Abstract
Nature-based solutions' (NBS) relevance for tackling environmental challenges has been on the frontiers of urban regeneration mechanisms since the beginning of the 2010s. There is an increasing interest in applying NBS in urban planning and design to build support and engagement for sustainable urban development. However, NBS's operational use as deliberate design interventions is not widely reflected in the scientific discourse, more evidence is needed on how functional and viable aspects of urban nature can be conceptualized in urban design. This calls to explore the ways urban design can advance their understanding as part of place-specific, designed urban spaces. Through an ex-post analysis, the authors examined the design and implementation process of an exemplary NBS project, the Biblioteca degli Alberi park in Milan, part of one of the largest, recent urban regeneration projects in Europe. In a synthetic analysis, design drivers, enablers, and deficiencies are discussed, which affect the park's performance both from human-centered and nature-based perspectives. The park's case demonstrates design actions and considerations affecting all stages of the life-cycle of an NBS, from the creative design phase to the development, use, and management phases, and how urban design can create conditions for amplifying the multifunctional potential of urban ecosystems. The results highlight the importance of integrating an urban ecology perspective in the entirety of the design process when implementing NBS, consequently for a successful re-scoping of urban design and planning practices to infuse human-centeredness with “nature-basedness.”
Highlights
The term nature-based solutions (NBS) is used as an umbrella concept for applying natural systems to intentionally tackle contemporary environmental challenges (Bulkeley et al, 2017; Nesshöver et al, 2017; Raymond et al, 2017)
Quality urban design and form are an essential engine of change to foster urban regeneration (CABE, 2001) and provide powerful tools to overcome uncertainty regarding the engagement and adoption of NBS
Examining the urban design outcomes with a place-based lens can offer an understanding of how human-centered qualities are conceptualized and delivered and communicates the intangible and experiential qualities that contribute to making thriving places and successful designs
Summary
The term nature-based solutions (NBS) is used as an umbrella concept for applying natural systems to intentionally tackle contemporary environmental challenges (Bulkeley et al, 2017; Nesshöver et al, 2017; Raymond et al, 2017). A connected system of NBS- such as greenways or large urban parks- can sustain healthy urban environments, mitigate the effects of intense urbanization, and can be applied innovatively to issues such as water management (urban drainage, water retention, Urban Design for Nature-Based Solutions excess water), climate change (heat waves, heat islands), and health and well-being (air quality, recreation) (Kabisch et al, 2016) They are simultaneously providing multiple social, economic, and environmental co-benefits (European Commission, 2015), associated with sustainable urban development (McCormick et al, 2013; Bayulken and Huisingh, 2015; Connop et al, 2015) and regenerative development (Xiang et al, 2017). The case selection was based on the complexity and significance of the site, portraying an outcome of public-private relationships between landowners, developers, and users and shows an investment grounded in the strategic design of urban spaces, producing enduring use values in social, environmental, and economic terms
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