BUGS - Benefits of Urban Green Space
Overview
Background & policy context:
The inter-related issues of urban sprawl, traffic congestion, noise, and air pollution are major socio-economic problems faced by most European cities. Addressing the impact of green areas on such diverse areas as traffic flows and emissions, air quality, microclimate, noise, accessibility, economic efficiency, and social well-being, this methodology will allow to deduce a set of guidelines regarding the use of green space as a design tool for urban planning, at scales ranging from a street canyon or a park to an entire urban region. Potential end-users are actively involved to help focus and steer the work. Supported by a marketing strategy, the ultimate goal is to turn the methodology into a self-sustaining activity, to be offered as a service to urban and regional authorities in Europe.
Objectives:
In order to achieve the objectives, the project was subdivided into two different phases, each of approximately equal importance in terms of human and financial resources:
- during the first phase the different models and methods were adapted to better suit the project's main goals, i.e., to enhance their capabilities to address issues related to urban green areas and urban shape. While doing so, process studies were also performed by each of the models separately, in order to evaluate the effects of urban green and morphology on specific areas such as noise, air quality. Also, remote sensing and GIS were used to quantify certain aspects of the green urban environment, such as the spatial distribution of green and its accessibility. In parallel to these activities, a particular effort was made to couple the different models and methods involved, in order to be prepared for the second phase;
- in the second phase, the models were applied - in a fully coupled mode - on a test domain located in the German Ruhrgebiet. Whereas in the first phase the focus was on understanding and modelling processes, the second phase was almost entirely devoted to getting the different models work together. Even though the main purpose of this integrated application was to demonstrate the feasibility of the BUGS approach, it also
delivered some interesting scientific results.
From the outset, the objective was to assemble a multi-disciplinary, complementary, and task-oriented team. The members of the consortium were brought together based on their expertise and competence in the respective disciplines. Addressing the new agenda of sustainable development requires environmental professionals to broaden their perspective to consider social and economic sustainability issues as well as environmental aspects of land use. On the other hand planning professionals should develop more knowledge about the environmental consideration of specific spatial developments. The principal innovative aspect of BUGS is that it brings together complementary disciplines in a project that aspires to developing a comprehensive view on environmental facets of urban planning. Our project draws its strength from a synergistic approach, combining expertise in the domains of transport, environmental impact assessment, socio-economic analysis, and spatial planning.
Methodology:
From a technological point of view, the main challenge consisted of the coupling of the different participating models into a coherent methodology, allowing to address urban environmental issues and urban planning in an integrated way. A further difficulty was that the methodology ought to be applicable anywhere in Europe, requiring a flexible and general approach. This was considered very important, as the ultimate goal of the BUGS project is to ensure implementation of the methodology after the discontinuation of the research project, under the form of study contracts or demonstration projects. From the outset, the objective was to assemble a multi-disciplinary, complementary, and task-oriented team. The members of the consortium were brought together based on their expertise and competence in the respective disciplines. Addressing the new agenda of sustainable development requires environmental professionals to broaden their perspective to consider social and economic sustainability issues as well as environmental aspects of land use. On the other hand planning professionals should develop more knowledge about the environmental consideration of specific spatial developments. The principal innovative aspect of BUGS is that it brings together complementary disciplines in a project that aspires to developing a comprehensive view on environmental facets of urban planning. Our project draws its strength from a synergistic approach, combining expertise in the domains of transport, environmental impact assessment, socio-economic analysis, and spatial planning.
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