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Designing Sponge Cities: Integrating Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Places (DeSCIPHER)

This case study examines the integration of nature-based solutions in creating sustainable and resilient cities. The study focuses on the European lead by Mike Hutchins and the Chinese lead by Shen Yu, highlighting the Earthwatch Sponge Cities initiative. By replacing impermeable surfaces with wetlands, green rooftops, and rain gardens, cities can absorb stormwater, making water work for the city instead of against it. The study evaluates co-benefits and trade-offs, assesses environmental quality indicators, and explores business innovation in NBS implementation.

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Designing Sponge Cities: Integrating Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Places (DeSCIPHER)

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  1. Designing Sponge Cities for multiple benefits: integrating nature-based solutions to create sustainable places (DeSCIPHER) Main case study CEH (Europe lead: Mike Hutchins), University of Surrey, NIVA, University of Oslo, CAS Institute of Urban Environment (Xiamen) (China lead: Shen Yu), Tsinghua University (Beijing), Earthwatch

  2. Sponge Cities: a major recent Chinese initiative Sponge Cities: Replacing impermeable surfaces with wetlands, green rooftops and rain gardens means stormwater is absorbed back into the land, making water work for the city instead of against it Flooded street, Wuhan. Photo: AFP/Getty Bicester: 1980s district Bicester: 2010s district • Terminology: • Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) • Green Infrastructure • Low Impact Development • Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems Permeable pavements, Lingang. Photo: Helen Roxburgh

  3. Bringing it all together: multi-domain framework How do changes in climate and societal drivers affect the co-benefits and trade-offs between a range of environmental quality indicators arising from implementing NBS? Noise Heat Evaluating NBS at a range of scales Soil quality Air quality local neighbourhood Water quality Green space access whole city wider hinterland, airshed, downstream … Flood risk Environmental quality indicators Biodiversity

  4. Public use of urban parks; and business engagement Use of social media and other volunteered geographic information… …urban green space: 1) map its use 2) identify how to improve equitable access. How can business innovation be incentivised to provide or contribute to NBS?

  5. Expected results • A tool for assessing co-benefits and trade-offs arising from NBS implementation. • Definition of how environmental impacts at larger scales inform the choice of solutions adopted in urban areas • Evidence-based recommendations on design criteria and management strategies - to be applied when developing NBS to optimise co-benefits

  6. e.g. vegetation benefits Previous work: ecosystem services Reduces upper quartile temperature by 1.1 ⁰C in River Thames, UK. 3. Riparian shade: shade maps from canopy surface models enable simulation of water quality benefits (cooler water and suppressed eutrophication) 2. Spatial models calculate which houses benefit from noise reduction by trees 1. Atmospheric chemistry transport models calculate health benefits of urban vegetation via pollution removal

  7. Thank you! Example of previous work: Lead in sediment cores along an urban gradient: 5 sites in Shanghai: Natural sourceVehicle exhaust Coal combustion DeSCIPHER Designing Sponge Cities through Innovation, Policy, Health and Environmental Research Urban core …. developed …. developing

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