Much like other cities Stockholm has traditionally used a technical system for managing stormwater. With time this system has become overburdened and has led to large environmental concerns. To reach water quality goals set by the EU Stockholm needs to decrease pollution released to recipients by 70-80%.  Green infrastructure (GI) has increasingly been used as an alternative and addition to technical stormwater systems. Many studies have been conducted on different solutions and their stormwater management performance. The City of Stockholm have done research on numerous solutions to evaluate their performance in the context of Stockholm as well. However, implementation in the inner city is slow, thus this study explores why this is the case, and how Stockholm’s stormwater management goals can be reached. Stockholm predominately uses trees planted in plant beds using structural soil, and a combination of constructed wetlands and wet ponds for stormwater management. In new developments there is no real concern, as the GI can be included in planning at an early stage. Including these solutions in existing environments causes issues related to space, both above and below ground, and costs. Therefore, other solutions need to be found. This study explored green roofs, green walls and permeable pavements as possible options. Additionally, it found that finding new space that has previously not been used for GI could be an option. To mitigate financing issues new ways of promoting investment into GI from private property owners could be utilized, but that there also is a mismatch between supposed support for sustainable stormwater management on the political side and funds allocated. Finally, the study recommends that Stockholm takes the technical systems into account and explores what GI measures best work together with it to more effectively decrease pollution.

The ongoing urbanization leads to densification and growth of cities, which replaces natural areas with hard surfaces. Precipitation is then more likely to runoff as stormwater than to be detained locally. Also, precipitation is predicted to be increasing as an effect of climate change. Traditionally, stormwater has been handled by draining it in underground pipes. As a complement, blue-green infrastructure (BGI) can be used to take care of the increased amount of stormwater. BGI is vegetation and water-based systems that intend to restore the natural flows of water. It does, however, not only provide services for stormwater management but also other services that contribute to human welfare. These are provided for free by nature and are called ecosystem services. By illustrating the value of ecosystem services, the motivation of implementing more BGI can increase. The aim of this project was to provide guidance on how to value ecosystem services that BGI can provide at a district level. The valuation was to be semi-quantitative with the grades 1-5. To do so, ecosystem services were identified and given indicators that could illustrate the extent of the ecosystem services’ presence. Seven different BGI for stormwater management were studied, to determine which added values they can bring into urban settings. The BGI were green roofs, trees, rain gardens, swales, detention basin, detention ponds and attenuation storage tanks. Nine ecosystem services provided by these BGI were then identified. These were flood protection, water treatment, local climate regulation, air quality control, environmental noise control, erosion prevention, recreation, social relations and biodiversity.  Indicators were identified for each ecosystem service through a literature study. It was noted that to value the ecosystem service, it was not enough to only value the presence of the indicators but also necessary to estimate the demand or need for the ecosystem service. Therefore, questions were formed that could help determine the demand for the ecosystem service. The valuation was then based on how well the presence of the ecosystem service corresponded to the demand of it.  After using this valuation method on a case study, it was concluded that this type of valuation is useful for reconstruction projects in an early stage, to illustrate what functions and demands that need to be considered to obtain more ecosystem services. It can then be used for comparison of different proposals, to see which one provides the most ecosystem services. The valuation is conceptual rather than specific. It is useful as it can include any type of ecosystem service but lacks the perspective of costs. / Den pågående urbaniseringen leder till en ökad utbredning och förtätning av städer, vilket innebär att grönytor byts ut mot hårdgjorda. Detta leder till att nederbörd inte omhändertas lokalt utan avrinner istället på de hårdgjorda ytorna som dagvatten. Dessutom förutsägs nederbörden att öka i och med klimatförändringar, vilket ökar mängden dagvatten ytterligare. Traditionellt har dagvatten hanterats genom att avledas i ledningar under mark. Som ett möjligt komplement till denna infrastruktur finns blågrön infrastruktur (BGI). BGI är vegetations- och vattenbaserade system som avser att efterlikna det naturliga flödet av vatten för att minska översvämningsrisken men ger fler nyttor än så. Dessa nyttor benämns ekosystemtjänster. De ökar människors välbefinnande och förses av naturen gratis. Genom att synliggöra värdet av ekosystemtjänster kan motivation till att implementera BGI öka. Syftet med detta projekt var att sammanställa ett beslutsstöd för hur en värdering av ekosystemtjänster från BGI på stadsdelnivå kan gå till. Värderingen skulle vara semi-kvantitativ med en skala 1-5. För att möjliggöra detta identifierades först ekosystemtjänster som sedan tilldelades indikatorer som belyser i vilken utsträckning respektive ekosystemtjänst förekommer. Sju olika blågröna dagvattenlösningar studerades för att avgöra vilka mervärden i form av ekosystemtjänster dessa kan tillföra urbana miljöer. Dessa dagvattensystem var gröna tak, träd, växtbäddar, svackdiken, översvämningsytor, dagvattendammar och fördröjningsmagasin. Nio ekosystemtjänster identifierades kunna uppkomma av dessa blågröna lösningar. Dessa var översvämningsskydd, vattenrening, lokalklimatsreglering, luftrening, bullerreducering, erosionskontroll, rekreation, sociala relationer och biologisk mångfald. För att värdera i vilken utsträckning funktionerna hos ekosystemtjänsterna fanns närvarande togs indikationer fram genom en litteraturstudie. Det ansågs däremot att det inte räckte att enbart värdera förekomsten av ekosystemtjänsten för att bestämma dess värde, utan det var även nödvändigt att studera behovet av dem. Därmed inkluderades frågor som skulle besvara behovet av ekosystemtjänsterna. Värderingen av ekosystemtjänsten baserades då på hur väl förekomsten av ekosystemtjänsten svarade mot behovet. Efter att denna värdering använts på en fallstudie kunde det konstateras att denna typ av värdering är användbar i ett tidigare skede av ombyggnadsprojekt, för att belysa vilka funktioner och behov som behöver tas i beaktande för att erhålla olika ekosystemtjänster. Den kan även användas vid jämförelse av olika förslag, för att visa på vilket förslag som bidrar med mest ekosystemtjänster. Värderingen är konceptuell snarare än specifik och har fördelen att alla ekosystemtjänster kan värderas men belyser enbart nyttor och inte kostnader.

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[pt] A crescente ocorrência de eventos extremos, impulsionada pelas mudanças climáticas, tem um impacto direto nas cidades, onde aproximadamente 60 por cento da população mundial reside. As Soluções baseadas na Natureza (SbN) têm se tornado importantes estratégias de adaptação e mitigação climática nas políticas públicas. Esse estudo teve como objetivo orientar a Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro na implantação de SbN no Distrito de Baixa Emissão (DBE). Assim, foi elaborado um Caderno de Orientação para implantação de SbN que busca dar suporte à Prefeitura na ação estruturante de requalificação urbana do DBE. Uma ferramenta de Seleção de SbN foi utilizada e adaptada para o contexto do DBE e foram identificados os fatores de sucesso da capacidade institucional da Prefeitura na implementação das SbN, além da apresentação das 15 SbN recomendadas. Também foram gerados mapas de áreas prioritárias de infraestrutura verde para o distrito, baseados no Guia Metodológico para Implantação de Infraestrutura Verde. Por fim, foram elaborados um projeto conceitual de SbN para duas avenidas localizadas no DBE, a fim de ilustrar a aplicação prática dessas ações em escala local, e um estudo hidrológico do volume de águas pluviais amortecido nas sub-bacias dessas avenidas, para avaliar o desempenho das soluções propostas. Este estudo busca auxiliar a tomada de decisão da Prefeitura na implementação das SbN no DBE. A integração de SbN em programas e a realização de parcerias-público privadas são algumas estratégias importantes a serem consideradas pela Prefeitura, bem como a realização de outras pesquisas de SbN direcionadas para o DBE. / [en] The increasing occurrence of extreme events driven by climate change hasa direct impact on cities, where almost 60 percent of the world s population resides.Nature-based solutions (NbS) have become essential climate adaptation and mitigation strategies on public policies. This study aimed to guide the Rio de Janeiro City Hall in development of NbS in the Low Emission Zone (LEZ). Thus, a Guideline for the Deployment of NbS was formulated to support the City Hall instructuring urban renewal actions in the LEZ. An NbS Selection tool was used and adapted to the context of the LEZ, and the success factors of Rio s institutional capacity in implementing NbS were identified, in addition to the presentation of the 15 recommended NbS. Maps depicting priority areas for green infrastructure within the LEZ were also generated based on the Methodological Guide for Green Infrastructure Implementation. Finally, a conceptual project of NbS was created for two avenues located in the LEZ, to illustrate the practical application of the seactions on a local scale, and a hydrological study of the attenuated storm water volume in the sub-basins of these avenues, to evaluate the performance of the proposed solutions. This study seeks to assist the City Hall s decision-making in the implementation of NbS in the LEZ. The integration of NbS in programs and the realization of public-private partnerships are some relevant strategies to be considered by the City, as well as the realization of further research on NbS directed to the LEZ.

Over the past decades, the fast-changing global climate poses a significant challenge to many cities around the world to embrace resilience concepts, whereby a safe-to-fail planning approach replaces traditional fail-safe practices. The change in perspectives has seen an increase in climate-adapted infrastructural projects being integrated with the new urban planning agendas across the world. The investigation conducted was designed to understand the process of how resilience concepts travel between different cities, by investigating the actors who move policy knowledge, their roles in it, as well as the knowledge transfer process mechanism that is responsible for the movement of such policies. The investigation took advantage of a scoping study technique to answer the research questions, using mostly secondary data and an interview to verify the secondary sources. The findings and the discussion provided insights on who is involved in resilience policies and how these policies are transferred from one place to another. The investigation uncovered the influence policy mobilizers has on the movement of policy knowledge, as well as how the mobilization of policy knowledge can both be beneficial or detrimental, depending on the way it was moved or implemented. / Under de senaste decennierna utgör det snabba föränderliga globala klimatet en betydande utmaning för många städer runt om i världen med att anamma motståndskraftskoncept, där en planeringsstrategi med säkerhet att misslyckas ersätter traditionella felsäkra metoder. Förändringen i perspektiv har ökat klimatanpassade infrastrukturprojekten som integrerats med nya stadsplaneringsagendorna över hela världen. Studien genomfördes för att få en förståelse av hur motståndskraftskonceptet färdas mellan olika städer och detta genomfördes genom att undersöka de aktörer som förflyttar politisk kunskap och deras roller i den samt den kunskapsöverföringsmekanism som är ansvarig för rörelsen av sådan politik. Studien utnyttjade en scoping-studieteknik för att få svar på forskningsfrågorna, med mestadels sekundär data och en intervju för att verifiera sekundärkällorna. Resultaten och diskussionen gav insikter om vem som är inblandad i motståndskraft och hur policy överförs från en plats till en annan. Studien avslöjade även inflytande av politiskt mobilisering och kunskap som både kan vara fördelaktig eller skadlig beroende på hur den flyttades eller genomfördes.

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Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka hur 14 kommuner i Stockholms län integrerar grön infrastruktur i den kommunala planeringen. Utöver det vill arbetet även utreda hur kommunernas arbete med grön infrastruktur relaterar till Länsstyrelsen Stockholms handlingsplan för grön infrastruktur och till den regionala utvecklingsplanen för Stockholmsregionen - RUFS2050. Rapporten avser att besvara följande frågor:  Hur arbetar kommuner i Stockholmsregionen med grön infrastruktur? Hur relaterar kommunernas arbete med grön infrastruktur till RUFS2050 och till Länsstyrelsens handlingsplan för grön infrastruktur? Vilka insatsområden för grön infrastruktur prioriteras över lag i den kommunala planeringen? Hur arbetar kommunerna med mångfunktionella områden och konnektivitet?  För att besvara dessa frågor har en litteraturstudie av kommunernas styrdokument med koppling till grön infrastruktur gjort. Inventeringar av respektive kommuns hemsida har gjorts för att hitta dessa styrdokument. För varje kommun presenteras vilka planer som kan kopplas till deras gröna infrastruktur, hur de vill arbeta med sina grön- och blåstrukturer, samt hur kommunen arbetar med uppföljning av sitt arbete och mellankommunal samverkan.  Arbetet påvisar att de flesta kommuner saknar en konkret handlingsplan för grön infrastruktur, och ingen standardiserad process för att arbeta med ämnet finns etablerad. RUFS är ett mycket viktigt underlag, men Länsstyrelsen Stockholms handlingsplan för grön infrastruktur finns inte implementerad i dagsläget, antagligen på grund av att den är relativt ny tidsmässigt. Störst fokus läggs på kulturella och försörjande ekosystemtjänster, följt av stödjande tjänster. Alla kommuner vill jobba med mångfunktionella områden, men enbart ett fåtal fokuserar på de barriärer som påverkar konnektiviteten, samt arbetar för att motverka dem. Sammantaget kan man se att ett behov finns för en mer standardiserad process berörande integreringen av grön infrastruktur i den kommunala planeringen. / The purpose of this report is to explore how 14 municipalities in the county of Stockholm incorporate green infrastructure into their municipal planning. Furthermore, the work also investigates how the municipalities work with green infrastructure in relation to the County Administrative Board of Stockholm's action plan for green infrastructure, and the regional development plan for the Stockholm Region. The following questions are answered:  How does the municipalities within the Stockholm region work with green infrastructure? How does the municipalities implementation of green infrastructure relate to the action plan for green infrastructure, and the regional development plan for the Stockholm Region? What areas within green infrastructure are mostly prioritised in municipal planning? How does the municipalities work with multifunctional areas and connectivity?  To answer these questions a literature study of municipal documents related to green infrastructure has been made. These documents were found by thoroughly searching through each municipality's website. For each municipality there is a summary describing what documents were found, how the municipality integrates green and blue structures into their planning, and also how they follow-up their work and co-operate with neighbouring municipalities.  The study shows that most municipalities lack an actual action plan for green infrastructure, and there is no established process for the municipalities to follow when working with green infrastructure. The regional development plan for the Stockholm region is a great asset for the municipalities, as all of them base their municipal planning on it. However, the County Administrative Board of Stockholm's action plan for green infrastructure has not been implemented into the municipal planning as of today, probably because of it being relatively new. The main areas within green infrastructure that are being prioritised are cultural and provisioning ecosystem services, followed by supporting services. All municipalities want to work with multifunctional areas, but only a few of them prioritise barriers that affects the connectivity within their green infrastructures. Overall, there is a clear need for a more standardised process for the integration of green infrastructure into municipal planning.

<p>Many cities around the world struggle with the presence of vacant and underutilized land in the urban environment. There is growing momentum across many municipal jurisdictions in North America to reuse public and privately held vacant and underutilized urban land on a temporary to potentially permanent basis for community-based projects; however, there are limited community-based tools available to assess the suitability of vacant land for potential reuse.</p> <p>This thesis presents three papers (Chapters 2-4) that describe the development and application of a prototype community-based decision support tool (PDSS), developed in Microsoft ExcelÒ. The PDSS provides a methodology for evaluating up to fifteen community-based reuse strategies across three green infrastructure categories: parks, urban food production, and stormwater/ecosystems management. The PDSS aids in deriving community-focused goals, objectives and solutions for the efficient reuse of vacant and underutilized land.</p> <p>The PDSS includes a vacant and underutilized land inventory for identifying and inventorying the physical and spatial attributes (i.e. location and condition) of vacant and underutilized land across the urban environment (VULI); a methodology for quantifying the suitability of vacant land for a suite of reuse strategies (SSI); a multi-objective, binary-integer programming formulation for the allocation of reuse strategies across the urban environment (LOCAL), and a tool for municipal green infrastructure investment decision-making (DECO).</p> <p>The information derived from VULI and SSI can be used by community groups to help articulate the inherent potential of these spaces for future reuse. If this methodology was adopted at the municipal level, the prototype tool has the potential to expedite applications to reuse city-owned lands on a temporary basis. LOCAL provides a methodology to facilitate the allocation of multiple reuse strategies to a single parcel, to achieve a mix of green infrastructure uses at each site, and provides users with the ability to readily generate “what-if” scenarios based on user-specified allocation constraints. DECO can be utilized to design and investigate material alternatives, maintenance schedules, and different cost regimes, which can be useful for construction and long-term preventative maintenance decision-making. Finally, the results of a tree growth-stormwater attenuation modeling exercise are presented (Chapter 5). The methodology and results presented aid in articulating the stormwater attenuating benefits of trees that are planted on a temporary basis on vacant land.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis addresses three interlinked aspects that are relevant for mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions in urban planning. The first aspect concerns the integration and use of ecosystem service knowledge in spatial planning. A literature review aimed at analysing practical applications of ecosystem services in real-life planning processes and instruments reveals both the outcomes generated and the procedures adopted to integrate them, as well as the main advantages, constraints, enabling factors, and open issues associated with ecosystem service knowledge integration in spatial planning processes and instruments. The second aspect is related to the use of spatial assessments of ecosystem service demand to support an effective planning of Nature-based Solutions at the city scale. An approach is developed to allocate and prioritize Nature-based Solutions in cities in order to deliver ecosystem services for addressing the existing urban challenges while maximising the benefits for residents. The approach is tested in the case study area of Valletta (Malta), identifying the potential sites for the implementation of eleven types of Nature-based Solutions, assessing the demand for five priority ecosystem services, and identifying what type(s) of Nature-based Solutions, among the eleven proposed, should be implemented in each potential site, as well as the sites that should be prioritized first. The third aspect involves the promotion of the implementation of Nature-based Solutions in urban plans through the use of suitable policy instruments. A matrix that links the suitable instruments identified to different typologies of Nature-based Solutions reveals the range of instruments that can be deployed to promote the implementation of each type of Nature-based Solution. The matrix is then applied to analyse which instruments are currently deployed and which are not in the two urban plans covering the case study area of Valletta, hence the missing opportunities that could be further exploited.