefits while complying with regulations and management practices from the regional to the farm/field decision level.

Transition to circular economy in Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Xocaira Paes ◽  
Gerson Araujo de Medeiros ◽  
Sandro Donnini Mancini ◽  
Flávio de Miranda Ribeiro ◽  
Jose A. Puppim de Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste Management ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how improvements in municipal solid waste management systems (MSWMS) can contribute to a transition toward circular economy (CE) in urban areas, outlining actions and guidelines for public policies. Design/methodology/approach The research was carried out in three municipalities located in the state of São Paulo in terms of: diagnosis; elaboration of more positive scenarios in terms of CE and scaling of economic and environmental benefits; and outline actions and guidelines for public policies of MSWMS. Findings In developing countries like Brazil, MSWMS can contribute to a transition toward a CE through new public policies and management practices, or even through the improvement of those that already exist. Examples of this are the integration of the informal sector of the recycling chain and service sector related to repairs of clothing, shoes, furniture and electronics as well as composting at the food production site. This could be strengthened by legal and financial mechanisms, training and carbon credit projects. Moreover, there is a need for integration of public policies between different levels of governments and sectoral policies. Originality/value This paper developed a methodology to examine the potential for a transition toward a CE through the MSWMS in different scenarios and cities. This methodology allows to advance the implementation of the concept of CE in urban areas of developing countries and generating co-benefits to the local economy and the global environment.

scholarly journals Retrofitting the Low Impact Development Practices into Developed Urban areas Including Barriers and Potential Solution

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Shafique ◽  
Reeho Kim
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Stormwater Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Low Impact Development ◽  
Natural Area ◽  
Suitable Combination ◽  
Stormwater Management Practices ◽  
Impervious Areas ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractLow impact development (LID)/green infrastructure (GI) practices have been identified as the sustainable practices of managing the stormwater in urban areas. Due to the increasing population, most of the cities are more developing which results in the change of natural area into impervious areas (roads, buildings etc.). Moreover, urbanization and climate change are causing many water-related problems and making over cities unsafe and insecure. Under these circumstances, there is a need to introduce new stormwater management practices into developed cities to reduce the adverse impacts of urbanization. For this purpose, retrofitting low impact development practices demands more attention to reduce these water-related problems and trying to make our cities sustainable. In developed areas, there is a little space is available for the retrofitting of LID practices for the stormwater management. Therefore, the selection of an appropriate place to retrofitting LID practices needs more concern. This paper describes the successfully applied retrofitting LID practices around the globe. It also includes the process of applying retrofitting LID practices at the suitable place with the suitable combination. Optimal places for the retrofitting of different LID practices are also mentioned. This paper also highlights the barriers and potential solutions of retrofitting LID practices in urban areas.

Valuing the Benefits of Green Stormwater Infrastructure

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy W. Ando ◽  
Noelwah R. Netusil
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
Rain Gardens ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Green Stormwater Infrastructure

Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), a decentralized approach for managing stormwater that uses natural systems or engineered systems mimicking the natural environment, is being adopted by cities around the world to manage stormwater runoff. The primary benefits of such systems include reduced flooding and improved water quality. GSI projects, such as green roofs, urban tree planting, rain gardens and bioswales, rain barrels, and green streets may also generate cobenefits such as aesthetic improvement, reduced net CO2 emissions, reduced air pollution, and habitat improvement. GSI adoption has been fueled by the promise of environmental benefits along with evidence that GSI is a cost-effective stormwater management strategy, and methods have been developed by economists to quantify those benefits to support GSI planning and policy efforts. A body of multidisciplinary research has quantified significant net benefits from GSI, with particularly robust evidence regarding green roofs, urban trees, and green streets. While many GSI projects generate positive benefits through ecosystem service provision, those benefits can vary with details of the location and the type and scale of GSI installation. Previous work reveals several pitfalls in estimating the benefits of GSI that scientists should avoid, such as double counting values, counting transfer payments as benefits, and using values for benefits like avoided carbon emissions that are biased. Important gaps remain in current knowledge regarding the benefits of GSI, including benefit estimates for some types of GSI elements and outcomes, understanding how GSI benefits last over time, and the distribution of GSI benefits among different groups in urban areas.

scholarly journals EXPLORING THE POTENTIALS OF SMALL URBAN STREAMS IN CREATING BLUE-GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY OF NIŠ, SERBIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Milena Dinić Branković ◽  
Milica Igić ◽  
Petar Mitković ◽  
Jelena Đekić ◽  
Ivana Bogdanović Protić
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Stormwater Management ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Urban Streams ◽  
The City

“Blue-Green Infrastructure” (BGI) is a simple and cost-effective natural resource that enhances theappeal, resilience and sustainability of urban areas. Small urban streams are an important BGIcomponent that is often underused, especially regarding stormwater management. The aim of thisresearch is to explore small urban streams and their integration into BGI in the urban area of Niš,and to point out the benefits that their restoration would bring in functional, social and environmentalterms. Results of this study show that Niš urban area has significant “Blue” natural capital in smallstreams, and that standing planning documents support the creation of BGI to some extent. Theseare good grounds for the implementation of BGI in urban planning practice.

scholarly journals Revitalizing small urban streams as an instrument of urban planning in creating resilient cities

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-205
Author(s):  
Milena Dinic-Brankovic ◽  
Milica Markovic
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Urban Streams ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Small Streams

Small urban streams are an important element of blue-green infrastructure that is often underused, especially regarding storm water management. In addition, small streams in dense urban areas often seem to be polluted and devastated, or even buried underground. This paper discusses the problems and challenges that occur in urban areas regarding small streams and creeks, and explores how their revitalization can help in shaping more resilient communities. The study explores two cities, Graz and Oslo, and their best practice examples in revitalizing urban watercourses. As a valuable natural ?blue? capital, small streams can reduce the city?s risk of flooding from intense rainfall and strengthen the ecosystem. At the same time, small urban streams are cost effective, proactive and attractive elements of urban landscape. Research identifies the benefits that the process of revitalization of small urban streams brought about to the selected case studies regarding the environment, public health, social interactions, land use and adaptation to climate change. Furthermore, the research establishes urban planning guidelines for revitalization of watercourses that could help in setting up policy framework for adapting inherited urban settings to climate change.

Risk-based zoning for urbanizing floodplains

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 1755-1763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Porse
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Probabilistic Approach ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Flood Risks ◽  
Structural Measures ◽  
Floodplain Development

Urban floodplain development brings economic benefits and enhanced flood risks. Rapidly growing cities must often balance the economic benefits and increased risks of floodplain settlement. Planning can provide multiple flood mitigation and environmental benefits by combining traditional structural measures such as levees, increasingly popular landscape and design features (green infrastructure), and non-structural measures such as zoning. Flexibility in both structural and non-structural options, including zoning procedures, can reduce flood risks. This paper presents a linear programming formulation to assess cost-effective urban floodplain development decisions that consider benefits and costs of development along with expected flood damages. It uses a probabilistic approach to identify combinations of land-use allocations (residential and commercial development, flood channels, distributed runoff management) and zoning regulations (development zones in channel) to maximize benefits. The model is applied to a floodplain planning analysis for an urbanizing region in the Baja Sur peninsula of Mexico. The analysis demonstrates how (1) economic benefits drive floodplain development, (2) flexible zoning can improve economic returns, and (3) cities can use landscapes, enhanced by technology and design, to manage floods. The framework can incorporate additional green infrastructure benefits, and bridges typical disciplinary gaps for planning and engineering.

scholarly journals Solid Waste Management Practices in Ghana: Challenges and Prospects

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Kwasi Nartey ◽  
Patrick Nyarko
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Waste Products

World Bank report revealed that waste generation has been on the ascendancy, the worlds’ cities generated 2.01 billion tons of solid waste in the year 2016. This figure is expected to reach 3.40 billion tons per year by 2050 due to increasing urbanization – a growth of 70%. Proper management of these has become a challenge for most developing countries in recent years. The path of urbanization, population growth and affluence is associated with the challenge of proper waste management in urban areas of developing countries since the higher the income level and rate of urbanization, the greater the solid waste generated. Unfortunately, sub-Saharan African countries like Ghana only focuses on waste collection instead of waste management. Waste management comprises all activities and actions needed to manage waste from inception to the final disposal. These activities and actions include collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste as well as monitoring and regulation. Also, Sanitary landfilling is among the best methods of decreasing the volume of waste products; however, the lack of suitable land for landfill sites is a key issue. Therefore, the lifespan of a landfill site can be prolonged when waste reduction at the source is well considered as an aspect of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management. Solid waste management in Ghana has been faced with several challenges which includes; poor attitude of the general populace towards waste disposal sanitation, unplanned human settlement especially in the urban centers, poor planning of waste management programmes, low or no public education on the good sanitation, inadequate waste infrastructure, lack of political will in enforcing sanitation bye laws, inadequate operational funds and equipment to support waste management activities among others. Also, there is lack of reliable national data on waste generation and composition to inform effective planning on waste management in Ghana Developing countries such as Ghana has to adopt measures that will be sustainable, efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly to help in proper waste management and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 3, 6, and 11 by 2030.

scholarly journals Urban playgrounds as potential green infrastructure: The case of Thessaloniki

2021 ◽  
Vol 899 (1) ◽  
pp. 012016
Author(s):  
Garyfallia Katsavounidou
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Urban Climate ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Positive Effects

Abstract In Greek cities and towns, playgrounds, which represent a significant portion of open public space available in high density compact urban areas, fail to positively impact the sustainability of the urban environment, as they are made of artificial materials and generally lacking in natural elements. Designed around safety from accidents, a typical urban playground is equipped with prefabricated play structures, surrounded by an extensive area of rubber protective floor providing a surface safe from falls etc. This water-sealed surface does not absorb rainwater and has a very hazardous behaviour in hot temperature climates, such as Greece has. This “toxic turf,” a product of recycled elastic tires, contains chemicals suspect for cancer. In addition, trees and vegetation are usually insufficient or absent, thus worsening the overheating due to lack of shade. Although this model continues to prevail in Greece, around the world there is a significant shift towards natural playgrounds – play spaces that are designed to incorporate trees, shrubs, dirt, sand, grass, and play elements that are not industrially manufactured but constructed in situ, using stone, wood, reed, and other natural materials. From a pedagogical point of view, a stereotypical playground offers a rather dull and uninteresting environment for children to play, compared to the rich experience of a natural playground. Therefore, if designed as green infrastructure, playgrounds can considerably contribute to urban climate adaptation and a cooler microclimate and at the same time provide opportunities for urban children to come to contact with nature and benefit from free play. The scope of the paper is to present the multiple environmental benefits of natural playgrounds and to calculate the potential positive effects by the transformation of playgrounds into green spaces in a compact urban area. The field study examines the existing playgrounds in the municipality of Thessaloniki and their potential to become part of the city’s green infrastructure.

scholarly journals Re-Interpreting the Imrahor Valley (Ankara-Turkey) in Terms of Green Infrastructure Directing Urban and Rural Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-95
Author(s):  
Nilgül Karadeniz ◽  
Esra Şenoz Orsan ◽  
Rüveyda Akman Taskin ◽  
Zekiye Cetinkaya
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Metropolitan City ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
The City

AbstractThe earth is rapidly urbanizing. One of the most effective means of dealing with the emergency caused by rapid urbanization is green infrastructure now. Ankara as a metropolitan capital city is also rapidly losing its urban-rural integrity due to rapid urbanization. Although different spatial plans have been made since the declaration of the Republic, the city continued oil-stain expansion and the green area system could not be protected. The Imrahor Valley, which is of ecologically vital importance in the urban-rural integrity, is one of the valuable areas under threat. The valley is an ecotone between the rural and urban ecosystems, southeast of Ankara city center. The valley has come to the point of losing its natural and rural character, especially with the urban transformation practices on the valley floor, slopes and surrounding areas. In this context, the ecological processes to which the Imrahor Valley is connected and dependent and human interventions in these processes are examined in three layers at different levels initially: the province, the city containing the central districts and the basin containing Lake Mogan-Eymir Lake-Imrahor Valley. Then, we focus on the transformation of the Imrahor Valley, one of the most important ecological components of the metropolitan city of Ankara, between 2003–2020. All transformational interventions in the Imrahor Valley affect all natural processes of the Valley irreversibly. It is necessary to re-read and interpret the Imrahor Valley landscape within the framework of the green infrastructure approach in all spatial planning studies and plan changes to be made regarding the metropolitan city.

New Paradigm for State Department of Transportation Environmental Initiatives: New York State’s Guidelines and Procedures

2000 ◽  
Vol 1702 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary McVoy ◽  
Mark Sengenberger ◽  
Elizabeth Novak
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
State Department ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
York State Department ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
New Paradigm

Public-works agencies have an obligation to enhance the environment as opportunities arise. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has developed an environmental initiative to make an affirmative contribution to the environment, using the department’s organizational strengths. The environmental initiative is a paradigm shift applicable to all departments of transportation (DOTs). Conventional reactive regulatory compliance can reduce unnecessary environmental damage and sometimes gain grudging regulatory agency cooperation; however, it is not a positive, satisfying way of doing the people’s work. Through proactive steps, NYSDOT has become an important part of the state’s environmental solution (often at little or no additional cost) and has changed its working relationships with environmental agencies and groups. As these agencies and groups have become partners, instead of adversaries, permit-approval times have improved, mitigation costs have declined, morale has improved, and cost-effective environmental benefits are being realized. Procedures are outlined to apply the engineering capabilities of a DOT to the environmental-stewardship responsibilities shared by all governmental organizations.

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