Martina Artmann

A quantitative review of urban ecosystem service assessments: concepts, models, and implementation.

Although a number of comprehensive reviews have examined global ecosystem services (ES), few have focused on studies that assess urban ecosystem services (UES). Given that more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, understanding the dualism of the provision of and need for UES is of critical importance. Which UES are the focus of research, and what types of urban land use are examined? Are models or decision support systems used to assess the provision of UES? Are trade-offs considered? Do studies of UES engage stakeholders? To address these questions, we analyzed 217 papers derived from an ISI Web of Knowledge search using a set of standardized criteria. The results indicate that most UES studies have been undertaken in Europe, North America, and China, at city scale. Assessment methods involve bio-physical models, Geographical Information Systems, and valuation, but few study findings have been implemented as land use policy.

Nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban areas: perspectives on indicators, knowledge gaps, barriers, and opportunities for action

textabstractNature-based solutions promoting green and blue urban areas have significant potential to decrease the vulnerability and enhance the resilience of cities in light of climatic change. They can thereby help to mitigate climate change-induced impacts and serve as proactive adaptation options for municipalities. We explore the various contexts in which nature-based solutions are relevant for climate mitigation and adaptation in urban areas, identify indicators for assessing the effectiveness of nature-based solutions and related knowledge gaps. In addition, we explore existing barriers and potential opportunities for increasing the scale and effectiveness of nature-based solution implementation. The results were derived from an inter- and transdisciplinary workshop with experts from research, municipalities, policy, and society. As an outcome of the workshop discussions and building on existing evidence, we highlight three main needs for future science and policy agendas when dealing with nature-based solutions: (i) produce stronger evidence on nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation and raise awareness by increasing implementation; (ii) adapt for governance challenges in implementing nature-based solutions by using reflexive approaches, which implies bringing together new networks of society, nature-based solution ambassadors, and practitioners; (iii) consider socio-environmental justice and social cohesion when implementing nature-based solutions by using integrated governance approaches that take into account an integrative and transdisciplinary participation of diverse actors. Taking these needs into account, nature-based solutions can serve as climate mitigation and adaptation tools that produce additional cobenefits for societal well-being, thereby serving as strong investment options for sustainable urban planning.

Assessment of Soil Sealing Management Responses, Strategies, and Targets Toward Ecologically Sustainable Urban Land Use Management

Soil sealing has negative impacts on ecosystem services since urban green and soil get lost. Although there is political commitment to stop further sealing, no reversal of this trend can be observed in Europe. This paper raises the questions (1) which strategies can be regarded as being efficient toward ecologically sustainable management of urban soil sealing and (2) who has competences and should take responsibility to steer soil sealing? The analyses are conducted in Germany. The assessment of strategies is carried out using indicators as part of a content analysis. Legal-planning, informal-planning, economic-fiscal, co-operative, and informational strategies are analyzed. Results show that there is a sufficient basis of strategies to secure urban ecosystem services by protecting urban green and reducing urban gray where microclimate regulation is a main target. However, soil sealing management lacks a spatial strategically overview as well as the consideration of services provided by fertile soils.

Special Issue on Green Infrastructure for Urban Sustainability

More than 50% of the world population now lives in urban areas, and the urban population is projected to reach 6.3 billion in 2050, most of which will reside in less developed countries (United Nations 2012). Urban green infrastructure as parks, forests, street trees, green roofs, gardens, and cemeteries is especially in an urbanized world of crucial importance as it is the main carrier of ecosystem services and improves the quality of life for urban residents. For instance, it supports regulating ecosystem services by increasing water infiltration (Haase and Nuissl 2007; Pauleit and Duhme 2000) and has positive impacts on the microclimate regulation (Gill et al. 2007; Hamada and Ohta 2010). Furthermore, urban green provides recreational facilities and offers urban residents the possibility to get in touch with nature (Matsuoka and Kaplan 2008) and supports the local food supply through allotment gardens (Barthel et al. 2013). Green infrastructure as a concept has been developed within the last two decades. It commonly refers to the connective matrices of green spaces that can be found in and around urban and urbanfringe landscapes (Mell 2008) or is simply defined as urban and periurban green space systems (Tzoulas et al. 2007). Due to its provision of numerous complementary ecological, economic, and social benefits, green infrastructure not only enables planners to develop multifunctional, innovative, and sustainable places (Mell 2008), but also promotes ecosystem and human health and wellbeing (Tzoulas et al. 2007) and provides abiotic, biotic, and cultural functions to advance and contribute to urban sustainability (Ahern 2007). Urban green infrastructure is closely related to human wellbeing and biodiversity in urban areas (Gaston 2010; Richter and Weiland 2012) and plays an important part in urban ecology. In recent years, in some published books on urban ecology, urban green was factored into investigations regarding how cities and their sociocultural, economic, and environmental systems can be managed in a way that allows producing sustainable cities (Alberti 2008; Endlicher 2011; Gaston 2010; Niemela et al. 2010; Richter andWeiland 2012). However, urban green mostly plays just a minor part when talking about atmospheric processes such as urban heat islands or climate change (Alberti 2008; Endlicher 2011). The studies on urban green infrastructure also focus on human perception, educational values of urban wilderness as part of urban green or social benefits by urban gardening (Richter and Weiland 2012; Endlicher 2011). However, only a few papers have investigated the recreational services in developing countries (Jim and Chen 2006, 2009). In some regional case studies, for instance, designers have paid more attention to implementing theoretical principles and government requirements in urban planning or landscape architecture, but lack technical support from ecological and geographical perspectives (Li et al. 2005; Jim and Chen 2003). Therefore, it is urgently necessary to improve the research scope and methods linking function, ecosystem services, planning, and the design of urban green infrastructure in the pursuit of urban sustainable development (Mao et al. 2012; Chang et al. 2007).

Allotment Gardens Contribute to Urban Ecosystem Service: Case Study Salzburg, Austria

AbstractAllotment gardens are an important feature in the urban landscape. They provide a range of ecosystem services (ES) and hence combine utility, social meaning, and beauty. Allotment gardens have been deeply embedded for almost two hundred years in European urban development. In many European countries, there is a great and rising interest in allotment gardening in traditional and new forms. Allotment gardens are often not well recognized as an important part of urban green in planning. Investigations into the ES they provide will help integrate them better in urban planning. This paper examines in which way urban allotment gardens contribute to ES in a case study in Salzburg, Austria. In this study, 156 allotment gardeners in four allotment associations were surveyed on the role allotment gardens play in recreation, food production, nature experience (learning and teaching about nature), ecological gardening, and environmental behavior. The results show the importance of allotment gardens in recreat...

Development of a concept for non-monetary assessment of urban ecosystem services at the site level.

Determining the performance of ecosystem services at the city or regional level cannot accurately take into account the fine differences between green or gray structures. The supply of regulating ecosystem services in, for instance, parks can differ as parks vary in their land cover composition. A comprehensive ecosystem service assessment approach also needs to reflect land use to consider the demands placed on ecosystem services, which are mostly neglected by current research yet important for urban planning. For instance, if a sealed surface is no longer used, it could be unsealed to improve ecosystem service supply. Because of these scientific shortcomings, this article argues for a conceptual framework for the non-monetary assessment of urban ecosystem services at the site scale. This paper introduces a standardized method for selecting representative sites and evaluating their supply of and demand on ecosystem services. The conceptual design is supplemented by examples of Salzburg, Austria.

Cities Built for and by Residents: Soil Sealing Management in the Eyes of Urban Dwellers in Germany

Urban soil sealing has negative impacts on ecosystem services through the loss of urban green. Besides protecting urban green from further sealing by proper urban planning, the efficiency of soil sealing management depends on residents and practitioners. This paper investigates the efficiency of strategies motivating urban dwellers to contribute to a less-space-consumption behavior, to green their roofs or unseal unused paved areas through a survey conducted in Munich and Leipzig, Germany. Moreover, the paper identifies the supply and demand of ecosystem services and living quality aspects along a sealing gradient to prove how compact cities of high living quality should look. Results suggest that information plays a vital role for residents to reduce soil sealing and the supply of a high living quality, including sufficient recreational areas and reduction in motorized traffic promotes compact cities. To guarantee a high acceptance of residents towards compact cities, the paper suggests applying a sealing gradient taking into account the importance and satisfaction of built-up environment qualities based on the concept of ecosystem services.

Sustainable noise abatement along motorways in Germany – an empirical study in the municipality Frasdorf (Bavaria)

As part of the planned expansion work of the motorway A8 between Rosenheim and Salzburg and the associated legal opportunity to develop new traffic noise protection measures, this study investigated properties of sustainable noise abatement in a community next to the A8. A two-stage empirical survey was conducted integrating a citizen and an expert Delphi survey. The results show that the noise from the motorway heavily affects the quality of life in health, economic and ecological respects. Sustainable noise abatement should take into consideration ecological and social aspects like landscape integration and contribution to local development due to the unique location of the municipality. Enclosed motorway canopies are particularly beneficial to meet these criteria. The costs for sustainable noise abatement measures should be weighted as less important; however, financial costs are crucial for the federal government due to the requirements of the Federal Pollution Control Act. Hence, residents and experts assume that noise barriers as the cheaper noise abatement measures will be implemented. However, the results of the study and the latest developments in the expansion plans suggest that the implementation of enclosed motorway canopies, which go beyond the legal requirements, is feasible through extensive citizen participation and community-specific planning.