Potential for Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Green Infrastructure

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2025 | Viewed by 3900

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Water, Environment, Civil Engineering, and Safety, Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, Breitscheidstr. 2, D-39114 Magdeburg, Germany
Interests: interdisciplinary research; ecological engineering; water and waste management; environmental assessment and impact mitigation; responsible use of resources
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ecological engineering, as the synthesis of ecology and engineering, deals with the sustainable design and operation of ecosystems heavily influenced by humans and uses nature-based solutions (nbS) to do so. The overarching engineering–ecological goal is to ensure sustainability in order to allow designed ecosystems to function permanently for the benefit of society and ecology. This Special Issue, on the one hand, uses findings from ecology and ecosystem research, material cycle management in the system with small material losses, the lowest possible proportion of technical energy, as well as the effective use of energy and materials. On the other hand we aim to outline the characteristics of these technologies, including multifunctional use, the integration of different spatial levels and the creation of both networks and decentralized, redundant decision-making structures, while at the same time using the best possible ecological construction methods and treatment processes.

Ecological engineering uses nature-based solutions (nbS) to create and develop coherent networks of green and blue infrastructure in rural and urban areas. The overview and definition of the World Conservation Union (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, IUCN, 2016) are helpful for determining the dimensions of nbS: “Measures for the protection, sustainable management and restoration of natural or modified ecosystems that address the societal challenges effectively and adaptively while providing benefits for human well-being and biodiversity” (IUCN, 2016). The IUCN refers in particular to nbS for overcoming societal challenges and specifically names climate change, food security, water security, disaster risks, risks to human health and risks to economic and social development.

This Special Issue deals with the potential for nbS in urban green infrastructure at all levels. The key issues addressed are:

  • Sustainable settlement ecosystems and urban green infrastructure
  • Multifunctional structural elements executed as nature-based solutions
  • Strategies and measures to promote biodiversity in urban areas
  • Sustainable landscape development in rural areas
  • Circular green and blue systems
  • Land recycling and land conversion

Prof. Dr. Petra Schneider
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • ecological engineering
  • ecosystem services
  • nature-based solutions
  • green infrastructure
  • land recycling
  • land transformation
  • animal-aided design
  • sustainable urban drainage
  • climate adaptation
  • biotope networks

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 9674 KiB  
Article
Inclusion of Nature-Based Solution in the Evaluation of Slope Stability in Large Areas
by Lukáš Zedek, Jan Šembera and Jan Kurka
Land 2024, 13(3), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030372 - 15 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1231
Abstract
In areas affected by mining, which are undergoing reclamation, their geotechnical characteristics need to be monitored and the level of landslide risk should be assessed. This risk should preferably be reduced by nature-based solutions. This paper presents a KurZeS slope stability assessment technique [...] Read more.
In areas affected by mining, which are undergoing reclamation, their geotechnical characteristics need to be monitored and the level of landslide risk should be assessed. This risk should preferably be reduced by nature-based solutions. This paper presents a KurZeS slope stability assessment technique based on areal data. This method is suitable for large areas. In addition, a procedure is presented for how to incorporate a prediction of the impact of nature-based solutions into this method, using the example of vegetation root reinforcement. The paper verifies the KurZeS method by comparing its results with the results of stability calculations by GEO5 software (version 5.2023.52.0) and validates the method by comparing its results with a map of closed areas in the area of the former open-cast mine Lohsa II in Lusatia, Germany. The original feature of the KurZeS method is the use of a pre-computed database. It allows the use of an original geometrical and geotechnical concept, where slope stability at each Test Point is evaluated not just along the fall line but also along different directions. This concept takes into account more slopes and assigns the Test Point the lowest safety factor in its vicinity. This could be important, especially in soil dumps with rugged terrain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potential for Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Green Infrastructure)
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27 pages, 7191 KiB  
Article
Does Urban Green Infrastructure Increase the Property Value? The Example of Magdeburg, Germany
by Tino Fauk and Petra Schneider
Land 2023, 12(9), 1725; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091725 - 5 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1749
Abstract
Are there any correlations between land use and the associated prices charged for the soil? What is the significance of green infrastructure and what is the significance of public facilities and transport? For the analysis of the data, various methods of factor reduction [...] Read more.
Are there any correlations between land use and the associated prices charged for the soil? What is the significance of green infrastructure and what is the significance of public facilities and transport? For the analysis of the data, various methods of factor reduction and analysis were used to identify a multiple regression model that explained the price building. An effect was found between the pricing of the standard land reference value (SLRV), number of trees and distance to allotments. Summarizing the results, less than 231 trees in an SLRV zone causes an SLRV increase, the opposite is the case with a larger number of trees. The more accessible an allotment garden is (in terms of distance <421 m), the lower the SLV in the adjacent area. If the distance that must be covered to the allotment garden increases, the SLRV of the area increases. However, a more significant influence on the SLRV was concluded by the market economy variables. In summary, the present study indicates that (a) a uniform evaluation matrix for the SLRV should be created, and (b) the present subjective land assessments by the relevant experts should be complemented through targeting further training in the ecologically oriented planning context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potential for Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Green Infrastructure)
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