Urban Arena Wiki - User contributions [en]

Energy and mobility solutions

2019-12-16T10:16:56Z

Constanca Belchior: /* Narrative of change */

Increased fossil fuel use is a major cause of global warming, leading to Climate Breakdown<ref>George Monbiot, Sep 2013, Guardian UK: Climate change? Try catastrophic climate breakdown https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2013/sep/27/ipcc-climate-change-report-global-warming</ref>. With much energy being used in the energy and mobility systems of moving citizens about cities, this cluster addresses technological interventions that can support the transition to a low-carbon society<ref>Robin McKie, Apr 2019, Guardian UK: Slow burn? The long road to a zero-emissions UK https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/21/long-road-to-zero-emissions-uk</ref>.

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

The technological interventions herein presented point to changes in the energy and mobility systems that can support the transition to a low-carbon society. These interventions mostly relate to good practices and recommendations based on research and case-study analysis, surveys and future studies (e.g. good practices in urban schemes with decarbonised transport and energy system, innovation roadmap for urban bus systems, research blindspots for vehicle-to-grid and electric mobility diffusion). It also includes a transnational pilot deployment towards advancing Smart Cities (e.g. through Intelligent Districts and Smarter Energy applications). Actors coming from business, academia and research, public / city authorities and policy makers, and citizens and the wider public were involved to varying degrees and combinations.

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

Some approaches aim to show proof of concept of a Smart City that is not only technologically pushed, but where there is increased pull from end-users, in particular public authorities and citizens. This means end-users are active shapers of a Smart City that fits their needs and nudges desired behaviours (e.g. increased energy savings). These approaches are part of a transnational pilot across different building-sites with a focus on Intelligent Districts, Smarter Energy, and Smarter Lighting interventions.

Smart cities are still an emerging concept in Europe that is being explored through small-scale pilot projects, such as those in cities across the Mediterranean through ESMARTCITY. Most of these pilots are still in the initial phases of massive data gathering, which then would determine the investments in building infra-structure. The biggest challenges arising from these pilots relate to data privacy and handling. Who owns the data collected from the end-users? What the threats and opportunities to making all the data publicaly available? How can the data be used and translated into benefits for all citizens and for the sustainability of the city? These are questions that remain unanswered for the time being, and which could hamper the scaling and transferal of Smart cities interventions.

Other approaches herein identified good practices, and defined investment and research priorities for the diffusion of technologies such as electric mobility and vehicle-to-grid, or for the increased performance, accessibility and efficiency or urban bus systems. The latter culminated in an Innovative Bus System Roadmap (2015) developed and supported by diverse stakeholders , such as industries, Public Transport operators and authorities, suppliers and research institutes, indicating areas for innovation and priorities research. These were stronger EU political commitment to improve public transport market shares (namely with quantitative targets), campaigning for a new identity of bus systems that would re-dignify the bus, creating financial support mechanisms to accelerate the modernisation of the bus systems in EU cities and supporting market uptake of newer and cleaner propulsion technologies, and ensure institutional investment for long-term innovation in the bus system.

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

All the approaches refer to cities, with applications in buildings or public spaces such as squares and streets, neighborhoods or system scales. Justice is identified as a key research area for ensuring accessibility and safety measures to bus infrastructures and vehicles, particularly in light of ageing population trends, and also as a blindspot in research related to the diffusion of electric mobility, vehicle-to-grid (V2G), and Smart Cities. The link between justice and sustainability is not addressed in depth in these approaches, but highlight that although a vehicle-to-grid or Smart city transition has much to offer society, less is understood about how those benefits are distributed, especially among vulnerable groups.

Sustainability topics cover smart and sustainable Green Growth, factors that shape energy demand from the viewpoints of both infrastructure and lifestyle and behaviour, and improved efficiency and reduced emissions from transport from a mobility perspective.

==Narrative of change==

Transitioning into a low-carbon society through smart and sustainable green growth of the energy and transport sectors, while promoting broader uptake of technological innovations and participation of end-users (in particular citizens and public authorities), and reducing traffic and pollution in Europe's cities.

Innovation ecosystems such as those brought about by Smart Cities, and taking system approaches to energy and transport development (namely linking end-users, vehicles, infrastructure and operations together with a high-quality service) are key elements of change. Sharing good practices to stimulate the deployment of key solutions at scale and exploiting research outcomes through sectoral and cross-sectoral networks are also fundamental.

Criticisms exist around the lack of a narrative and vision for a mobility system (rather than a transport system). Such mobility system would also have to be designed to serve the needs of the end-users first, rather than being mostly technologically driven. Today there is a lot of investment being directed to e-mobility and to make cities technologically smart, based on moving people from one place to another as efficiently as possible. These are important measures, namely to transition to a low-carbon society, but they are also are missed opportunities for wider well-being.

Designing and implementing a sustainable and just mobility system is an opportunity to bring about broader change in lifestyles and attitudes towards life in cities. What should be the importance of cars, when compared with smooth mobility (such as walking and cycling) or public transport systems? Could we have more grassroots development of mobility solutions, locally attuned and in a way that enhances the quality of the public space (e.g. a cooperative of privately owned cars<ref>DEEL - mobility cooperative in the Netherlands, https://wijzijndeel.nl/</ref>)? What new business models and community interventions could support the further transition from an integrated transport system to a mobility system that gives access to the city, improves its quality of life and nurtures the freedom to imagine different ways of living it (for inspiration see <ref>MobiCascais - an integrated mobility system in Cascais, Portugal, https://www.mobicascais.pt/</ref>, <ref>Happy Mobility movement, http://happymobility.nl/portfolio/happy-streets/</ref>, <ref>Hopkins, R., 2019, From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want, Chelsea Green Publishing</ref>)?

==Transformative potential==

One approach, as part of a foresight study, looked into enablers and obstacles of the energy transition towards a post-carbon society from a technological societal process and a political societal process. Furthermore, making public the data coming from the digitisation of cities, such as through Smart Cities interventions, without further consideration and or assessment structures for its further uses and ownership might be problematic given the e.g. commercial or surveillance value it carries.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

'''A transport roadmap for developing new bus systems based on more-electric technologies and alternative fuels in Europe´s cities'''

A transport roadmap for developing new bus systems based on more-electric technologies and alternative fuels was developed under the FP7 project 3 IBS - The Intelligent, Innovative, Integrated Bus Systems, and promises to reduce traffic and pollution in Europe's cities. The roadmap for an European Advanced Bus Systems was based on surveys conducted on European bus system strategies. It presents a snapshot of the bus fleets in operation in urban areas across Europe and helps understanding the role of bus systems in local mobility policies for the coming years, a step towards a stronger competitiveness of the bus in the urban environment.

It identified six research areas:
* A “bus system” perspective should be prioritised in order to manage efficiently interfaces with infrastructure, traffic and all users’ needs.
* IT platform integration; standardization and harmonization of information system and open architecture as a logical answer to efficient bus system integration
* Sustainability of the bus system can be reached via smart use of energy all along the bus system (of which electrification offers an important contribution), and the improvement of the environmental, economical and social performances under a life cycle perspective
* Research on innovative vehicle technologies;
* Modularity can bring an important contribution to the attractiveness of the bus system, through the optimization of the capacity, consumption (and emissions), as well as frequency of services during different hours according to the demand
* Meeting the mobility challenges of an ageing society; where future bus systems must also be attractive for elderly people and their needs

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Approaches]]
[[Category: Energy and mobility solutions]]
[[Category: Crowdsourcing]]
[[Category: Data collection]]
[[Category: Governance and participation processes]]
[[Category: ESMARTCITY]]
[[Category: NV2G]]
[[Category: PACT]]
[[Category: 3IBS]]

Energy and mobility solutions

2019-12-16T10:16:33Z

Constanca Belchior: added text in "narrative of change" based on the Urbana Arena Rotterdam roundtable discussion

Increased fossil fuel use is a major cause of global warming, leading to Climate Breakdown<ref>George Monbiot, Sep 2013, Guardian UK: Climate change? Try catastrophic climate breakdown https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2013/sep/27/ipcc-climate-change-report-global-warming</ref>. With much energy being used in the energy and mobility systems of moving citizens about cities, this cluster addresses technological interventions that can support the transition to a low-carbon society<ref>Robin McKie, Apr 2019, Guardian UK: Slow burn? The long road to a zero-emissions UK https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/21/long-road-to-zero-emissions-uk</ref>.

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

The technological interventions herein presented point to changes in the energy and mobility systems that can support the transition to a low-carbon society. These interventions mostly relate to good practices and recommendations based on research and case-study analysis, surveys and future studies (e.g. good practices in urban schemes with decarbonised transport and energy system, innovation roadmap for urban bus systems, research blindspots for vehicle-to-grid and electric mobility diffusion). It also includes a transnational pilot deployment towards advancing Smart Cities (e.g. through Intelligent Districts and Smarter Energy applications). Actors coming from business, academia and research, public / city authorities and policy makers, and citizens and the wider public were involved to varying degrees and combinations.

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

Some approaches aim to show proof of concept of a Smart City that is not only technologically pushed, but where there is increased pull from end-users, in particular public authorities and citizens. This means end-users are active shapers of a Smart City that fits their needs and nudges desired behaviours (e.g. increased energy savings). These approaches are part of a transnational pilot across different building-sites with a focus on Intelligent Districts, Smarter Energy, and Smarter Lighting interventions.

Smart cities are still an emerging concept in Europe that is being explored through small-scale pilot projects, such as those in cities across the Mediterranean through ESMARTCITY. Most of these pilots are still in the initial phases of massive data gathering, which then would determine the investments in building infra-structure. The biggest challenges arising from these pilots relate to data privacy and handling. Who owns the data collected from the end-users? What the threats and opportunities to making all the data publicaly available? How can the data be used and translated into benefits for all citizens and for the sustainability of the city? These are questions that remain unanswered for the time being, and which could hamper the scaling and transferal of Smart cities interventions.

Other approaches herein identified good practices, and defined investment and research priorities for the diffusion of technologies such as electric mobility and vehicle-to-grid, or for the increased performance, accessibility and efficiency or urban bus systems. The latter culminated in an Innovative Bus System Roadmap (2015) developed and supported by diverse stakeholders , such as industries, Public Transport operators and authorities, suppliers and research institutes, indicating areas for innovation and priorities research. These were stronger EU political commitment to improve public transport market shares (namely with quantitative targets), campaigning for a new identity of bus systems that would re-dignify the bus, creating financial support mechanisms to accelerate the modernisation of the bus systems in EU cities and supporting market uptake of newer and cleaner propulsion technologies, and ensure institutional investment for long-term innovation in the bus system.

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

All the approaches refer to cities, with applications in buildings or public spaces such as squares and streets, neighborhoods or system scales. Justice is identified as a key research area for ensuring accessibility and safety measures to bus infrastructures and vehicles, particularly in light of ageing population trends, and also as a blindspot in research related to the diffusion of electric mobility, vehicle-to-grid (V2G), and Smart Cities. The link between justice and sustainability is not addressed in depth in these approaches, but highlight that although a vehicle-to-grid or Smart city transition has much to offer society, less is understood about how those benefits are distributed, especially among vulnerable groups.

Sustainability topics cover smart and sustainable Green Growth, factors that shape energy demand from the viewpoints of both infrastructure and lifestyle and behaviour, and improved efficiency and reduced emissions from transport from a mobility perspective.

==Narrative of change==

Transitioning into a low-carbon society through smart and sustainable green growth of the energy and transport sectors, while promoting broader uptake of technological innovations and participation of end-users (in particular citizens and public authorities), and reducing traffic and pollution in Europe's cities.

Innovation ecosystems such as those brought about by Smart Cities, and taking system approaches to energy and transport development (namely linking end-users, vehicles, infrastructure and operations together with a high-quality service) are key elements of change. Sharing good practices to stimulate the deployment of key solutions at scale and exploiting research outcomes through sectoral and cross-sectoral networks are also fundamental.

Criticisms exist around the lack of a narrative and vision for a mobility system (rather than a transport system). Such mobility system would also have to be designed to serve the needs of the end-users first, rather than being mostly technologically driven. Today there is a lot of investment being directed to e-mobility and to make cities technologically smart, based on moving people from one place to another as efficiently as possible. These are important measures, namely to transition to a low-carbon society, but they are also are missed opportunities for wider well-being.

Designing and implementing a sustainable and just mobility system is an opportunity to bring about broader change in lifestyles and attitudes towards life in cities. What should be the importance of cars, when compared with smooth mobility (such as walking and cycling) or public transport systems? Could we have more grassroots development of mobility solutions, locally attuned and in a way that enhances the quality of the public space (e.g. a cooperative of privately owned cars<ref>DEEL - mobility cooperative in the Netherlands, https://wijzijndeel.nl/</ref>)? What new business models and community interventions could support the further transition from an integrated transport system to a mobility system that gives access to the city, improves its quality of life and nurtures the freedom to imagine different ways of living it(for inspiration see <ref>MobiCascais - an integrated mobility system in Cascais, Portugal, https://www.mobicascais.pt/</ref>, <ref>Happy Mobility movement, http://happymobility.nl/portfolio/happy-streets/</ref>, <ref>Hopkins, R., 2019, From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want, Chelsea Green Publishing</ref>)?

==Transformative potential==

One approach, as part of a foresight study, looked into enablers and obstacles of the energy transition towards a post-carbon society from a technological societal process and a political societal process. Furthermore, making public the data coming from the digitisation of cities, such as through Smart Cities interventions, without further consideration and or assessment structures for its further uses and ownership might be problematic given the e.g. commercial or surveillance value it carries.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

'''A transport roadmap for developing new bus systems based on more-electric technologies and alternative fuels in Europe´s cities'''

A transport roadmap for developing new bus systems based on more-electric technologies and alternative fuels was developed under the FP7 project 3 IBS - The Intelligent, Innovative, Integrated Bus Systems, and promises to reduce traffic and pollution in Europe's cities. The roadmap for an European Advanced Bus Systems was based on surveys conducted on European bus system strategies. It presents a snapshot of the bus fleets in operation in urban areas across Europe and helps understanding the role of bus systems in local mobility policies for the coming years, a step towards a stronger competitiveness of the bus in the urban environment.

It identified six research areas:
* A “bus system” perspective should be prioritised in order to manage efficiently interfaces with infrastructure, traffic and all users’ needs.
* IT platform integration; standardization and harmonization of information system and open architecture as a logical answer to efficient bus system integration
* Sustainability of the bus system can be reached via smart use of energy all along the bus system (of which electrification offers an important contribution), and the improvement of the environmental, economical and social performances under a life cycle perspective
* Research on innovative vehicle technologies;
* Modularity can bring an important contribution to the attractiveness of the bus system, through the optimization of the capacity, consumption (and emissions), as well as frequency of services during different hours according to the demand
* Meeting the mobility challenges of an ageing society; where future bus systems must also be attractive for elderly people and their needs

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Approaches]]
[[Category: Energy and mobility solutions]]
[[Category: Crowdsourcing]]
[[Category: Data collection]]
[[Category: Governance and participation processes]]
[[Category: ESMARTCITY]]
[[Category: NV2G]]
[[Category: PACT]]
[[Category: 3IBS]]

Sustainable households

2019-12-13T16:54:49Z

Constanca Belchior: Added text and references in "relation to urbana themes of cities, sustainability and justice" based on Arena 1 roundtable discussions on the cluster

Increased fossil fuel use is a major cause of global warming, leading to Climate Breakdown<ref>George Monbiot, Sep 2013, Guardian UK: Climate change? Try catastrophic climate breakdown https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2013/sep/27/ipcc-climate-change-report-global-warming</ref>. With much energy being used to heat or cool poorly designed or insulated buildings, this approach examines initiatives seeking to improve energy efficiency, namely the energy performance of building as a means of lowering carbon emissions to create carbon-neutral habitats, communities and cities<ref>Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance https://carbonneutralcities.org/about/</ref>. It also examines supply of renewable energy as a means to mitigate climate change, provide access to affordable clean energy and create job opportunities.

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

Sustainable households looks into technical interventions in small to medium-sized cities and household level so that they become technologically smarter, more energy efficient and/or reduce energy vulnerability, and increase renewable energy supply. Although the focus is on technological interventions, most approaches consider how to involve and engage relevant citizens and communities in the process. The approaches range from analysis of case-studies to planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions aimed at reducing energy demand and/or increasing renewable energy supply (e.g. thermal retrofitting of households, renewable energy production and use, job training, smart-meters, ICT-enabled urban management system).

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

The approaches included in this cluster range from exploring low-carbon pathways and benefits of interventions at a household and community level mostly in the EU and US, such as through retrofitting buildings and creating solar projects and jobs, to making concepts like “Smart Zero Carbon Cities” a reality in Europe based on an integrated approach for mobility, energy and ICT infrastructure.

Scalability of the impact seems to be an issue of concern. The SmartEnCity project aims to improve energy efficiency and increase renewable energy supply at a systemic level. As such, the strategies and actions developed in the pilot cities (e.g. retrofitting packages at a neighbourhood level, biomass district heating system, smart street light control system; technical consultations and community meetings) have been designed so that the process can be replicated in other cities. It also strives to work in a networked way, whereby they created a network of further cities to share experiences, knowledge, challenges and best practices gained through the approaches to support project replication at an European scale.

The relationship between low-carbon transitions and energy-related vulnerability and inequalities at the household or community level is also a major focus-area. To this effect, GRID Alternatives saw a need and opportunity after the 2001 energy crisis in California (USA) to serve low-income communities in the country with solar power. They have been since implementing projects that make solar technology practical and accessible for low-income communities, while providing pathways to clean energy jobs, with a “people-first” approach, where families, housing providers, utility companies, municipalities and government agencies all win from investments in solar energy. Examples of projects are no-cost solar installations for low-income households, technical assistance and solar installation for multifamily affordable housing providers, energy access for off-grid communities.

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

All approaches focus on urban interventions, from individual household level through community and neighborhood/district level. Some approaches are being implemented in different pilot cities. Aspects of distributional justice are addressed when it comes to prioritizing low-income communities (like making solar energy accessible and affordable to these communities, or retrofitting buildings in vulnerable neighborhoods). Some of the smart zero carbon solutions are also taking into account procedural justice, given their are developed in co-creation with the communities they target but also with city planners and developers.

Currently and on a general level, most interventions for sustainable households seem to be designed top-down, driven by policy or technical considerations (e.g. low-income target groups, energy savings). This reality raises a few sustainability and justice issues that bring both challenges and opportunities, namely:

*The technical interventions are usually insufficient to trigger behaviour change at scale for e.g. lower energy consumption and reducing carbon emissions from households. In addition, retrofitting projects (e.g. Zero on the Meter in social housing in the Netherlands<ref>Aedes - Dutch association of social housing organisations, 2016, Dutch social housing in a nutshell - examples of social innovation for people and communities https://dkvwg750av2j6.cloudfront.net/m/6c2c81c93f5a9522/original/Brochure-Aedes-Dutch-social-housing-in-a-nutshell-examples-of-social-innovation-for-people-and-communities-2016.pdf</ref>) also show that there is a need for an initial group of committed residents to become experts on sustainable energy systems. These can then act as local champions and pollinators of change - “energy coaches” - in the building/community.

*There is a lack of transparency on who can benefit from publicly-funded interventions, and how these funds are used (e.g. Save energy at home - Greece<ref>Save Energy at Home - Greece, October 2015, CT1: NEEAPs and annual reports and measuring progress in Energy Efficiency https://www.ca-eed.eu/content/download/4401/file/Saving%20Energy%20at%20Home%20-%20Greece%20Oct%2015.pdf/attachment</ref>).

*Examples already exist of interventions that benefit low-income communities. However, this population already has difficulties in access to decent, safe and affordable housing, so how will access to sustainable housing unfold for them?

*Urban environmental improvements tend to increase quality of life and property values – especially as urban environmental consciousness grows. The consequence of such improvements is that they price out vulnerable residents and drawing in new and wealthier residents, a phenomena called green gentrification i.e. the exclusion of the most economically vulnerable human population from affording sustainable households and accessing green spaces<ref>BCNUEJ - Barcelona Laboratory for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, published studies on green gentrification http://www.bcnuej.org/green-gentrification/</ref>.

*Countries where strong housing associations exist (e.g. Netherlands, Sweden) bring opportunities for impact at scale. In addition, they are strategic multi-stakeholder actors for change.

*Interventions mostly happen at an infrastructure level (eg. retrofitting). However, sustainable households is also about creating employment and community-coalition opportunities that can support sustainable development as a whole, beyond resource efficiencies (e.g. Emerald Cities Collaborative<ref>Emerald Cities Collaborative http://emeraldcities.org/</ref>).

*It is not clear if gender is adequately considered in the design of technical interventions in a household. Women tend to have a disproportionate role in household activities. As such, particular care is needed for including them in the decision-making process of where and how to intervene.

*How to move from household level to a community scale? Community involvement will be key to support wider behaviour-change. What could be creative incentives for change at the community level? Still, how can urban communities create/nurture a sense of belonging, which is something more easily present in rural communities?

==Narrative of change==

Climate change is one of the most important challenges that our society is facing. Energy demand and CO2 emissions are particularly high in urban areas. How can cities turn climate-related challenges into an opportunity and create growth? How to achieve the transition of municipalities into sustainable and resource-efficient urban areas? In particular how can low-carbon transitions drive economic growth and environmental benefits in communities most impacted by underemployment, pollution and climate change?

Cities allow for more alternatives in energy-efficient housing, eco-friendly transport and energy service provision. Transforming European cities into sustainable, smart and resource-efficient urban environments needs systems-level and replicable strategies aimed at improving energy efficiency and increasing the supply of renewable energy. A successful transition to a low-carbon society through clean, renewable energy also needs to include everyone, making this energy accessible to underserved communities.

==Transformative potential==

The approaches linked to solar power and jobs by GRID-Alternatives make an explicit commitment to equity and in particular to give voice to specific communities. Their premise is that low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately bear the burden of environmental injustice and climate change. As such, their focus is to provide opportunities stemming from solar energy to the communities most impacted by these issues as a key to creating equitable and lasting solutions.

Another voice that is intentionally picked-up is that of the many small and medium-sized cities in Europe, in comparison to the capital cities “which are usually in the spotlight” as defined in the SmartENCity project. The project is weaving a network of cities to share learnings and best practices from the approaches while incentivizing non-capital cities to become a Smart Zero Carbon City front runner. It also does so based on an integrated action oriented approach that supports strong citizen participation.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

'''SmartEnCity in Tartu, Estonia – Retrofitting "khrushchyovkas" into “Smartkovskas”'''<ref>SmartEnCity: Tartu retrofitting package https://smartencity.eu/about/solutions/tartu-retrofitting-package/</ref>

Tartu, in Estonia, is one the lighthouse cities for the SmartEnCity project. One of the lighthouse projects is piloting a series of retrofitting solutions in ca. 22 khrushchyovkas in the city center. The objective is to transform khrushchyovkas (a type of panel buildings that were constructed during Nikita Khruschchev´s rule starting from the 1950s) into “smartovkas” (i.e. high-quality living environments that inspire the community to make environmentally aware decisions and to change their patterns of consumption behavior) through a drastic reduction in the energy use of the buildings. With an average life cycle of 30-40 years, many of the khrushchyovkas have already outlived their time, meaning that the shortcomings in quality are becoming increasingly evident and might even pose a threat to their residents.

Technical interventions include insulation of all the outer walls of the buildings and roofs, replacing all windows and front doors to reduce heat loss, reconstructing the central heating system and installing thermostatic valves that allow to adjust room temperature in the range of 18-23°C, adding low-temperature cooling systems to complement the district heating system, installing 400-500 kWp PV panels to provide additional energy for the buildings, and setting up a smart home system.

Another of the main aims of the retrofitting activities is to encourage behavioral changes in the way residents consume energy and adapt to new technologies. Several citizen engagement solutions have been taken for boosting participation and interest in the project. These include regular information meetings, technical consultations, study trips to similar construction sites and forum discussions. Once the retrofitting activities have been completed, these awareness-raising actions will be replaced by a social innovation model that focuses on how to motivate residents to use the installed smart devices and to save energy.

The planned retrofitting package tackles one of the greatest challenges of Europe’s existing building stock – quickly deteriorating precast panel apartment buildings that were quickly produced in response to housing shortages.

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Approaches]]
[[Category: Sustainable households]]
[[Category: Energy and Mobility solutions]]
[[Category: SmartEnCity]]
[[Category: GRID Alternatives]]
[[Category: TRANSFAIR]]

Nature-based solutions for health and equality

2019-10-18T12:49:43Z

Constanca Belchior: added disclaimer

The European Commission defines nature-based solutions (NBS) as ‘solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience’<ref>ProGIreg: Nature-based solutions and green infrastructure http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/background/</ref>. This cluster of approaches examines how NBS can play a role and bring green elements into everyday urban living in the most equitable of ways, so that citizens of all communities have access to such urban regeneration projects.

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

Traditionally urbanisation has meant the loss of green spaces in cities, which has a negative impact on water, air, soil, biodiversity and the climate. Indications exist that close contact with nature brings benefits to human health and wellbeing, but the extent of this association varies by country and in urban areas of differing levels of prosperity. While nature-based solutions (NBS) can generally play a role to bring green elements into everyday urban living, this cluster focuses on how citizens in all urban areas benefit from such processes, as opposed to just a privileged few, with health concerning the full physical, mental and social well being of citizens.

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

The approaches included in this cluster range from: exploring the regeneration and integration of deprived social housing urban developments through urban innovation; to the co-creation of public space with citizens, using NBS to improve accessibility to post-industrial parts of cities; and to assessing medical health effects of the natural outdoor environment in typical populations in different regions in Europe. URBiNAT<ref>https://urbinat.eu/</ref> (Healthy corridors as drivers of social housing neighbourhoods for the co-creation of social, environmental and marketable NBS) began in 2018 and consists of a worldwide consortium of academic and business partners around 7 European cities that will act as living laboratories<ref>Experimentation labs http://wiki.urban-arena.eu/index.php/Experimentation_labs</ref> to implement healthy corridor solutions emerging from community-driven design processes. It focuses on the regeneration and integration of deprived social housing urban developments through an innovative and inclusive catalogue of NBS, ensuring sustainability and mobilising driving forces for social cohesion. Interventions focus on the public space to co-create with citizens new urban, social and nature-based relations within and between different neighbourhoods.

ProGIreg<ref>http://www.progireg.eu/</ref> (Productive Green Infrastructure for post-industrial urban regeneration) began in 2018 and is active in urban areas that face the challenge of post-industrial regeneration. These areas suffer from social and economic disadvantages, inequality and related crime and security problems. They lack quality green spaces, have a negative impact on human health and wellbeing and are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Phenotype<ref>http://www.phenotype.eu/en/</ref> (Positive health effects of the natural outdoor environment) focused on the day-to-day environments in which people live, other places where they spend time, and the effects on mental and physical health in cases from Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom between 2012 and 2015. Spaces included in their research were green spaces (roof gardens, city parks, courtyards) "greenery" (forests, nature reserves/parks, mountains, farmland, trees, landscaping) and “blue spaces” (water such as canals, ponds, creeks, rivers, beaches).

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

All the approaches have a high urban focus, with each project exploring different aspects of health and equality. While Phenotype (2012-15) explored more specific medical issues related to citizens proximity and use of local green spaces, both URBiNAT and ProGIreg seek to activate citizen involvement in regeneration of urban areas of varying scales along specific urban corridors in a number of cities. Phenotype mentions social justice, equity and fairness, and explored the health impacts on populations in residential neighbourhoods that did not live nearby to green public spaces. URBiNAT and ProGIreg both target unprivileged areas with low levels of green infrastructure, aiming at increasing availability and access to those areas, thus also environmental health justice.

Regarding sustainability issues, the 2 current projects, URBiNAT & ProGIreg, explore many aspects of sustainability to a very deep degree, seeking to identify and improve areas in cities through NBS including: biodiversity, the carbon cycle, soil consumption and use of natural resources in urban environments, citizen involvement, education and empowerment. Phenotype explored specific issues of air quality, fitness and related aspects associated with specific urban green areas.

==Narrative of change==

With increased urban transformation being implemented using NBS and other forms of Green Infrastructure (GI) in post-industrial urban areas suffering from social and economic disadvantages, inequality and related crime and security problems, the interests of the local citizens are not always paramount.

These approaches attempt to make urban transformation work with and for citizens, where solutions address all technical, social and economic challenges to bring green elements into everyday urban living. They seek to activate citizen involvement in the regeneration process of urban areas of varying scales along specific urban corridors in post-industrial districts in a number of cities and often use Living Labs as a community led tool for urban change.

==Transformative potential==

This approach has a high transformative potential, mostly seeking to act in currently problematic post-industrial urban areas, engaging and facilitating citizens to become involved in the urban regeneration of degraded environments in their localities, to develop community dynamics to take collective ownership for these areas and in some instances bring about a situation where NBS can offer new economic opportunities. Such community engagement can have a catalyzing effect, leading to organized local communities having greater say in future scenarios for their territories, thus amplifying democracy in innovative ways<ref>Democratic innovation through recognition http://wiki.urban-arena.eu/index.php/Democratic_innovation_through_recognition</ref>. involving people in creating much needed green amenities/NBS helps them take the issue of health and local environment into their own hands, thus empowering them in taking decisions about the kind of life they want to live.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

ProGIreg is creating Living Labs in post-industrial districts in four front-runner cities (Dortmund, Germany – Turin, Italy – Zagreb, Croatia - Ningbo, China) to develop, test and implement NBS. Another four follower cities (Cascais, Portugal - Cluj-Napoca, Romania - Piraeus, Greece - Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina) will closely follow the progress and engage in city-to-city exchange to replicate NBS locally. One of ProGIreg’s 8 types of NBS is “Accessible green corridors”. Based around rivers that nowadays are often left derelict and inaccessible for locals, projects involve local citizens in renaturing the rivers and green corridors, using a Living Labs<ref>http://wiki.urban-arena.eu/index.php/Experimentation_labs</ref> approach. The project’s focus is to improve the accessibility to these green corridors so that that deprived urban neighbourhoods become more livable and locals can connect more to nature.

URBiNAT aims to co-plan a number of healthy corridors as innovative and flexible NBS. From West to East, the cities of Porto, Nantes and Sofia act as frontrunners based on their demonstrated experience in the innovative use of public space with NBS. From South to North, the cities of Siena, Nova Gorica, Bruxelles and Høje-Taastrup share and replicate URBiNAT concepts and methodologies, acting as ‘followers’.

The Health Corridor is a ‘Green Articulation’ designed as a pedestrian walkway/viaduct in the public space to integrate neighbourhoods into the urban structure. Each Health Corridor will integrate and link diverse NBS developed by the horizontal partners, deploying the NBS Catalogue and appropriate monitoring and evaluation methods and tool. This will be achieved by focusing on the citizens’ well-being in relation to energy, water, food, nature, mobility, participation, behavioural change, digital democracy, social cohesion and the solidarity economy.

Healthy Corridors, with a customized NBS catalogue, will be co-created and co-planned for the frontrunner and follower cities, testing an innovative and inclusive urban model to regenerate deprived districts, specifically within and linking social housing neighbourhoods. Participative-design will be the cornerstone approach in achieving new models of urban development. Design thinking processes and methods will underpin the creation of Healthy Corridors with NBS.

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Clusters of approaches]]
[[Category: PHENOTYPE]]
[[Category: URBiNAT]]
[[Category: ProGIreg]]

Nature-based solutions for climate adaptation

2019-10-18T12:49:25Z

Constanca Belchior: added disclaimer

Recent UN warnings<ref>Jonathan Watts, J. (2019). Human society under urgent threat from loss of Earth's natural life. Guardian, UK. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/06/human-society-under-urgent-threat-loss-earth-natural-life-un-report</ref> about increased problems arising from climate breakdown (flooding, drought, food shortage) have led to recent declarations of climate emergency<ref>BBC (May 2019), UK: UK Parliament declares climate change emergency https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48126677</ref> by various governments<ref>Rick Noack, Washington Post (May 2019): Ireland and Britain declare climate emergencies, but will it make a difference? https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/05/10/ireland-britain-declare-climate-emergencies-will-it-make-difference/</ref>. With cities increasingly being seen as major solutions to Global Climate Change<ref>United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities/</ref>, this cluster of approaches examines how best cities can implement climate adaptation responses using nature-based solutions (NBS), that the European Commission defines as ‘solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience’<ref>ProGIreg: Nature-based solutions and green infrastructure http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/background/</ref>.

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

Within the overall concept of Nature-based solutions<ref>Nature-based_solutions http://wiki.urban-arena.eu/index.php/Nature-based_solutions</ref>, some are designed to respond specifically to the challenge of climate change adaptation. NBS for climate adaptation in urban areas can include responses to heat stress with green walls and roofs, rehabilitated gardens and small forest creation, as well as green and blue infrastructure for flood management. GrowGreen<ref>GrowGreen http://growgreenproject.eu/</ref> (Green Cities for Climate and Water Resilience, Sustainable Economic Growth, Healthy Citizens and Environments, 2017 - 2022) aims to create climate and water resilient, healthy and livable cities, making nature part of the urban living environment so as to improve the quality of life for all citizens while also helping business to prosper. It identifies high quality green spaces and waterways as NBS that are able to provide innovative and inspiring solutions to major urban challenges, such as flooding, heat stress, drought, poor air quality and unemployment while helping biodiversity to flourish. ProGIreg<ref>ProGIreg: Nature-based solutions and green infrastructure http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/background/</ref> (Productive Green Infrastructure for post-industrial urban regeneration) is active in urban areas that face the challenge of post-industrial regeneration. These areas suffer from social and economic disadvantages, inequality and related crime and security problems. Their “Green walls and roofs” approach improves building’s insulation, reduces storm water run-off, supports CO2 capture, filters pollutants, and increase biodiversity, leading to reduced energy consumption for heating or cooling (thus also costs for residents) and overall increases urban resilience.

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

A lot of the NBS for climate adaptation research and policy initiatives apply a 2-tier system of city networks, including European cities, but also linking with cities across the globe. GrowGreen began in 2017 and aims to create climate and water resilient, healthy and livable cities by investing in NBS. It seeks to embed NBS in long term city planning, development and management, so that accessible green and blue spaces are a permanent feature of all urban areas around the world. Its demonstration projects are designed and implemented in four (frontrunner) Cities (Manchester,UK: Valencia, Spain: Wroclaw, Poland: Wuhan, China), and three follower Cities (Brest, France: Zadar, Croatia: Modena, Italy) which face similar climate risks.

ProGIreg began in 2018 and is using Living Labs in post-industrial districts, similalrly in 2 of its 4 frontrunner cities (Turin, Italy: Zagreb, Croatia) to develop, test and implement NBS for climate adaptation. In Zagreb, the former Sljeme meat-processing factory is to be fully revamped into a business innovation centre with a 700m2 green roof and 300m2 of green walls, with potential to replicate this on other factory buildings at the same site. In Turin and Cluj-Napoca Green roofs and walls will be fitted to public buildings. Piraeus is a densely-populated area, with little ground space available for green regeneration, so the green roofs and walls will be used to improve local biodiversity and counteract the urban heat island effect. Both projects have a high level of transferability, as NBS projects are being developed by and with local community groups. 2 of the 4 follower cities (Cluj-Napoca, Romania: Piraeus, Greece) will closely follow the progress and engage in city-to-city exchange to replicate NBS locally.

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

NBS for climate adaptation seem to have a very high urban focus, with each project assisting in CO2 capture. GrowGreen sees itself as a vanguard project for development of NBS around the world, seeking to embed NBS in long term city planning, development and management, so that accessible green and blue spaces are a permanent feature of all urban areas. With Climate Breakdown worsening, its practical lessons for climate change adaptation are expected to rapidly increase in uptake.

Regarding justice, GrowGreen’s approach includes various actors and stakeholders, a citizen driven, bottom up approach has been used to develop NBS designs, with the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project being constantly assessed throughout. ProGIreg seek to activate citizen involvement in processes of urban regeneration of varying scales along specific urban green corridors in a number of cities, using the living labs (link) approach. Co-design of Nature-based Solutions (following NBS) lies at the core of the project and translates into systematically involving all relevant stakeholders, including local community groups, from the very start of the project, engaging them as equal co-creators. The aim of co-design is to achieve mutually valued outcomes, a joint ownership of the NBS implemented as well as a good fit between the NBS and the local context. Specifically ProGIreg has selected, possibly, challenging areas to work in, namely areas of deprived social housing and areas that suffer from social and economic disadvantages, inequality and related crime and security problems.

Regarding sustainability issues, GrowGreen is developing strategies for Climate change adaptation in cities, but its various areas of focus include: climate and water resilience responding to flooding, heat stress, drought, poor air quality and increasing biodiversity. ProGIreg explores many aspects of sustainability to a very deep degree, seeking to identify and improve areas in cities through NBS including: biodiversity, the carbon cycle, soil consumption and use of natural resources in urban environments, citizen involvement, education and empowerment. Citizen science and active citizen participation also include sustainable education and nature appreciation.

==Narrative of change==

With increased problems arising from climate breakdown (flooding, drought, food shortage) along with rapidly increasing urban transformation, how can NBS and other forms of green and blue Infrastructure best respond to modern cities urban climate challenges?

NBS in urban areas can tackle the challenges of climate change adaptation, using nature and nature-inspired mechanisms, as a means to counteract climate change impacts and as an alternative to carbon-intensive grey solutions. These include responses to heat stress with green walls and green roofs, rehabilitated gardens and small urban forest creation, as well as enhanced or restored green and blue infrastructure for flood management. It has been observed in this bundle of NBS, that researchers and policy-makers are recognizing and implementing ith more rigour the aspect of, active citizen participation as a key tool to bring about required change, and thus projects are developed by and with local community groups.

==Transformative potential==

All approaches attempt to make urban transformation work with and for citizens, therefor an intended high transformative potential is hoped for. ProGIreg’s report<ref>ProGIreg Deliverable 2.3: Co-designing Nature-based Solutions in Living Labs, pages 25-28 http://www.progireg.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Deliverables/D2.3_Report_on_WS_round_1_in_FRC_proGIreg_ICLEI_2019-04-30.pdf</ref> from the end of 2018 had a considerable amount of exploration into levels of citizen engagement and what full empowerment could mean. GrowGreen is a citizen-driven, bottom-up approach, the full impact of this in a transformative potential will become clear near end of project, but it shows high potential. Many NBS challenge institutions because they bring alternative solutions on the table, such as a proposed green corridor that cuts off car lanes and challenges also the automobile lobby, or the creation of constructed wetlands for water treatment instead of more grey-based/chemical solutions might challenge both the "common" hierarchies in established institutions. By placing new solutions on the table, institutional power structures get also reshuffled at government (public) and (market/business) private level.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

The focus of the GrowGreen (2017 - 2022) project was on Green Cities for Climate and Water Resilience, Sustainable Economic Growth, Healthy Citizens and Environments. They hoped to make a genuine and measurable contribution to the global NBS<ref>http://wiki.urban-arena.eu/index.php/Nature-based_solutions</ref> and city-greening agenda up to 2022, by 2019 the results in their 3 chief Frontrunner Cities were the following:

* GrowGreen’s chief Frontrunner City is Manchester, the fastest growing city in the UK outside of London. Five of the Greater Manchester region’s 13 rivers flow through the City of Manchester and are a major source of floods. The city’s long history of flooding is partly due to floodplain development, an ageing sewer system, covering rivers, and the large areas of impermeable surface that have resulted from urban growth. Surface water flooding has increased tenfold between 1945 and 2008, and is predicted to increase further with climate change. A community park with integrated NBS was designed in the neighbourhood of West Gorton, which is one of the city’s priority areas for housing development. The project is supporting local partners and stakeholders to design and deliver a detailed green infrastructure masterplan for the neighbourhood, expected to include parks, green streets, trees, rain gardens, community food growing, green roofs, attenuation ponds and a number of Sustainable Urban Drainage features.

* Valencia is located in the centre of Spain’s eastern Mediterranean coastline, and is the country’s third city demographically and economically. The city has a warm-temperate subtropical climate, with hot summers and little rainfall. Climate change analyses for the city suggest that increasing temperatures, extreme weather events, and decreasing rainfall are likely for the remainder of the century. The city’s NBS demonstration project to address these heat-related risks is located in the Benicalap-Ciutat Fallera district, which has high levels of immigration and unemployment, as well as an ageing population and deteriorating infrastructure. Several projects have been designed in Benicalap. These include a vertical eco-system which will desalinate water for reuse, a small sustainable forest with species selected specifically to maximise carbon sequestration, a green-blue corridor which includes new street tree and shrub planting, green roofs to mitigate the impact of heat stress and actions to enhance community engagement such as a new biodiversity app and a community food growing project.

* Wroclaw is the fourth most populated city in Poland and despite extensive flood protection works, up to 36% of the city remains at risk of flooding. Major floods have recently disrupted energy, transport and communication systems. Heat waves and drought are increasingly common during the summer months, and are exacerbated by the urban heat island effect. The city’s NBS demonstration projects are designed to address these dual risks of heat and flooding. The demonstration projects will take place in the Olbin/Plac Grunwaldzki (downtown) district of the city, which is a dense, multi-use neighbourhood that ranges from wealthy to socially deprived. The pocket parks, green walls and green streets envisioned as part of the project will be co-designed with local residents. In addition, a neighbouring district, the Biskupin/Sepolno (garden city) area, will be evaluated to determine how green development from the 20th century performs today. Since the project started, several courtyards have been designed within residential tenement blocks in Olbin. The new green courtyards will create attractive new communal green spaces whilst also incorporating NBS into the designs. Extensive community consultation has been carried out with proactive citizen engagement in the design.

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Clusters of approaches]]
[[Category: ProGIreg]]
[[Category: GROWGREEN]]

Nature-based solutions

2019-10-18T12:48:57Z

Constanca Belchior: added disclaimer

Cities around the world are undergoing significant transformations and are facing substantial challenges in the form of urban densification and extreme weather conditions, due to climate change and the ongoing urbanisation. In Europe, more than 70% of the population is already living in urban areas. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are becoming an effective tool for such eco urban regeneration, but their social impact is being questioned as a form of green gentrification in certain communities<ref>GREENLULUS: Green Locally Unwanted Land Uses http://www.bcnuej.org/projects/greenlulus/</ref>. The European Commission defines NBS as ‘solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience’.<ref>ProGIreg: Nature-based solutions and green infrastructure http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/background/</ref>

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

Nature-based solutions (NBS) have been examined in a number of research projects that involve stakeholders, as a way to make cities greener and more sustainable. Looking at NBS as the way forward in sustainable urbanism, projects have also looked at barriers that prevent the wider implementation of NBS and have examined potential means of overcoming these barriers. For example, a justice-based analysis examines questions of social equity in relation to the impact of NBS and related City Greening initiatives.

Examples of NBS inspired and supported by nature are numerous, including: green roofs and city parks that can limit heat stress; city lagoons that store water; and permeable surfaces, vegetation and rain gardens to intercept stormwater. NBS can deliver multiple benefits such as multi-functional green spaces that support adaptation to climate change while also being used for sports and recreation, as well as serving as places for local distinctiveness, increasing the aesthetic appeal of a neighbourhood, and providing a sense of community.

As NBS is a relatively new concept in research and policy, the impacts of implementing such approaches are only recently starting to crystalize. The NATURVATION<ref>NATURVATION https://naturvation.eu/</ref> (Nature Based Urban Innovation, 2016-2020) project outlined that despite their significant potential, the use of NBS solutions remained marginal, fragmented, and highly uneven within and between cities. The CLEVER Cities<ref>CLEVER Cities http://clevercities.eu/</ref> (2018-2023) project has identified ten key barriers to NBS implementation: 1) Limited knowledge base for nature-based solutions. 2) Inadequate governance structures. 3) Balancing the multiple goals NBS can deliver. 4) Effective citizen involvement. 5) Insufficient social inclusion. 6) Insufficient social acceptance. 7) Lack of political support. 8) Lack of financial support. 9) Monitoring challenges. 10) Upscaling difficulties. The GrowGreen<ref>GrowGreen http://growgreenproject.eu/</ref> project seeks to embed NBS in long term city planning, development and management, so that accessible green and blue spaces are a permanent feature of all urban areas. Many approaches have identified the need for local communities’ active participation in the creation of NBS, which the URBAN GreenUP<ref>URBAN GreenUP https://www.urbangreenup.eu</ref> (New Strategy for Re-Naturing Cities through NBS, 2017-2022) project identifies as the core of urban green regeneration. GREENLULUS<ref>GREENLULUS http://www.bcnuej.org/projects/greenlulus/</ref> (Green Locally Unwanted Land Uses, 2016 – 2021) project further explores if, and attempts to measure the extent to which, greener cities are less racially and socially equitable or whether greening projects tend to increase environmental inequalities.

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

The approaches vary widely in scope and size. A number of efforts have been made to systematically organize examples, and research findings around NBS and their implementation:

It is quite common that NBS projects would use the Living Labs approach to develop solutions with and by local communities in front-runner cities, and then try these approaches later in follower cities, such as the ProGIreg<ref>ProGIreg: Nature-based solutions and green infrastructure http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/background/</ref> (productive Green Infrastructure for post-industrial urban regeneration) project, that is active since 2018 in urban areas that lack quality green spaces and suffer from social and economic disadvantages, inequality and related crime and security problems. Through interconnected projects, it will implement 8 types of NBS: 1) Leisure activities and clean energy on former landfills 2) New regenerated soil 3) Community-based urban farms and gardens 4) Aquaponics 5) Green walls and roofs 6) Accessible green corridors 7) Local environmental compensation processes 8) Pollinator biodiversity.

Nature4Cities (NBS for re-naturing cities: knowledge diffusion and decision support platform through new collaborative models, 2016 - 2020)<ref>Nature4Cities https://www.nature4cities.eu/</ref> is creating a comprehensive NBS reference Platform<ref>NBS reference Platform http://www.nature4cities-platform.eu/</ref> to empower urban planning decision-making based around new governance and collaborative models driven by citizens, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders. They distinguish 3 distinct levels with the following list of NBS examples:

* NBS at building or plot level: Permeable paving | Urban meadow | Private garden | Shelter for auxiliary fauna - insect hotel | Use of auxiliary fauna - Earth worms | Climber covered green building | Sustainable urban drainage system | Green roof and meadow | Combined solutions - Green roof with renewable energy | Rooftop farming
* NBS at neighborhood or district level: Cemetery | Pedestrian way with sand | Green wharf | Spontaneous flora | Street trees | Permeable riverbank | Community garden | Water body | Urban park
* NBS at city level and beyond: Urban farming | Constructed wetland | Beehive | Green street network | Urban forest | Ecological corridors | Urban planning

A similar effort is the Urban Nature Atlas<ref>Urban Nature Atlas https://naturvation.eu/atlas</ref>, from the NATURVATION<ref>NATURVATION https://naturvation.eu/</ref> project, which maps 1000 examples of Nature-Based Solutions from across 100 European cities, and provides information on the key challenges they address, the type of urban setting they are implemented in, their cost, management set-up and type of financing source.

UNaLab<ref>UNaLab https://www.unalab.eu/</ref> (Urban Nature Labs, 2017 – 2022) is aiming to develop smarter, more inclusive, more resilient and increasingly sustainable cities through innovative NBS. It focuses on urban ecological water management, accompanied with greening measures and innovative and inclusive urban design. The UNaLab consortium centered around a diversity of stakeholders from 10 cities across Europe and beyond, including municipalities, research, business and industry, some cities some are more implementation-oriented, others are more assessing/observing how NBS are realized, so as to later replicate in a different context.

The GREEN SURGE<ref>GREEN SURGE https://greensurge.eu/</ref> (Green Infrastructure and Urban Biodiversity for Sustainable Urban Development and the Green Economy, 2018 - 2023) project is a collaborative project between 24 partners in 11 countries, they will produce a Manual for Urban Green Infrastructure Planning, which will be aimed at planners, policy-makers, and other practitioners. URBAN GreenUP also involves European and non-European partner cities with the aim to mitigate the effects of climate change, improve air quality and water management: Three European cities will assume the demos as front-runners (Valladolid, Liverpool and Izmir), other set of two European cities will act as followers to strengthen the replication potential of the results (Ludwigsburg and Mantova) and finally three non-European cities (Medellín, Chengdu, China and Quy Nhon, Vietnam) will allow to identify the market opportunities for European companies out of Europe and fostering the European leadership in NBS implementation at global level. They are grouped into four main categories: re-naturing urbanization, water interventions, singular green infrastructures and non-technical interventions.

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

All approaches have a very high urban focus, but the level to which justice is addressed varies greatly. Most research projects are concerned with the direct implementation of NBS or the development of tools to assist in the process. While some approaches attempt to create citizen driven, bottom up processes that seek to include the highest level of community engagement in the process, some also aiming at NBS providing improved economic opportunities for disadvantaged communities. GREENLULUS stands out as a unique project that seeks to understand the impact of NBS and related urban processes on certain communities, as creating or exacerbating inequalities in the form of green gentrification.

Sustainability issues addressed by a high number of approaches include climate and water resilience responding to flooding, heat stress, drought, poor air quality, biodiversity, the carbon cycle, soil consumption and use of natural resources in urban environments, citizen involvement, education and empowerment. Regarding the linkage of sustainability and justice, this approach has an overall high level, but from different aspects. On the one hand, NBS aim at increasing availability of green/blue spaces which are beneficial to all people, some address explicitly disadvantaged areas, so mend past injustices in underprivileged neighborhoods, and some aim specifically at including/addressing the needs of vulnerable groups (like children, the elderly). However, on the other hand, counter-effects of NBS (like gentrification) are only now beginning to be studied as drivers of injustice, and wider issues of uneven patterns of participation in public debate/workshops/consultations continue to persist and express also in NBS projects."

==Narrative of change==

With increased problems arising from climate breakdown (flooding, drought, food shortage) along with rapidly increasing urban transformation, how can NBS and other forms of Green and Blue Infrastructure best respond to modern cities urban climate challenges?

These approaches seek to respond to the urgent challenges of climate mitigation and adaptation by using NBS in urban areas, so as to achieve as rapidly as possible more sustainable, resilient and just cities and communities. Having identified that many NBS remained marginal, fragmented, and highly uneven within and between cities, many projects that involve city stakeholders are taking steps to employ bottom-up, community-led approaches that involve local communities to the highest degree in the co-design, implementation and ongoing upkeep of NBS. Many approaches work at a series of scales, to see NBS as tools of connections between currently disconnected urban communities, especially in post-industrial areas, where solutions also include improved economic opportunities through outputs from the urban solutions, such as selling honey in ProGIreg’s Pollinator biodiversity<ref>Pollinator biodiversity http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/pollinator-biodiversity/</ref> NBS.

==Transformative potential==

Most approaches have high transformative potential, seeking to act in currently problematic post-industrial urban areas, engaging and facilitating citizens to become involved in the urban regeneration of Green and Blue areas in their localities, to develop community dynamics to take collective ownership for these areas and in some instances bring about a situation where NBS can offer new economic opportunities. Such community engagement can have a catalyzing effect, leading to organized local communities having greater say in future scenarios for their territories. The development of urban (green) corridors can physically improve connections with surrounding local areas facing similar challenges and general health benefits that will increase with time. The GREENLULUS approach questions certain aspects of NBS, suggesting how deeper questioning of justice in urban re-naturing and new strategies can be developed to identify and resist the negative aspects of NBS.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

The GREENLULUS approach is most aligned to the chief line of investigation of the UrbanA project. GREENLULUS analyzes the conditions under which urban greening projects in distressed neighbourhoods redistribute access of environmental amenities to historically marginalized groups. The study takes place in 40 cities in Europe, the United States, and Canada. The research assesses the extent to which urban greening projects such as parks, greenways or ecological corridors encourage and/or accelerate gentrification, given such projects have been recently shown to be factors contributing to residents’ exclusion and marginalization. Through an innovative FUG (Fair Urban Greening) index, it analyzed which cities most equitably distribute the benefits of greening. They also provide new tools for municipal decision-makers to conduct an environmental equity performance analysis of new or restored green amenities. Lastly, their research included an in-depth analysis of cases of community mobilization and contestation, and of the policies and measures that municipalities develop to address exclusion in “greening” neighbourhoods. Their hypothesis is that the social and racial inequities present in sustainability projects make green amenities Locally Unwanted Land Uses (LULUs) for poor residents and people of color.

NATURVATION’s Urban Nature Atlas maps 1000 NBS examples from across 100 European cities, 2 of which include:

* Urban gardens of Poblenou (Horts indignats del Poblenou)<ref>Urban gardens of Poblenou https://naturvation.eu/nbs/barcelona/urban-gardens-poblenou</ref>
It is a community garden initiated by the autonomous assembly of the Poblenou neighborhood. It has changed location a number of times, eventually occupying the empty lot of demolished buildings. Over time the garden expanded taking over an adjacent empty space, as well as other yards in the neighborhood. The garden is not maintained for strictly productivity purposes, especially because much of its soil has been contaminated by a soap factory. It is rather used as a space for social encounter and knowledge sharing on planting and working with the earth on communitarian basis (1 and description provided by CEU).

* Lisbon Biodiversity Route (Rota da Biodiversidade)<ref>Lisbon Biodiversity Route https://naturvation.eu/nbs/lisboa/lisbon-biodiversity-route</ref>
Pedestrian route with 14 km,marked according to the norms of the Portuguese Federation of Camping and Mountaineering, connects the Forest Park of Monsanto to the Tejo river, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the capital's biodiversity.(ref. 4). The position and expressive dimension of these connected areas is decisive in the regulation of the climate,quality of the air and in the diversity of habitats that the city offers for the proliferation of life. The Biodiversity Route is a circular route, which can be done on foot or by bicycle in each,species of fauna and flora that can be observed.

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Clusters of approaches]]
[[Category: NATURVATION]]
[[Category: GROWGREEN]]
[[Category: UNALAB]]
[[Category: ProGIreg]]
[[Category: URBAN GreenUP]]
[[Category: GREEN SURGE]]
[[Category: GREENLULUS]]
[[Category: Nature4Cities]]
[[Category: CLEVER Cities]]

Community gardens and food

2019-10-18T12:48:17Z

Constanca Belchior: added disclaimer

With modern cities up taking up only three percent of the world’s land surface, their ecological footprints actually cover the entire globe. In recent decades urban solutions are moving from Sustainable Cities to Regenerative Cities<ref>Herbert Girardet (2014): Creating Regenerative Cities https://www.routledge.com/Creating-Regenerative-Cities/Girardet/p/book/9780415724463</ref>. A factor in this shift seeks to reduce energy use in food transport by increasing urban agriculture, thereby cutting fossil fuel dependance and misuse while building community resilience.<ref>Megan Quinn (2006) The power of community: How Cuba survived peak oil https://www.resilience.org/stories/2006-02-25/power-community-how-cuba-survived-peak-oil/</ref>

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

Community gardens and other aspects of food production, together with their related spaces and processes, are seen as important loci that can lead to various types of urban transformation in cities. Some examples of approaches that relate to this theme include: ‘Edible City Solutions’, community-based urban farms and gardens, aquaponics, and community gardens for social reintegration. While our examples here are mostly based in Europe, some have had a global outreach with city partners based in Central America, Africa and East Asia. The systemic use of urban landscapes for food production is a major step towards more sustainable, livable and healthier cities. Many approaches are seen to empower local communities to overcome social problems by their inclusive and participatory dynamics. Others have also created dynamics for new green businesses and jobs, such as selling locally produced honey<ref>Pollinator biodiversity http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/pollinator-biodiversity/</ref>, thereby generating local economic growth and fostering social cohesion.

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

EdiCitNet<ref>https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/216082/factsheet/en</ref> is the Edible Cities Network Integrating Edible City Solutions for social resilient and sustainably productive cities and has just started in 2018, expected to run until 2023. EdiCitNet focuses around Edible City Solutions (ECS), including different forms of urban farming combined with closed loop systems for sustainable water, nutrient, and waste management<ref>Säumel, Ina; Reddy, Suhana E; & Wachtel, Thomas: Edible City Solutions—One Step Further to Foster Social Resilience through Enhanced Socio-Cultural Ecosystem Services in Cities. Published in Sustainability, February 2019 https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i4p972-d205771.html</ref>. It examined case studies in Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Andernach (Germany), Oslo (Norway), Heidelberg (Germany), and Havana (Cuba), and found that while the implementation of Nature-based solutions (NBS) (link) has increased in the last decade, they have not been able to significantly increase social cohesion as they mostly invite users to ‘stay and use’ passively but not to become actively involved on-site, in an ongoing fashion. According to findings from the EdiCitNet, around the world and across all socioeconomic groups, cultural and generational differences ECS are booming and demonstrate a high potential for a participatory development of social cohesion.

The ProGIreg<ref>http://www.progireg.eu/</ref> (Productive Green Infrastructure for post-industrial urban regeneration) project began in 2018 and is active in post-industrial urban areas that suffer from social and economic disadvantages, inequality and related crime and security problems. Its approach is based on the use of Living labs<ref>http://wiki.urban-arena.eu/index.php/Experimentation_labs</ref> with local communities in order to affect change using eight interconnected NBS based on food production. This Community-based urban farms and gardens<ref>ProGIreg NBS #3: Community-based urban farms and gardens approach http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/community-based-urban-farms-and-gardens/</ref> approach will turn unused urban land into productive community gardens, contributing to improved mental and physical health through exposure to nature and healthy sources of food and a community feeling. Additionally an aquaponics<ref>ProGIreg NBS #4: Aquaponics http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/aquaponics/</ref> approach will be tried in 4 cities. Aquaponics is a combination of raising fish (aquaculture) in tanks, together with soilless cultivation of plants (hydroponics) in a symbiotic environment, whereby the fish waste water provides the nutrients needed to feed the plants. This approach is easy to operate and ideal for promoting local food production in areas with contaminated or poor quality soil, and has the potential of creating green job opportunities.

Another approach implemented through the CITISPYCE project<ref>http://www.citispyce.eu/</ref> (Combating inequalities through innovative social practices of, and for, young people in cities across Europe, 2013-2015) worked with young people in Elefsina, Athens, and used a Municipal Vegetable Garden as a private initiative<ref>CITISPYCE Repository of Case Studies I: Athens - Topeko (Case Studies I: Local Actions for social integration of vulnerable groups in the Municipality of Elefsina (TOPEKO) http://www.citispyce.eu/citispyce-repository-case-studies</ref>. Originating from an NGO called EPEKA, it aimed at the social reintegration of people facing financial difficulties through their active engagement with the vegetable garden. It successfully resulted in 3 young people (up to 30 years old) finding employment.

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

Urban gardens have come to symbolize a proximate and locally driven way of improving life in cities, not only in terms of food provision and greening but also as inclusive community hubs that promote sustainability. In all their diversity, urban gardens are not only responses from below to the socio-economic crisis and its associated precariousness, but have also increasingly become part of urban planning and policy.

Food justice activists defend urban agriculture as an important tool for urban food security and sovereignty (Anguelovski, 2014)<ref>Anguelovski, Isabelle (2014) Alternative food provision conflicts in cities: Contesting food privilege, injustice, and whiteness in Jamaica Plain, Boston https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268693826_Alternative_food_provision_conflicts_in_cities_Contesting_food_privilege_injustice_and_whiteness_in_Jamaica_Plain_Boston</ref>, especially so in the context of food deserts and unhealthy foodscapes. Gardening work holds individual healing and other health benefits for socially vulnerable residents and can help them recover from trauma.

Regarding sustainability issues, EdiCitNet´s ECS conceptional framework explores how urban farming combined with closed loop systems for sustainable water, nutrient, and waste management can create more resilient cities. Both ProGIreg and EdiCitNet explore many aspects of sustainability to a very deep degree, seeking to identify and improve areas in cities through NBS including: biodiversity, the carbon cycle, soil consumption and use of natural resources in urban environments, citizen involvement, education and empowerment. Citizen science and active citizen participation also include sustainable education and nature appreciation.

==Narrative of change==

With modern cities possessing such large ecological footprints, being dominated by grey infrastructure and automobile use, with often serious health damaging effects (air pollution, heatstress, little opportunity and space for recreation and sport)he systemic use of urban landscapes for food production can act as a major step towards more sustainable, liveable and healthier cities.First, urban agriculture more generally, and related NBS that have been proposed based on this idea, act as a means to lowering energy dependence by increasing local food distribution and markets, thereby reducing global carbon emissions and increasing urban resilience. Second, growing food in community gardens promotes physical exercise and cultivates healthier eating habits. Their health effects expand to mental health benefits through socialization and engagement with natural processes, as well as because they provide greener, more quiet and more pleasant, proximate urban environments.

Beyond their potential for food security and health, community gardens serve also social empowerment and broader political engagement goals, as they become places of exchange and sharing; a place of urban commoning. The transformative potential of local food production zones more generally has been located in their potential of empowering local communities to collectively alleviate social problems, through their inclusive and participatory dynamics. Some initiatives can create new green businesses and jobs, thereby generating local economic growth and fostering social cohesion. An example of this was Cuba’s market gardens (including rooftops) during the countries “special period” when the 1990s US trade blockade and fuel shortages led to an agricultural and partial economic restructuring. The 2006 film by Community Solutions<ref>Film: The Power of Community. How Cuba Survived Peak Oil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99WCn_nFSAY</ref><ref>Wikipedia: The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Community:_How_Cuba_Survived_Peak_Oil</ref> and research by UK based Bohn & Viljoen Architects<ref>Bohn&Viljoen Architects (2012). Scarcity and Abundance: Urban Agriculture in Cuba and the US https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262867813_Scarcity_and_Abundance_Urban_Agriculture_in_Cuba_and_the_US</ref> explored this period and helped inspire their Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes (CPUL) urban proposal<ref>CPULs – Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes – Andre Viljoen (2006) https://www.transitionculture.org/essential-info/book-reviews/cpuls/</ref> and subsequent food art project DOTT 07<ref>Middlesbrough Urban Farming Project https://www.ryerson.ca/carrotcity/board_pages/city/middlesbrough.html</ref> in Middlesbrough in 2007 which culminated with a moment "where up to 8,000 people shared meals from the food that had been grown"<ref>Early, Catherine (2008) In; Guardian, UK: Urban jungle https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/mar/26/cityfood</ref>.

==Transformative potential==

Some projects offered high degrees of Transformative potential, ProGIreg and EdiCitNet both seeked to make urban transformation work with and for local communities, where citizens become active participants in the construction and upkeep of community projects and spaces in their communities, as opposed to being just passive ‘stay and use’ users. The growth of such community decision making processes could lead to wider aspects of future neighbourhood design being driven by community-led initiatives<ref>ECOLISE (2019): Report reveals compelling evidence of the effectiveness of community-led responses to climate and ecological breakdown https://www.ecolise.eu/new-ecolise-report-reveals-compelling-evidence-of-the-effectiveness-of-community-led-responses-to-climate-and-ecological-breakdown/</ref>. Growing food locally and with sustainability principles also creates more awareness towards the health and environmental consequences of industrial chemical-based agriculture, challenging in this way powerful market interests that build on everyday food choices. However, it should be noted, urban community gardens rarely provide autonomy in food consumption, but they do alter the way people experience food and affect their thereafter food behaviors.The growth of such community decision making processes and the more intense and frequent interaction between beighbors that such initiatives cultivate, have potential of increasing grassroots/neighborhood action in other aspects of urban design and policy.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

The PATHWAYS project focused on key objectives of (2016) EU sustainability policy<ref>EU Commission Communication: A sustainable Europe for a better world: A European strategy for Sustainable Development https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52001DC0264</ref> (moving towards a sustainable, resource-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient Europe). This was intrinsically linked to the success of two key transitions: 1) the energy transition and 2) the land-use transition. The Transition Case Study Database includes examples from the second section relating to the approach of “Community Gardens”.<ref>Transition case study database: Rosa Rose – more than just a Berlin garden https://www.pathways-project.nl/rosa-rose-%E2%80%93-more-just-berlin-garden</ref><ref>Transition case study database: Casale Podere Rosa https://www.pathways-project.nl/casale-podere-rosa</ref>

* Rosa Rose – more than just a Berlin garden
The initiative “Rosa Rose"<ref>Rosa Rose http://www.rosarose-garten.net/en/home</ref> is one of the community garden projects in Berlin. The initiative started in 2004, when a group of neighbours in the Berlin district of Friedrichshain began turning a 2000m² brownfield into a garden to create their own little oasis. The idea was to grow vegetables, some fruits and herbs and create a green space and dog area that would also be open to passers-by. But unfortunately the oasis had to be abandoned a few years later, due to a planned construction. In May 2010 they could start to develop their new site, a green public area right next to their original location proposed by the district of Friedrichshain. Since then, a contract with the district office ensures a free usage of the area for at least five years, provided that the group maintains the space.

* Casale Podere Rosa
In the north-east of Rome there is an old country side building where more then 20 years ago a bunch of willing and motivated people decided to take up an abandoned area to develop an entire microcosm of activities. Over the years this has grown to include a solidarity purchasing group, an educational botanic garden, urban gardens, a farmer market twice a months, an organic restaurant, the management of a library dedicated to the ecological culture, the energy production through solar panels and more. Today the Casale Podere Rosa<ref>Casale Podere Rosa http://www.casalepodererosa.org/</ref> is a fully developed association around which revolve a community of 500 people, more than 100 families. A piece of neighbourhood benefitting from and contributing to the drive to shape the current identity and quality of the surrounding area. Its achievements, quite unique in the urban scenario where the initiative is settled, are the results of a careful management of the relationships with the local institution and of ability in taking advantage of the peculiarities of the neighbourhood, which has a history of social and environmental struggles.

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Clusters of approaches]]
[[Category: Community gardens and food]]
[[Category: ProGIreg]]
[[Category: CITISPYCE]]
[[Category: EdiCitNet]]
[[Category: PATHWAYS]]

Participatory pollination

2019-10-18T12:47:00Z

Constanca Belchior: added disclaimer

Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth, being typically a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level. Thanks to proper planning, conservation and management of green infrastructure, cities can play an important role for biodiversity. With governments being pushed to declare Biodiversity Emergency <ref>O'Sullivan, K. (2019). Government must declare ‘climate and biodiversity’ emergency. Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/government-must-declare-climate-and-biodiversity-emergency-1.3882649</ref> after recent UN warnings<ref>Jonathan Watts, J. (2019). Human society under urgent threat from loss of Earth's natural life. Guardian, UK. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/06/human-society-under-urgent-threat-loss-earth-natural-life-un-report</ref>, recognizing the need to create or protect areas for biodiversity to flourish is now critical for human wellbeing (TEEB, 2010)<ref>TEEB (2010), The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Ecological and Economic Foundations. Edited by Pushpam Kumar. Earthscan, London and Washington http://www.teebweb.org/our-publications/teeb-study-reports/ecological-and-economic-foundations/</ref>. Pollinators
<ref>Pollinator on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollinator</ref> (birds, bees, ants etc) are essential to healthy and functioning ecosystems, their extinction could cause massive food shortages and possible societal breakdown<ref>Grossman E. (2013). Declining Bee Populations Pose a Threat to Global Agriculture. Published at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. https://e360.yale.edu/features/declining_bee_populations_pose_a_threat_to_global_agriculture</ref>.

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

This is a citizen science approach of the ProGIreg<ref>http://www.progireg.eu/</ref> project that sees the creation of Living Labs to involve local citizens to create, monitor and promote awareness of pollinator-friendly spaces. ProGIreg (Productive Green Infrastructure for post-industrial urban regeneration) began in 2018 and is active in urban areas in 8 different cities that face the challenge of post-industrial regeneration. ProGIreg have 8 types of nature-based solutions (NBS)<ref>http://wiki.urban-arena.eu/index.php/Nature-based_solutions</ref>, 1 of which relates to Participatory pollination. Their “Pollinator biodiversity”<ref>http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/pollinator-biodiversity/</ref> NBS complements and links all other greening actions since pollinators are essential to a healthy and functioning ecosystem. To make urban areas more pollinator-friendly, cities can reduce pesticide usage and increase the size of green spaces and plant species diversity. Also green networks and corridors help prevent in-breeding of isolated populations, which can lead to species extinction. Monitoring the variety and amounts of bees and butterflies is a good way of assessing the pollinator-friendliness of a city, as outlined in recent ICLEI video<ref>(VIDEO) Professor Simona Bonelli: How to attract more butterflies and bees to your city https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1YsEUn6oos</ref> with proGIreg’s pollinators expert, Professor Simona Bonelli<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Simona_Bonelli2</ref> from the University of Turin.

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

ProGIreg is active in urban areas that lack quality green spaces and suffer from social and economic disadvantages, inequality and related crime and security problems. Living Labs<ref>http://wiki.urban-arena.eu/index.php/Experimentation_labs</ref> have been created in post-industrial districts in four front-runner cities, to develop, test and implement NBS. 4 follower cities will closely follow the progress and engage in city-to-city exchange to replicate NBS locally. This specific approach is at an initial stage, beginning June 2018, and will be tested in Living Labs in 2 of the 4 front-runner cities (Dortmund & Turin) and 1 of the 4 follower cities (Cascais, Portugal). The 3 areas differ in size: The Dortmund Living Lab is 215 ha, is situated about 2 km west of downtown Dortmund and includes the Emscher River. At its longest north-south extension, it is 4.8 km long, at its broadest extension in the northern part it is 1.25 km wide, at its most narrow section it is only 40 m wide. The Turin Living Lab area is the post-industrial “Mirafiori Sud” district (34,659 inhabitants on 11.5 km2) which is located along the river Sangone. The Cascais Living Lab Regeneration Area comprises part of the localities Tires and Zambujal in São Domingos de Rana, spanning about 0.42 km².

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

The Participatory pollination approach is very urban focused and explicitly addresses justice by its selection of area of activity and addresses a host of sustainability issues. To make urban areas more pollinator-friendly, cities can reduce pesticide usage and increase the size of green spaces and plant species diversity. Also green networks and corridors help prevent in-breeding of isolated populations, which can lead to species extinction. Three areas are chosen for this approach, all suffering from social and economic disadvantages, inequality and related crime and security problems. These areas often lack quality green spaces, have a negative impact on human health and wellbeing and are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Regarding scale and type of areas, in Dortmund the approach includes a former-landfill site a neighbouring permaculture orchard, in Turin it includes a number of mental health spaces across the city. In the 1 follower city, Cascais, some local schools and community spaces are involved. ProGIreg’s citizen science approach involves joining with local citizens to create, monitor and promote awareness of the pollinator-friendly spaces. Assessing socio-cultural inclusiveness, ProGIreg outline in their document “Monitoring and Assess-ment Plan (Deliverable 4.1 - Link 2): In developing greener cities, social inclusiveness – defined as the cumulative social benefits created and supported by Green Infrastructure and NBS in cities – is derived through a balanced approach that combines both social (e.g., benefits to people) and inclusivity (e.g., equal accessibility to the benefit) impacts. The approach also seeks to generate direct economic benefits of NBS, where NBS will end up having a new productive activity after implementation, i.e. selling products and services produced by the new infrastructure or producing new income streams that previously did not exist, In regard to this approach, this would mean the sale of honey produced in NBS spaces<ref>ProGIreg Deliverable 4.1: Monitoring and Assessment Plan by CNR, pg 15: Direct economic and labour impacts of the implemented NBS http://www.progireg.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Deliverables/D4.1_proGIreg_CNR_2019_03_29.pdf</ref>.

The approach’s environmental benefits are both at global and local scale, focusing on urban green and blue spaces of all typologies, the so-called Green and Blue Infrastructures. At global scale, there are direct and indirect interactions with the carbon biogeochemical cycle. GI directly interacts with the carbon cycle because its elements remove carbon dioxide (CO2) form the atmosphere, while, thanks to temperature regulation, reduce energy demands and the associated carbon emission. Thanks to a proper planning, conservation and management of green infrastructure, cities can play an important role for biodiversity<ref>ProGIreg Deliverable 4.1: Monitoring and Assessment Plan by CNR, pg 14 http://www.progireg.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Deliverables/D4.1_proGIreg_CNR_2019_03_29.pdf</ref>. This approach identifies soil regeneration and aquaponics as contributions to solve the issues related to soil consumption and use of natural resources in urban environments, which are actually increasing due to the global urbanisation process. The approach attempts to link sustainability and justice to a high degree, seeing NBS as having huge potential to address technical, social and economic challenges and to make urban transformation work with and for citizens.

==Narrative of change==

Acknowledging the need to create or protect areas, including in cities, for biodiversity to flourish is now critical for human wellbeing, this approach deals with a series of problems, principally that of maintaining or improving urban biodiversity through the creation of Participatory pollination projects in 3 European cities<ref>http://www.progireg.eu/nature-based-solutions/pollinator-biodiversity/</ref>. This is one specific approach of an interconnected system of NBS being implemented in 8 cities. Recognizing that many post-industrial urban areas suffer from social and economic disadvantages, inequality and related crime and security problems, it seeks to engage local communities in a citizen science process, as part of a process to facilitate improved levels of citizen engagement. ProGIreg’s citizen science approach involves joining with local citizens to create, monitor and promote awareness of the pollinator-friendly spaces, as part of a wider strategy to increase citizen participation in construction of NBS in problematic urban areas through Living Labs<ref>http://wiki.urban-arena.eu/index.php/Experimentation_labs</ref> that are citizen-owned and co-developed by state, market and civil society stakeholders. Future uses of such NBS include possible economic activity, such as selling honey.

==Transformative potential==

This approach is at initial stages, so time will see if the high hoped for transformative potential is realised. Acting in currently problematic post-industrial urban areas, It seeks to engage and facilitate citizens to become involved in the urban regeneration of nature zones in their localities, to develop community dynamics to take collective ownership for these areas and in some instances bring about a situation where these NBS offer new economic opportunities. While this could be mere tokenist participation, such community engagement could lead to organized local communities having greater say in future scenarios for their territories.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

This approach seeks to improve urban biodiversity through the creation of participatory pollination projects in 3 European cities. The project is at initial stage, being tested since 2018 in Living Labs in 2 of the 4 front-runner cities (Dortmund & Turin) and 1 of the 4 follower cities (Cascais, Portugal).

- Dortmund, Germany: Pollinator-friendly plants will be introduced to the open slopes of the former-landfill site Deusenberg and the neighbouring permaculture orchard. Local citizens will help monitoring numbers and species variety.

- Turin, Italy: Turin will take a socially inclusive and bottom-up approach by working with doctors and patients of mental health centres to promote pollinator-friendly spaces across the Living Lab.

- Cascais<ref>Cascais Ambiente. (2019) Cascais Ambiente participa em projeto europeu para transformar áreas pós-industriais em centros verdes. (Portuguese only) https://ambiente.cascais.pt/pt/noticias/cascais-ambiente-participa-projeto-europeu-transformar-areas-pos-industriais-centros-verdes</ref>, Portugal: By running workshops for schools and the local community, Cascais will increase awareness of the importance of pollinators in the local ecosystem, encourage beekeeping and the reduction of pesticide-use.

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Clusters of approaches]]
[[Category: Biodiversity]]
[[Category: ProGIreg]]

Energy and mobility solutions

2019-10-18T12:45:58Z

Constanca Belchior: introduced disclaimer

Energy and mobility solutions

2019-10-18T12:45:28Z

Constanca Belchior: Reviewed text

Sustainable households

2019-10-18T10:29:56Z

Constanca Belchior:

Increased fossil fuel use is a major cause of global warming, leading to Climate Breakdown<ref>George Monbiot, Sep 2013, Guardian UK: Climate change? Try catastrophic climate breakdown https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2013/sep/27/ipcc-climate-change-report-global-warming</ref>. With much energy being used to heat or cool poorly designed or insulated buildings, this approach examines initiatives seeking to improve energy efficiency, namely the energy performance of building as a means of lowering carbon emissions to create carbon-neutral habitats, communities and cities<ref>Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance https://carbonneutralcities.org/about/</ref>. It also examines supply of renewable energy as a means to mitigate climate change, provide access to affordable clean energy and create job opportunities.

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

Sustainable households looks into technical interventions in small to medium-sized cities and household level so that they become technologically smarter, more energy efficient and/or reduce energy vulnerability, and increase renewable energy supply. Although the focus is on technological interventions, most approaches consider how to involve and engage relevant citizens and communities in the process. The approaches range from analysis of case-studies to planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions aimed at reducing energy demand and/or increasing renewable energy supply (e.g. thermal retrofitting of households, renewable energy production and use, job training, smart-meters, ICT-enabled urban management system).

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

The approaches included in this cluster range from exploring low-carbon pathways and benefits of interventions at a household and community level mostly in the EU and US, such as through retrofitting buildings and creating solar projects and jobs, to making concepts like “Smart Zero Carbon Cities” a reality in Europe based on an integrated approach for mobility, energy and ICT infrastructure.

Scalability of the impact seems to be an issue of concern. The SmartEnCity project aims to improve energy efficiency and increase renewable energy supply at a systemic level. As such, the strategies and actions developed in the pilot cities (e.g. retrofitting packages at a neighbourhood level, biomass district heating system, smart street light control system; technical consultations and community meetings) have been designed so that the process can be replicated in other cities. It also strives to work in a networked way, whereby they created a network of further cities to share experiences, knowledge, challenges and best practices gained through the approaches to support project replication at an European scale.

The relationship between low-carbon transitions and energy-related vulnerability and inequalities at the household or community level is also a major focus-area. To this effect, GRID Alternatives saw a need and opportunity after the 2001 energy crisis in California (USA) to serve low-income communities in the country with solar power. They have been since implementing projects that make solar technology practical and accessible for low-income communities, while providing pathways to clean energy jobs, with a “people-first” approach, where families, housing providers, utility companies, municipalities and government agencies all win from investments in solar energy. Examples of projects are no-cost solar installations for low-income households, technical assistance and solar installation for multifamily affordable housing providers, energy access for off-grid communities.

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

All approaches focus on urban interventions, from individual household level through community and neighborhood/district level. Some approaches are being implemented in different pilot cities. Aspects of distributional justice are addressed when it comes to prioritizing low-income communities (like making solar energy accessible and affordable to these communities, or retrofitting buildings in vulnerable neighborhoods). Some of the smart zero carbon solutions are also taking into account procedural justice, given their are developed in co-creation with the communities they target but also with city planners and developers.

An emergent justice concern about urban environmental improvements is that these tend to increase quality of life and property values – especially as urban environmental consciousness grows. The consequence of such improvements is that they price out vulnerable residents and drawing in new and wealthier residents, a phenomena called green gentrification i.e. the exclusion of the most economically vulnerable human population from affording sustainable households and accessing green spaces<ref>BCNUEJ - Barcelona Laboratory for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, published studies on green gentrification http://www.bcnuej.org/green-gentrification/</ref>.

==Narrative of change==

Climate change is one of the most important challenges that our society is facing. Energy demand and CO2 emissions are particularly high in urban areas. How can cities turn climate-related challenges into an opportunity and create growth? How to achieve the transition of municipalities into sustainable and resource-efficient urban areas? In particular how can low-carbon transitions drive economic growth and environmental benefits in communities most impacted by underemployment, pollution and climate change?

Cities allow for more alternatives in energy-efficient housing, eco-friendly transport and energy service provision. Transforming European cities into sustainable, smart and resource-efficient urban environments needs systems-level and replicable strategies aimed at improving energy efficiency and increasing the supply of renewable energy. A successful transition to a low-carbon society through clean, renewable energy also needs to include everyone, making this energy accessible to underserved communities.

==Transformative potential==

The approaches linked to solar power and jobs by GRID-Alternatives make an explicit commitment to equity and in particular to give voice to specific communities. Their premise is that low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately bear the burden of environmental injustice and climate change. As such, their focus is to provide opportunities stemming from solar energy to the communities most impacted by these issues as a key to creating equitable and lasting solutions.

Another voice that is intentionally picked-up is that of the many small and medium-sized cities in Europe, in comparison to the capital cities “which are usually in the spotlight” as defined in the SmartENCity project. The project is weaving a network of cities to share learnings and best practices from the approaches while incentivizing non-capital cities to become a Smart Zero Carbon City front runner. It also does so based on an integrated action oriented approach that supports strong citizen participation.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

'''SmartEnCity in Tartu, Estonia – Retrofitting "khrushchyovkas" into “Smartkovskas”'''<ref>SmartEnCity: Tartu retrofitting package https://smartencity.eu/about/solutions/tartu-retrofitting-package/</ref>

Tartu, in Estonia, is one the lighthouse cities for the SmartEnCity project. One of the lighthouse projects is piloting a series of retrofitting solutions in ca. 22 khrushchyovkas in the city center. The objective is to transform khrushchyovkas (a type of panel buildings that were constructed during Nikita Khruschchev´s rule starting from the 1950s) into “smartovkas” (i.e. high-quality living environments that inspire the community to make environmentally aware decisions and to change their patterns of consumption behavior) through a drastic reduction in the energy use of the buildings. With an average life cycle of 30-40 years, many of the khrushchyovkas have already outlived their time, meaning that the shortcomings in quality are becoming increasingly evident and might even pose a threat to their residents.

Technical interventions include insulation of all the outer walls of the buildings and roofs, replacing all windows and front doors to reduce heat loss, reconstructing the central heating system and installing thermostatic valves that allow to adjust room temperature in the range of 18-23°C, adding low-temperature cooling systems to complement the district heating system, installing 400-500 kWp PV panels to provide additional energy for the buildings, and setting up a smart home system.

Another of the main aims of the retrofitting activities is to encourage behavioral changes in the way residents consume energy and adapt to new technologies. Several citizen engagement solutions have been taken for boosting participation and interest in the project. These include regular information meetings, technical consultations, study trips to similar construction sites and forum discussions. Once the retrofitting activities have been completed, these awareness-raising actions will be replaced by a social innovation model that focuses on how to motivate residents to use the installed smart devices and to save energy.

The planned retrofitting package tackles one of the greatest challenges of Europe’s existing building stock – quickly deteriorating precast panel apartment buildings that were quickly produced in response to housing shortages.

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Clusters of approaches]]
[[Category: SmartEnCity]]
[[Category: GRID Alternatives]]
[[Category: TRANSFAIR]]

Sustainable households

2019-10-18T10:23:58Z

Constanca Belchior:

Increased fossil fuel use is a major cause of global warming, leading to Climate Breakdown<ref>George Monbiot, Sep 2013, Guardian UK: Climate change? Try catastrophic climate breakdown https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2013/sep/27/ipcc-climate-change-report-global-warming</ref>. With much energy being used to heat or cool poorly designed or insulated buildings, this approach examines initiatives seeking to improve energy efficiency, namely the energy performance of building as a means of lowering carbon emissions to create carbon-neutral habitats, communities and cities<ref>Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance https://carbonneutralcities.org/about/</ref>. It also examines supply of renewable energy as a means to mitigate climate change, provide access to affordable clean energy and create job opportunities.

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

Sustainable households looks into technical interventions in small to medium-sized cities and household level so that they become technologically smarter, more energy efficient and/or reduce energy vulnerability, and increase renewable energy supply. Although the focus is on technological interventions, most approaches consider how to involve and engage relevant citizens and communities in the process. The approaches range from analysis of case-studies to planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions aimed at reducing energy demand and/or increasing renewable energy supply (e.g. thermal retrofitting of households, renewable energy production and use, job training, smart-meters, ICT-enabled urban management system).

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

The approaches included in this cluster range from exploring low-carbon pathways and benefits of interventions at a household and community level mostly in the EU and US, such as through retrofitting buildings and creating solar projects and jobs, to making concepts like “Smart Zero Carbon Cities” a reality in Europe based on an integrated approach for mobility, energy and ICT infrastructure.

Scalability of the impact seems to be an issue of concern. The SmartEnCity project aims to improve energy efficiency and increase renewable energy supply at a systemic level. As such, the strategies and actions developed in the pilot cities (e.g. retrofitting packages at a neighbourhood level, biomass district heating system, smart street light control system; technical consultations and community meetings) have been designed so that the process can be replicated in other cities. It also strives to work in a networked way, whereby they created a network of further cities to share experiences, knowledge, challenges and best practices gained through the approaches to support project replication at an European scale.

The relationship between low-carbon transitions and energy-related vulnerability and inequalities at the household or community level is also a major focus-area. To this effect, GRID Alternatives saw a need and opportunity after the 2001 energy crisis in California (USA) to serve low-income communities in the country with solar power. They have been since implementing projects that make solar technology practical and accessible for low-income communities, while providing pathways to clean energy jobs, with a “people-first” approach, where families, housing providers, utility companies, municipalities and government agencies all win from investments in solar energy. Examples of projects are no-cost solar installations for low-income households, technical assistance and solar installation for multifamily affordable housing providers, energy access for off-grid communities.

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

All approaches focus on urban interventions, from individual household level through community and neighborhood/district level. Some approaches are being implemented in different pilot cities. Aspects of distributional justice are addressed when it comes to prioritizing low-income communities (like making solar energy accessible and affordable to these communities, or retrofitting buildings in vulnerable neighborhoods). Some of the smart zero carbon solutions are also taking into account procedural justice, given their are developed in co-creation with the communities they target but also with city planners and developers.

An emergent justice concern about urban environmental improvements is that these tend to increase quality of life and property values – especially as urban environmental consciousness grows. The consequence of such improvements is that they price out vulnerable residents and drawing in new and wealthier residents, a phenomena called green gentrification i.e. the exclusion of the most economically vulnerable human population from affording sustainable households and accessing green spaces<ref>BCNUEJ - Barcelona Laboratory for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, published studies on green gentrification http://www.bcnuej.org/green-gentrification/</ref>.

==Narrative of change==

Climate change is one of the most important challenges that our society is facing. Energy demand and CO2 emissions are particularly high in urban areas. How can cities turn climate-related challenges into an opportunity and create growth? How to achieve the transition of municipalities into sustainable and resource-efficient urban areas? In particular how can low-carbon transitions drive economic growth and environmental benefits in communities most impacted by underemployment, pollution and climate change?

Cities allow for more alternatives in energy-efficient housing, eco-friendly transport and energy service provision. Transforming European cities into sustainable, smart and resource-efficient urban environments needs systems-level and replicable strategies aimed at improving energy efficiency and increasing the supply of renewable energy. A successful transition to a low-carbon society through clean, renewable energy also needs to include everyone, making this energy accessible to underserved communities.

==Transformative potential==

The approaches linked to solar power and jobs by GRID-Alternatives make an explicit commitment to equity and in particular to give voice to specific communities. Their premise is that low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately bear the burden of environmental injustice and climate change. As such, their focus is to provide opportunities stemming from solar energy to the communities most impacted by these issues as a key to creating equitable and lasting solutions.

Another voice that is intentionally picked-up is that of the many small and medium-sized cities in Europe, in comparison to the capital cities “which are usually in the spotlight” as defined in the SmartENCity project. The project is weaving a network of cities to share learnings and best practices from the approaches while incentivizing non-capital cities to become a Smart Zero Carbon City front runner. It also does so based on an integrated action oriented approach that supports strong citizen participation.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

SmartEnCity in Tartu, Estonia – Retrofitting "khrushchyovkas" into “Smartkovskas”<ref>SmartEnCity: Tartu retrofitting package https://smartencity.eu/about/solutions/tartu-retrofitting-package/</ref>

Tartu, in Estonia, is one the lighthouse cities for the SmartEnCity project. One of the lighthouse projects is piloting a series of retrofitting solutions in ca. 22 khrushchyovkas in the city center. The objective is to transform khrushchyovkas (a type of panel buildings that were constructed during Nikita Khruschchev´s rule starting from the 1950s) into “smartovkas” (i.e. high-quality living environments that inspire the community to make environmentally aware decisions and to change their patterns of consumption behavior) through a drastic reduction in the energy use of the buildings. With an average life cycle of 30-40 years, many of the khrushchyovkas have already outlived their time, meaning that the shortcomings in quality are becoming increasingly evident and might even pose a threat to their residents.

Technical interventions include insulation of all the outer walls of the buildings and roofs, replacing all windows and front doors to reduce heat loss, reconstructing the central heating system and installing thermostatic valves that allow to adjust room temperature in the range of 18-23°C, adding low-temperature cooling systems to complement the district heating system, installing 400-500 kWp PV panels to provide additional energy for the buildings, and setting up a smart home system.

Another of the main aims of the retrofitting activities is to encourage behavioral changes in the way residents consume energy and adapt to new technologies. Several citizen engagement solutions have been taken for boosting participation and interest in the project. These include regular information meetings, technical consultations, study trips to similar construction sites and forum discussions. Once the retrofitting activities have been completed, these awareness-raising actions will be replaced by a social innovation model that focuses on how to motivate residents to use the installed smart devices and to save energy.

The planned retrofitting package tackles one of the greatest challenges of Europe’s existing building stock – quickly deteriorating precast panel apartment buildings that were quickly produced in response to housing shortages.

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Clusters of approaches]]
[[Category: SmartEnCity]]
[[Category: GRID Alternatives]]
[[Category: TRANSFAIR]]

Sustainable households

2019-10-18T10:17:53Z

Constanca Belchior:

Increased fossil fuel use is a major cause of global warming, leading to Climate Breakdown<ref>George Monbiot, Sep 2013, Guardian UK: Climate change? Try catastrophic climate breakdown https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2013/sep/27/ipcc-climate-change-report-global-warming</ref>. With much energy being used to heat or cool poorly designed or insulated buildings, this approach examines initiatives seeking to improve energy efficiency, namely the energy performance of building as a means of lowering carbon emissions to create carbon-neutral habitats, communities and cities<ref>Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance https://carbonneutralcities.org/about/</ref>. It also examines supply of renewable energy as a means to mitigate climate change, provide access to affordable clean energy and create job opportunities.

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

Sustainable households looks into technical interventions in small to medium-sized cities and household level so that they become technologically smarter, more energy efficient and/or reduce energy vulnerability, and increase renewable energy supply. Although the focus is on technological interventions, most approaches consider how to involve and engage relevant citizens and communities in the process. The approaches range from analysis of case-studies to planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions aimed at reducing energy demand and/or increasing renewable energy supply (e.g. thermal retrofitting of households, renewable energy production and use, job training, smart-meters, ICT-enabled urban management system).

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

The approaches included in this cluster range from exploring low-carbon pathways and benefits of interventions at a household and community level mostly in the EU and US, such as through retrofitting buildings and creating solar projects and jobs, to making concepts like “Smart Zero Carbon Cities” a reality in Europe based on an integrated approach for mobility, energy and ICT infrastructure.

Scalability of the impact seems to be an issue of concern. The SmartEnCity project aims to improve energy efficiency and increase renewable energy supply at a systemic level. As such, the strategies and actions developed in the pilot cities (e.g. retrofitting packages at a neighbourhood level, biomass district heating system, smart street light control system; technical consultations and community meetings) have been designed so that the process can be replicated in other cities. It also strives to work in a networked way, whereby they created a network of further cities to share experiences, knowledge, challenges and best practices gained through the approaches to support project replication at an European scale.

The relationship between low-carbon transitions and energy-related vulnerability and inequalities at the household or community level is also a major focus-area. To this effect, GRID Alternatives saw a need and opportunity after the 2001 energy crisis in California (USA) to serve low-income communities in the country with solar power. They have been since implementing projects that make solar technology practical and accessible for low-income communities, while providing pathways to clean energy jobs, with a “people-first” approach, where families, housing providers, utility companies, municipalities and government agencies all win from investments in solar energy. Examples of projects are no-cost solar installations for low-income households, technical assistance and solar installation for multifamily affordable housing providers, energy access for off-grid communities.

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

All approaches focus on urban interventions, from individual household level through community and neighborhood/district level. Some approaches are being implemented in different pilot cities. Aspects of distributional justice are addressed when it comes to prioritizing low-income communities (like making solar energy accessible and affordable to these communities, or retrofitting buildings in vulnerable neighborhoods). Some of the smart zero carbon solutions are also taking into account procedural justice, given their are developed in co-creation with the communities they target but also with city planners and developers.

An emergent justice concern about urban environmental improvements is that these tend to increase quality of life and property values – especially as urban environmental consciousness grows. The consequence of such improvements is that they price out vulnerable residents and drawing in new and wealthier residents, a phenomena called green gentrification i.e. the exclusion of the most economically vulnerable human population from affording sustainable households and accessing green spaces<ref>BCNUEJ - Barcelona Laboratory for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, published studies on green gentrification http://www.bcnuej.org/green-gentrification/</ref>

==Narrative of change==

Climate change is one of the most important challenges that our society is facing. Energy demand and CO2 emissions are particularly high in urban areas. How can cities turn climate-related challenges into an opportunity and create growth? How to achieve the transition of municipalities into sustainable and resource-efficient urban areas? In particular how can low-carbon transitions drive economic growth and environmental benefits in communities most impacted by underemployment, pollution and climate change?

Cities allow for more alternatives in energy-efficient housing, eco-friendly transport and energy service provision. Transforming European cities into sustainable, smart and resource-efficient urban environments needs systemic and replicable strategies aimed at improving energy efficiency and increasing the supply of renewable energy. A successful transition to a low-carbon society through clean, renewable energy also needs to include everyone, making this energy accessible to underserved communities.

==Transformative potential==

The approaches linked to solar power and jobs by GRID-Alternatives make an explicit commitment to equity and in particular to give voice to specific communities. Their premise is that low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately bear the burden of environmental injustice and climate change. As such, their focus is to provide opportunities stemming from solar energy to the communities most impacted by these issues as a key to creating equitable and lasting solutions.

Another voice that is intentionally picked-up is that of the many small and medium-sized cities in Europe, in comparison to the capital cities “which are usually in the spotlight” as defined in the SmartENCity project. The project is weaving a network of cities to share learnings and best practices from the approaches while incentivizing non-capital cities to become a Smart Zero Carbon City front runner. It also does so based on an integrated action oriented approach that supports strong citizen participation.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

SmartEnCity in Tartu, Estonia – Retrofitting "khrushchyovkas" into “Smartkovskas”<ref>SmartEnCity: Tartu retrofitting package https://smartencity.eu/about/solutions/tartu-retrofitting-package/</ref>

Tartu, in Estonia, is one the lighthouse cities for the SmartEnCity project. One of the lighthouse projects is piloting a series of retrofitting solutions in ca. 22 khrushchyovkas in the city center. The objective is to transform khrushchyovkas (a type of panel buildings that were constructed during Nikita Khruschchev´s rule starting from the 1950s) into “smartovkas” (i.e. high-quality living environments that inspire the community to make environmentally aware decisions and to change their patterns of consumption behavior) through a drastic reduction in the energy use of the buildings. With an average life cycle of 30-40 years, many of the khrushchyovkas have already outlived their time, meaning that the shortcomings in quality are becoming increasingly evident and might even pose a threat to their residents.

Technical interventions include insulation of all the outer walls of the buildings and roofs, replacing all windows and front doors to reduce heat loss, reconstructing the central heating system and installing thermostatic valves that allow to adjust room temperature in the range of 18-23°C, adding low-temperature cooling systems to complement the district heating system, installing 400-500 kWp PV panels to provide additional energy for the buildings, and setting up a smart home system.

Another of the main aims of the retrofitting activities is to encourage behavioral changes in the way residents consume energy and adapt to new technologies. Several citizen engagement solutions have been taken for boosting participation and interest in the project. These include regular information meetings, technical consultations, study trips to similar construction sites and forum discussions. Once the retrofitting activities have been completed, these awareness-raising actions will be replaced by a social innovation model that focuses on how to motivate residents to use the installed smart devices and to save energy.

The planned retrofitting package tackles one of the greatest challenges of Europe’s existing building stock – quickly deteriorating precast panel apartment buildings that were quickly produced in response to housing shortages.

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Clusters of approaches]]
[[Category: SmartEnCity]]
[[Category: GRID Alternatives]]
[[Category: TRANSFAIR]]

Sustainable households

2019-10-18T09:34:59Z

Constanca Belchior: added disclaimer

Increased fossil fuel use is a major cause of global warming, leading to Climate Breakdown<ref>George Monbiot, Sep 2013, Guardian UK: Climate change? Try catastrophic climate breakdown https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2013/sep/27/ipcc-climate-change-report-global-warming</ref>. With much energy being used to heat or cool poorly designed or insulated buildings, this approach examines initiatives seeking to improve the energy performance of building as a means of lowering carbon emissions to create carbon-neutral habitats, communities and cities<ref>Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance https://carbonneutralcities.org/about/</ref>.

This page is part of an ongoing, open-ended online collaborative database, which collects relevant approaches that can be used by city-makers to tackle unsustainability and injustice in cities. It is based mainly on knowledge generated in EU-funded projects and touches on fast changing fields. As such, this page makes no claims of authoritative completeness and welcomes your suggestions.

==General introduction to approach==

The cluster looks into technical interventions in small to medium-sized cities and household level so that they become technologically smarter, more energy efficient and/or reduce energy vulnerability, and increase renewable energy supply. Although the focus is on technological interventions, most approaches consider how to involve and engage relevant citizens and communities in the process. The approaches range from analysis of case-studies to planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions aimed at reducing energy demand and/or increasing renewable energy supply (e.g. thermal retrofitting of households, renewable energy production and use, job training, smart-meters, ICT-enabled urban management system).

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

The approaches included in this cluster range from exploring low-carbon pathways and benefits of interventions at a household and community level mostly in the EU and US, such as through retrofitting buildings and creating solar projects and jobs, to making concepts like “Smart Zero Carbon Cities” a reality in Europe based on an integrated approach for mobility, energy and ICT infrastructure.

Scalability of the impact seems to be an issue of concern. The SmartEnCity project aims to improve energy efficiency and increase renewable energy supply at a systemic level. As such, the strategies and actions developed in the pilot cities (e.g. retrofitting packages at a neighbourhood level, biomass district heating system, smart street light control system; technical consultations and community meetings) have been designed so that the process can be replicated in other cities. It also strives to work in a networked way, whereby they created a network of further cities to share experiences, knowledge, challenges and best practices gained through the approaches to support project replication at an European scale.

The relationship between low-carbon transitions and energy-related vulnerability and inequalities at the household or community level is also a major focus-area. To this effect, GRID Alternatives saw a need and opportunity after the 2001 energy crisis in California (USA) to serve low-income communities in the country with solar power. They have been since implementing projects that make solar technology practical and accessible for low-income communities, while providing pathways to clean energy jobs, with a “people-first” approach, where families, housing providers, utility companies, municipalities and government agencies all win from investments in solar energy. Examples of projects are no-cost solar installations for low-income households, technical assistance and solar installation for multifamily affordable housing providers, energy access for off-grid communities.

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

All approaches focus on urban interventions, from individual household level through community and neighborhood/district level. Some approaches are being implemented in different pilot cities. Aspects of distributional justice are addressed when it comes to prioritizing low-income communities (like making solar energy accessible and affordable to these communities, or retrofitting buildings in vulnerable neighborhoods). Some of the smart zero carbon solutions also taking account procedural justice, given their are developed in co-creation with the communities they target but also city planners and developers. This cluster focus mostly on energy efficiency and supply of renewable energy as a means to mitigate climate change, provide access to affordable clean energy and create job opportunities.

==Narrative of change==

Climate change is one of the most important challenges that our society is facing. Energy demand and CO2 emissions are particularly high in urban areas. How can cities turn climate-related challenges into an opportunity and create growth? How to achieve the transition of municipalities into sustainable and resource-efficient urban areas? In particular how can low-carbon transitions drive economic growth and environmental benefits in communities most impacted by underemployment, pollution and climate change?

Cities allow for more alternatives in energy-efficient housing, eco-friendly transport and energy service provision. Transforming European cities into sustainable, smart and resource-efficient urban environments needs systemic and replicable strategies aimed at improving energy efficiency and increasing the supply of renewable energy. A successful transition to a low-carbon society through clean, renewable energy also needs to include everyone, making this energy accessible to underserved communities.

==Transformative potential==

The approaches linked to solar power and jobs by GRID-Alternatives make an explicit commitment to equity and in particular to give voice to specific communities. Their premise is that low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately bear the burden of environmental injustice and climate change. As such, their focus is to provide opportunities stemming from solar energy to the communities most impacted by these issues as a key to creating equitable and lasting solutions.

Another voice that is intentionally picked-up is that of the many small and medium-sized cities in Europe, in comparison to the capital cities “which are usually in the spotlight” as defined in the SmartENCity project. The project is weaving a network of cities to share learnings and best practices from the approaches while incentivizing non-capital cities to become a Smart Zero Carbon City front runner. It also does so based on an integrated action oriented approach that supports strong citizen participation.

==Summary of relevant approaches==

SmartEnCity in Tartu, Estonia – Retrofitting "khrushchyovkas" into “Smartkovskas”<ref>SmartEnCity: Tartu retrofitting package https://smartencity.eu/about/solutions/tartu-retrofitting-package/</ref>

Tartu, in Estonia, is one the lighthouse cities for the SmartEnCity project. One of the lighthouse projects is piloting a series of retrofitting solutions in ca. 22 khrushchyovkas in the city center. The objective is to transform khrushchyovkas (a type of panel buildings that were constructed during Nikita Khruschchev´s rule starting from the 1950s) into “smartovkas” (i.e. high-quality living environments that inspire the community to make environmentally aware decisions and to change their patterns of consumption behavior) through a drastic reduction in the energy use of the buildings. With an average life cycle of 30-40 years, many of the khrushchyovkas have already outlived their time, meaning that the shortcomings in quality are becoming increasingly evident and might even pose a threat to their residents.

Technical interventions include insulation of all the outer walls of the buildings and roofs, replacing all windows and front doors to reduce heat loss, reconstructing the central heating system and installing thermostatic valves that allow to adjust room temperature in the range of 18-23°C, adding low-temperature cooling systems to complement the district heating system, installing 400-500 kWp PV panels to provide additional energy for the buildings, and setting up a smart home system.

Another of the main aims of the retrofitting activities is to encourage behavioral changes in the way residents consume energy and adapt to new technologies. Several citizen engagement solutions have been taken for boosting participation and interest in the project. These include regular information meetings, technical consultations, study trips to similar construction sites and forum discussions. Once the retrofitting activities have been completed, these awareness-raising actions will be replaced by a social innovation model that focuses on how to motivate residents to use the installed smart devices and to save energy.

The planned retrofitting package tackles one of the greatest challenges of Europe’s existing building stock – quickly deteriorating precast panel apartment buildings that were quickly produced in response to housing shortages.

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Clusters of approaches]]
[[Category: SmartEnCity]]
[[Category: GRID Alternatives]]
[[Category: TRANSFAIR]]

Category:ProGIreg

2019-07-10T10:46:14Z

Constanca Belchior: Added description and link for project

Productive Green Infrastructure for post-industrial urban regeneration (EU research project funded under H2020) [https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/216077/factsheet/en/ ProGIreg]

Soil and land generation

2019-07-10T10:26:26Z

Constanca Belchior: Created category proGIreg

Provide short introduction here

==General introduction to approach==
Test reference<ref> Test reference</ref>

==Shapes, sizes and applications==

==Relation to UrbanA themes: Cities, sustainability, and justice==

==Narrative of change==

==Transformative potential==

==Summary of relevant approaches==

==References==
<references />

[[Category: Clusters of approaches]]
[[Category: Approaches]]
[[Category: proGIreg]]

Soil and land generation

2019-07-10T10:24:30Z

Constanca Belchior: Created template