Green infrastructure planning for urban
climate change adaptation & mitigation:
Challenges for urban ecological research
Stephan Pauleit
Centre for Forest & Landscape
University of Copenhagen
17/07/2009
Green Infrastructure
(Green Infrastructure Northwest)
Life support system - the network of natural
environmental components and green and blue spaces
Lies within and between cities, towns and villages
Provides multiple social, economic and environmental
benefits.
Physical components include parks, rivers, gardens,
street trees and moorland.
www.greeninfrastructurenw.org.uk/
Climate change hits cities hard
Concentration of people &
economy
Location in risk zones, e.g.
coastal areas, floodplains,
slopes
Elevated temperatures: Heat
island
Stormwater water runoff
increased
Climate change intensifies
heat island and stormwater
runoff
Key role of urban planning
Human population increasingly urban
IPCC reports emissions by sector, not urban areas
Focus on urban areas essential
To mitigate GHGs
Urban areas heavily impacted by climate change, where
adaptation efforts must focus
Through Urban Planning (UP) communities determine:
Land use, densities, character of built environment, parks
and open space, location and capacity of public infrastructure
and facilities
Through Urban Management, communities:
Administer public services and regulate and provide
incentives for private infrastructure providers and land
markets
Source: Blanco 2009
Research needs of urban planning
Planning analysis: down-scaling of global models &
assessment of vulnerabilities
Public engagement: techniques for public education &
engagement
Generating alternative options for integrated strategies
Assessment /Appraisal of Alternative Strategies
Adoption of plans, e.g. role of political leadership, NGOs,
planning capacity, public engagement in adoption of
plans
Implementation: institutional, legal and financial barriers
Evaluation of plans: Identifying and evaluating indicators
for monitoring
Source: Blanco 2009
Climate change
- Example Greater Manchester
Temperatures on a hot summer day
in C
Low density residential: +3,1C
Town centre:
+4,3C
Sources: Gill 2006, Gill et al. 2007
Vulnerability of people & places
Source: Lindley, 2009
Pluvial flooding
Greve Municipality
Stormwater runoff
56% more precipitation:
82% more runoff
Surface runoff (mm)
Sources: Gill 2006, Gill et al. 2007
Nye udfordring tilpasning til
klimaforandringer
Evapotranspiring surfaces
Sources: Gill 2006, Gill et al. 2007
UMT survey
Residential 10% green cover
Low density residential
High density residential
40
Max surface temp (C)
Max surface temp (C)
40
35
30
25
20
15
35
30
25
20
15
1970s
2020s
Low
2020s
High
2050s
Low
2050s
High
2080s
Low
Time period and scenario
2080s
High
1970s
2020s
Low
2020s
High
2050s
Low
2050s
High
2080s
Low
2080s
High
Time period and scenario
current development
Town centre shows
similar pattern
Sources: Gill 2006, Gill et al. 2007
-10% green
+10% green
Hydrological and climatic functions
of the green infrastructure
Corridors
Patches
Matrix
Retention
Infiltration
Evapotranspiration
Shading
Adapted from: Gill et al. 2007
Wenn Rasen vertrocknet
Droughts
(Available water content in the top 30cm = 0)
No. of month with AWC=0
Sources: Gill 2006, Gill et al. 2007
The role of trees
Retention and infiltration
Augustenborg, Malm
Bjlsen studentby, Oslo
Infiltration in tree trenches
- example Stockholm
Alvem & Bennerscheidt, 2009
Limits to compaction? Integrated strategies
Research challenges for urban ecology
Down scaling of cc scenarios & urban vulnerabilities
Understanding the role of GI in adaptation &
mitigation: heat island, stormwater
Adaptation of GI to climate change
Tools that help to bridge the gap between urban
ecology & planning and decision making, e.g.
UMT
Assessment of alternatives/appraisal needs
Scenario approaches Governance of adaptation
Inter- & transdisciplinary research approaches
Comparative approaches required
Acknowledgements
Dr. Susannah Gill
Mersey Community Forest, UK
[email protected]
Prof. John Handley
Centre for Urban and Regional Ecology
The University of Manchester, UK
[email protected]
Prof. Hilda Blanco
Department of Urban Design and Planning
University of Washington, USA
[email protected]
References
Alvem B.-M., Bennerscheidt C., 2009. Baumstandortoptimierung und Regenwasserbewirtschaftung
Chancen fr ein gemeinsames Vorgehen. In: Dujesiefken D. (Ed.) Jahrbuch der Baumpflege 2009. Taspo
Fachbuchservice, Braunschweig, S. 70-78.
Blanco H., Pauleit S., Jrgensen G., 2009. Integrated planning strategies for climate change mitigation and
adaptation in Europes urbanizing regionsTowards a research agenda. Presentation given at IARU
International Conference on Climate Change, Copenhagen, March 9-12.
Gill, S.E. (2006). Climate Change and Urban Greenspace. Unpublished PhD thesis, School of Environment and
Development, University of Manchester.
Gill S., Handley J., Ennos R., Pauleit S.,2007. Adapting cities for climate change: the role of the green
infrastructure. Journal Built Environment 33 (1), 115-133.
Lindley S., 2009. Research agendas on climate change: perspectives from the work of the Centre for Urban
& Regional Ecology. Presentation given at Climate Change and Urban Development workshop, Centre for
Forest and Landscape, University of Copenhagen, March 13, 2009.
Nicol F., Wilson W., Ueberjahn-Tritta A., Nanayakkara L., Kessler M., Comfort in outdoor spaces in Manchester
and Lewes, UK. Working paper, accessed 15/12/07
