Urban River Recovery Inspired by Nature-Based Solutions and Biophilic Design in Albufeira, Portugal

Marie Blau,Thomas Panagopoulos,Frieder Luz

doi:10.3390/land7040141

Marie Blau, Thomas Panagopoulos + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/land7040141

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Abstract

Mass urbanisation presents one of the most urgent challenges of the 21st century. The development of cities and the related increasing ground sealing are asking even more for the restoration of urban rivers, especially in the face of climate change and its consequences. This paper aims to demonstrate nature-inspired solutions in a recovery of a Southern European river that was canalised and transformed in culvert pipes. The river restoration project naturally tells the history of the city, creates a sense for the place, as well as unifying blue–green infrastructure in a symbolic way by offering areas for recreation. To improve well-being and city resilience in the long term, a regenerative sustainability approach based on biophilic design patterns was proposed. Such actions will provide greater health, social cohesion, and well-being for residents and simultaneously reduce the risks of climate change, such as heat island effect and flash floods, presenting the benefits of the transition to a regenerative economy and holistic thinking.

Highlights

The global population is to reach almost 10 billion by 2050 according to revised projections [1].Today, 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to66% by 2050 [2]
While a circular economy is an attractive policy that aims to keep products at their highest utility through a positive developing cycle, a regenerative economy aims to create a stable and healthy system including green solutions but a humanistic and ecological values system that has to do with the rebirth of life itself [3]
The concept of the Albufeira project for urban river recovery was inspired by nature-based solutions and biophilic design

Summary

Introduction

The global population is to reach almost 10 billion by 2050 according to revised projections [1].Today, 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to66% by 2050 [2]. The underlying economic conditions and the need for growth, due to the growing population, have to include environmentally sustainable policies in order to address the problem in accordance with a healthy environment. Quality of city life and the attractiveness of cities are key parameters for success in the global competition for growth. In an effort to face the needs of our society we have to move from the idea of a circular economy towards a regenerative economy. While a circular economy is an attractive policy that aims to keep products at their highest utility through a positive developing cycle, a regenerative economy aims to create a stable and healthy system including green solutions but a humanistic and ecological values system that has to do with the rebirth of life itself [3]

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