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Land
Special Issues
Planning Sustainable Cities through Nature-Based Solutions
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Planning Sustainable Cities through Nature-Based Solutions

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Planning and Landscape Architecture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 April 2024) | Viewed by 14496

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Thomas Panagopoulos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Science and Technology, Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-Being, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: nature-based solutions; landscape restoration; sustainable development; climate change adaptation; green infrastructure; environmental justice; carbon neutral cities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vera Ferreira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Center for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: sustainability; urban planning; nature-based solutions; stakeholder engagement; health and well-being and sustainable tourism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cities are facing a broad range of social and environmental challenges due to unsustainable, non-resilient urbanization patterns in combination with the effects of climate change. Nature-based solutions harness the power and sophistication of nature to turn these urban challenges into adaptative and innovation opportunities that can make cities more attractive and lead to multiple co-benefits for health, the economy, society, and the environment. These solutions can guide more efficient and cost-effective approaches. However, there is still work to be carried out to create further evidence and facilitate wider implementation in cities. Local governments also have an important role to play in providing many opportunities for active the involvement of citizens and stakeholders on urban planning, and for co-creation and co-design processes.

This Special Issue aims to provide a forum for current original research covering the different aspects of nature-based solutions for planning sustainable cities. Therefore, I invite academics and practitioners to describe their practical experiences and insights in this field, encouraging contributions that present successful cases of designing sustainable, resilient, and green cities through nature-based solutions and also technical or conceptual reflections focusing on, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • Nature-based solutions and the benefits of re-naturing cities
  • City resilience to climate change through nature-based solutions
  • Adaptative and innovative nature-based solutions
  • Stakeholders’ participation in nature-based solutions
  • The economic value of nature-based solutions
  • Co-design and co-creation processes
  • Nature-based solutions and tourism
  • Nature-based solutions for health and quality of life
  • The multi-functionality of nature-based solutions

Prof. Dr. Thomas Panagopoulos
Dr. Vera Ferreira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nature-based solutions
  • sustainability
  • urban planning
  • city resilience
  • re-naturing cities
  • stakeholder participation
  • innovative solutions

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 77639 KiB  
Article
Edible Garden Cities: Rethinking Boundaries and Integrating Hedges into Scalable Urban Food Systems
by David Adams, Peter J. Larkham and Michael Hardman
Land 2023, 12(10), 1915; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101915 - 12 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1199
Abstract
Connecting to and extending recent debates around more-than-human thinking, this paper explores how porous boundary treatments and plot layouts might encourage ecological exchanges within new urban and peri-urban developments. This study therefore responds to suggestions for innovative plot designs that facilitate positive trans-species [...] Read more.
Connecting to and extending recent debates around more-than-human thinking, this paper explores how porous boundary treatments and plot layouts might encourage ecological exchanges within new urban and peri-urban developments. This study therefore responds to suggestions for innovative plot designs that facilitate positive trans-species interactions, especially considering wider anxieties surrounding biodiversity loss and recognition of the need for climate-resilient garden spaces. Focusing on a recent example of a large-scale residential development in the English midlands, this paper outlines the socio-economic, cultural and ecological significance of embedding different hedgerow designs into early planning considerations; revealing the need to move beyond current models. The discussion then turns to how such ambitions might encourage sustainable land use, particularly through creating potentially scalable urban agricultural systems that sustain healthy food choices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning Sustainable Cities through Nature-Based Solutions)
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21 pages, 7817 KiB  
Article
Beyond Biodiversity: Eliciting Diverse Values of Urban Green Spaces in Flanders
by Thomas Bastiaensen, Ewaut Van Wambeke, Camelia El Bakkali, Jomme Desair, Charlotte Noël, Kaat Kenis, Lukas Vincke and Sander Jacobs
Land 2023, 12(6), 1186; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061186 - 06 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1564
Abstract
Nature-based solutions are claimed to offer an effective approach to tackle societal challenges and promote biodiversity. While research has mainly focused on biodiversity and material ecosystem services, non-material contributions and relational values of urban green spaces remain underexplored. How to balance the benefits [...] Read more.
Nature-based solutions are claimed to offer an effective approach to tackle societal challenges and promote biodiversity. While research has mainly focused on biodiversity and material ecosystem services, non-material contributions and relational values of urban green spaces remain underexplored. How to balance the benefits of nature, well-being, and relational values in their design and performance evaluation remains unclear. To elicit the values expressed in public communication regarding the benefits of urban nature projects in Flanders, three online repositories that feature diverse nature-based solutions projects in the region were chosen. Using coding and quantitative content analysis of standardized descriptions from these repositories, this study found that relational values were most abundant (55%), followed by instrumental values (30%) and intrinsic values (15%), consistently so over socio-demographic and physical contexts. It was also discovered that larger projects have a higher level of multifunctionality, which is calculated based on the variety of values and value dimensions expressed, and that participation—although considered key—rarely reports on inclusivity. The findings suggest that in Flanders, a greater emphasis is placed on relational values associated with urban nature. A broader value scope for the design, management, and evaluation of urban green spaces tailored to the local context is recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning Sustainable Cities through Nature-Based Solutions)
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20 pages, 3800 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Institutional Innovation on a Public Tender: The Case of Madrid Metropolitan Forest
by Sara Romero-Muñoz, Manuel Alméstar, Teresa Sánchez-Chaparro and Víctor Muñoz Sanz
Land 2023, 12(6), 1179; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061179 - 02 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1466
Abstract
The introduction of forests in cities has been an observable trend in recent years, with planned forest management projects proliferating around the world. The fact that many urban forests in the public space are traditionally managed by top-down bureaucratic procedures and guided by [...] Read more.
The introduction of forests in cities has been an observable trend in recent years, with planned forest management projects proliferating around the world. The fact that many urban forests in the public space are traditionally managed by top-down bureaucratic procedures and guided by expert knowledge raises questions about whether green areas should follow the same management approach as other urban infrastructures, such as mobility infrastructures, or whether they should explore a collaborative approach designed to engage diverse stakeholders. This article examines the challenges of innovating in urban forests, changing the management rules that may limit participatory and deliberative processes to support decision-making. In particular, we analyzed how introducing a co-creation stage impacted the traditional competitive public tender procedure in the Madrid Metropolitan Forest project, using the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework. Results showed that the costs and benefits of innovation differ among involved actors, generating unintended deterrent effects for experimentation. To mitigate these decoupling effects, we suggest a strategic design of working rules and updating the shared incentive to move from a competitive and transactional logic to a more collaborative and co-creative form of connection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning Sustainable Cities through Nature-Based Solutions)
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25 pages, 7611 KiB  
Article
(Un)Likely Connections between (Un)Likely Actors in the Art/NBS Co-Creation Process: Application of KREBS Cycle of Creativity to the Cyborg Garden Project
by Manuel Alméstar, Sara Romero-Muñoz, Nieves Mestre, Uriel Fogué, Eva Gil and Amanda Masha
Land 2023, 12(6), 1145; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061145 - 30 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2281
Abstract
NBS provides the technical basis for adaptation to climate change, and co-creation is the vehicle for the co-production of knowledge and innovation, both forming a strong binomial for the UE Green Infrastructures Strategy. Nonetheless, one of the main challenges for the implementation of [...] Read more.
NBS provides the technical basis for adaptation to climate change, and co-creation is the vehicle for the co-production of knowledge and innovation, both forming a strong binomial for the UE Green Infrastructures Strategy. Nonetheless, one of the main challenges for the implementation of effective co-creation strategies is the incorporation of knowledge from diverse social systems. Knowledge production has been approached through different methodological models, such as the quintuple helix innovation by Carayannis, or the diffuse/expert knowledge model by Manzini. These theoretical models are based on linear knowledge transfers, without sufficiently depicting alternative knowledge flows among (un)conventional actors. In view of these limitations, the research proposes a third strategy: the KREBS cycle of creativity defined by Oxman is a conceptual map capable of describing knowledge transfers across the four modalities of human creativity (i.e., science, engineering, design, and art). Providing sufficient “creative energy” in a co-creation process would guarantee the successful production of knowledge. Thus, the research seeks to illuminate different co-creation strategies to promote “creative energy” in the design of the Cyborg Garden (CG) in Madrid, giving a novel application to Oxman’s methodological framework based on the Carayannis’s and Manzini’s models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning Sustainable Cities through Nature-Based Solutions)
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27 pages, 3213 KiB  
Article
How Effective Risk Assessment and Management Is the Key to Turning Volcanic Islands into a Source of Nature-Based Solutions
by Marta López-Saavedra, Joan Martí and Llorenç Planagumà
Land 2023, 12(3), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030686 - 15 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2518
Abstract
Active volcanic islands are particularly vulnerable to multi-risk natural hazards, many of which are anticipated to become more severe as a result of climate change. It is crucial to create and put into action adequate risk mitigation plans based on comprehensive long-term hazard [...] Read more.
Active volcanic islands are particularly vulnerable to multi-risk natural hazards, many of which are anticipated to become more severe as a result of climate change. It is crucial to create and put into action adequate risk mitigation plans based on comprehensive long-term hazard assessments that include nature-based solutions in order to improve societal safety on these islands. Herein, we study the case of Tenerife. After a compilation and analysis of the potential resources of this island, as well as a study of its main natural hazards and how they are currently managed, we have determined that the most viable solutions are nature-based ones. Land management based on prior assessment of the island’s hazards is the key to strengthening Tenerife’s current risk mitigation plans. This will allow for a two-way relationship between the exploitation of sustainable tourism and the education of its population, both oriented toward the conservation of its geological heritage, and will promote the sustainable use of the energy and material resources currently being exploited. This contribution thus establishes the pillars from which to exploit the nature-based solutions offered by Tenerife as the only viable option for its sustainable economic development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning Sustainable Cities through Nature-Based Solutions)
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27 pages, 9212 KiB  
Article
Assessing Net Environmental and Economic Impacts of Urban Forests: An Online Decision Support Tool
by Javier Babí Almenar, Claudio Petucco, Tomás Navarrete Gutiérrez, Laurent Chion and Benedetto Rugani
Land 2023, 12(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010070 - 26 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1931
Abstract
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are becoming popular in urban planning and policy making as cost-effective solutions capable of delivering multiple ecosystem services and addressing several societal challenges. So far, however, the cost-effectiveness of urban NBS projects has not been consistently quantified by built environment [...] Read more.
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are becoming popular in urban planning and policy making as cost-effective solutions capable of delivering multiple ecosystem services and addressing several societal challenges. So far, however, the cost-effectiveness of urban NBS projects has not been consistently quantified by built environment professionals, who lack user-friendly tools to account for the environmental costs and benefits of NBS. This paper presents a prototype online decision support tool (NBenefit$®) that calculates the negative and positive environmental impacts, externalities, and financial values of planned urban forests over their entire life cycle. NBenefit$ relies on a modelling framework that combines system dynamics, urban ecology, and life cycle thinking approaches, and it is presented as a visual web-based interface. An online map and a grid of cells is used to map the site of intervention, to delineate the size of the urban forest, and to define variations in abiotic, biotic, and management attributes in each site. Outputs are provided by year, for the entire site and NBS life cycle. The potential value of NBenefit$ as a supporting tool was exemplified with the calculation of 48 urban forest archetypes, a few of which were used to set scenarios for a hypothetical urban forest in Madrid (Spain). The results showcase the impact that decisions taken during the planning, design, or management of an NBS project may have on its long-term performance. Future works will expand the scope of NBenefit$, including other types of urban NBS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning Sustainable Cities through Nature-Based Solutions)
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Review

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39 pages, 3314 KiB  
Review
Sensing and Measurement Techniques for Evaluation of Nature-Based Solutions: A State-of-the-Art Review
by Vidya Anderson, Manavvi Suneja and Jelena Dunjic
Land 2023, 12(8), 1477; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081477 - 25 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1820
Abstract
Sensing and measurement techniques are necessary to study, evaluate, and understand the complex physical and chemical interactions that must occur for the successful deployment of nature-based solutions (NbS). How NbS are measured can determine which solutions best address local environmental and societal challenges, [...] Read more.
Sensing and measurement techniques are necessary to study, evaluate, and understand the complex physical and chemical interactions that must occur for the successful deployment of nature-based solutions (NbS). How NbS are measured can determine which solutions best address local environmental and societal challenges, and how these solutions are prioritized and adopted by decision makers. Sensing and measurement techniques can provide useful meteorological and physiological data on nature-based interventions between different spatial, spectral, temporal, and thematic scales. Because NbS encompass research from across different fields, it is essential to reduce barriers to knowledge dissemination, and enable the circulation of information across different jurisdictions. In this study, a bibliometric and systematic analysis of the literature was undertaken to systemize and categorize sensing and measurement techniques for NbS. Opportunities and challenges associated with studying the effects of NbS have also been identified. Sensing and measurement techniques can provide evidence-based information on the efficacy of NbS, in addition to guiding policy formulation for the achievement of sustainable development across communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning Sustainable Cities through Nature-Based Solutions)
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