Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mithun Hanumesh, Remy Claverie, Geoffroy Sere
Summary: Green roofs are expected to help mitigate urban environmental issues, with positive but variable performances. Research has identified factors and properties that influence green roof performances, but there are still many potential relationships left unexplored. Recommendations have been made to further enhance green roof performances and promote deeper research in this area.
Article
Ecology
Ronju Ahammad, Natasha Stacey, Terry Sunderland
Summary: The concept of ecosystem services is gaining popularity in natural resource management policies globally, however, its implementation and application in forest policies in developing countries such as Bangladesh still faces challenges. Though ecosystem services are mentioned in all forest-related policies in Bangladesh, only one policy covers the entire concept, with lack of specifics on operational aspects. Recommendations are made to consider ecosystem services-based management goals and clearly identify specific forest-and tree-based ecosystem services in current forestry and natural resource management policies.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Annechien Dirkje Hoeben, Alfred Posch
Summary: This study explores how different urban development types and environmental conditions impact the distribution of green roofs in Graz, Austria. It suggests that varying greening strategies should be utilized for distinct urban development types under diverse environmental conditions.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Cristina Matos Silva, Fatima Bernardo, Maria Manso, Isabel Loupa Ramos
Summary: Cities are at increasing risk from climate change and need to adapt accordingly. Urban green spaces have been found to provide various ecosystem services that enhance the well-being of urban residents. This study aimed to assess whether users of urban green spaces perceive the different provisioning and regulating services provided by different types of green spaces. The results showed a general preference for green spaces with more vegetation and better accessibility, regardless of the type of roof.
Review
Ecology
Zbigniew J. Grabowski, Timon McPhearson, A. Marissa Matsler, Peter Groffman, Steward T. A. Pickett
Summary: In response to interdependent challenges, city planners are increasingly adopting green infrastructure (GI). The study reviewed 122 plans from 20 US cities and identified the types of city plans that address and define GI. Many plans comply with US Clean Water Act regulations and there is an emerging trend towards integrating GI with other built infrastructure systems. However, there is a need for synthesis of GI definitions due to the differences in types, functions, and benefits across concepts, plan types, and cities.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Siwei Chen, Zhonghua Gou
Summary: The global spread of green roofs is crucial in the face of urbanization and climate change. However, little is known about their usage and promotion globally. This study examines the spatial distribution of green roofs and related policies by comparing them to green buildings. The findings reveal an imbalance in green roof distribution, limited diversity in incentive policies, and a lack of a well-developed rating system.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Guglielmo Pristeri, Francesca Peroni, Salvatore Eugenio Pappalardo, Daniele Codato, Antonio Masi, Massimo De Marchi
Summary: In the context of urban green spaces management, incorporating private green spaces is a promising approach. A study in Padua revealed that over half of the green spaces are rural, with private green spaces accounting for 80% of the total.
ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Edoardo Croci, Benedetta Lucchitta, Tommaso Penati
Summary: In 2005, Milan Municipality launched the "Adopt a green spot" initiative, using a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme to restore and maintain scattered and marginal green areas. The success of the initiative is attributed to flexible voluntary agreements, diverse green areas, public recognition, and low transaction costs. These characteristics allow the initiative to be replicated in other urban contexts.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Wito Van Oijstaeijen, Maira Finizola e Silva, Phil Back, Alexandra Collins, Kris Verheyen, Robbe De Beelde, Jan Cools, Steven Van Passel
Summary: Incorporating natural spaces in urban areas has multiple benefits. This paper presents a co-designed tool to demonstrate the ecosystem service benefits of small-scale urban green infrastructure projects. It assesses the impact on ecosystem services and biodiversity in early project stages, facilitating the planning and design process, and maximizes the benefits of green infrastructure.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bernardo Rocha, Teresa A. Paco, Ana Catarina Luz, Paulo Palha, Sarah Milliken, Benzion Kotzen, Cristina Branquinho, Pedro Pinho, Ricardo Cruz de Carvalho
Summary: The study compared green roofs with different types of vegetation in terms of their ability to retain water during intense stormwater events and the quality of collected rainwater. Results indicated that biocrusts and xerophytic vegetation are a viable green roof typology for slowing runoff during stormwater events.
Article
Environmental Studies
Joan Marull, Roc Padro, Maria Jose La Rota-Aguilera, Joan Pino, Annalisa Giocoli, Jacob Cirera, Nuria Ruiz-Fores, Francesc Coll, Tarik Serrano-Tovar, Raul Velasco-Fernandez
Summary: This paper proposes a socioecological integrated analysis model for metropolitan green infrastructures and applies it to the Urban Master Plan of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area in order to contribute to sustainable land use policies. The study shows that the current land use planning trends have a negative impact on the ecological functioning of the landscape and the provision of ecosystem services. Therefore, deeper changes are needed in land use policies to promote agroecological transitions towards more sustainable metropolitan green infrastructures under climate change scenarios.
Article
Ecology
Karen T. Lourdes, Perrine Hamel, Chris N. Gibbins, Ruzana Sanusi, Badrul Azhar, Alex M. Lechner
Summary: This study aims to quantify and map the spatial distribution of multiple urban ecosystem services (UES) in a rapidly urbanizing catchment using InVEST models, and to develop a systematic approach to integrate UES into green infrastructure planning.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Emily M. Galvin, Todd K. Bendor
Summary: The increasing needs of urban stormwater infrastructure have led cities around the world to adopt nature-based 'green' stormwater infrastructure (GI). However, skepticism from policymakers and the lack of economic impact studies hinder the widespread adoption of GI. In this study, we analyze the economic impacts of novel GI development regulations in Washington, D.C, finding that GI construction has significant economic benefits in terms of job creation, economic output, labor income, and value added. Our analytical approach can serve as a model for other regions to assess the economic feasibility of GI for urban stormwater management.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Frederic Bally, Michele Coletti
Summary: Green infrastructures (GI) contribute to climate resiliency and biodiversity, while also providing social and economic value through ecosystem services (ESS). Public policies supporting GIs are necessary but require involvement from relevant stakeholders. However, the lack of awareness and understanding of GI among non-specialists hinders resource mobilization. This paper analyzes policy recommendations from 36 EU-funded projects on GI governance and finds that non-governmental players should have a more active role in decision-making for sustainable development.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Matthew G. Kirby, Alister J. Scott
Summary: This research explores the extent to which Green Belt policy in England promotes multifunctional benefits. The results show significant variation in the way these benefits are promoted in planning policy, and highlight the need for clearer implementation of secondary objectives. The study suggests that the potential of Green Belts to provide multifunctional benefits has not yet been fully realized or mainstreamed in English planning policy.
