This thesis investigates the effectiveness of Low Impact Development Infrastructure (LIDI) and Green Infrastructure (GI) in reducing flooding resulting from heavy rainfall events and sea-level rise, and in improving stormwater quality in the City of Miami Beach (CMB). InfoSWMM was used to simulate the 5, 10, and 100-year, 24-hour storm events, total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) loadings, and in evaluating the potential of selected LIDI and GI solutions in North Shore neighborhood. Post-development results revealed a decrease of 48%, 46%, and 39% in runoff, a decrease of 57%, 60%, and 62% in TSS, a decrease of 82%, 82%, and 84% in BOD, and a decrease of 69%, 69%, and 70% in COD loadings. SWMM 5.1 was also used to simulate the king tide effect in a cross section in Indian Creek Drive. The proposed design simulations successfully demonstrated the potential to control flooding, showing that innovative technologies offer the city opportunities to cope with climate impacts. This study should be most helpful to the CMB to support its management of flooding under any adaptation scenarios that may possibly result from climate changes. Flooding could be again caused as a result of changes in inland flooding from precipitation patterns or from sea-level rise or both.

This thesis presents a field study examining the effect of the Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme in Singapore on social capital. Based on a multi-disciplinary approach and following the theoretical framework of bonding and bridging social capital developed by Robert Putnam and others, three different cases of the ABC Programme were compared, looking particularly at the level of blue-green landscape integration. The three cases comprised the ABC flagship project ‘Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park’ with high level of blue-green integration as well as the green and the grey section of the Ulu Pandan Park Connector with medium and low level of blue-green integration, respectively. Quantitative data was obtained by counting the share of park users engaged in social interaction and by surveying 330 park users on the perceptions of social interaction and integration. In addition to the quantitative data, a total of 60 face-to-face interviews were carried out in the three park areas, providing an in-depth understanding of the perceptions of the surrounding areas. The study concludes that the ABC Waters Programme is a strong generator of social capital, offering an attractive place for social bonding and to some extent also for social bridging.

The purpose of this study is to determine if Low Impact Development (LID) can effectively mitigate flooding under projected climate scenarios. LID relies on runoff management measures that seek to control rainwater volume at the source by reducing imperviousness and retaining, infiltrating and reusing rainwater. An event-driven hydrologic/hydraulic model was developed to simulate how climate change, land use and LID scenarios may affect runoff response in the Bowker Creek watershed, a 10km2 urbanized catchment located in the area of greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The first part of the study examined flood impacts for the 2050s (2040-2069) following the A2 emissions scenario. For the 24-hour, 25-year local design storm, results show that projected changes in rainfall intensity may increase flood extents by 21% to 50%. When combined with continued urbanization flood extents may increase by 50% to 72%. The second part of the study identified potential locations for three LID treatments (green roofs, rain gardens and top soil amendments) and simulated their effect on peak in-stream flow rates and flood volumes. Results indicate that full implementation of modeled LID treatments can alleviate the additional flooding that is associated with the median climate change projection for the 5-year, 10-year and 25-year rainfall events. For the projected 100-year event, the volume of overland flood flows is expected to increase by 1%. This compares favourably to the estimated 29% increase without LID. In term of individual performance, rain gardens had the greatest hydrologic effect during more frequent rainfall events; green roofs had minimal effect on runoff for all modelled events; and top soil amendments had the greatest effect during the heaviest rainfall events. The cumulative performance of LID practices depends on several variables including design specifications, level of implementation, location and site conditions. Antecedent soil moisture has a considerable influence on LID performance. The dynamic nature of soil moisture means that at times LID could meet the mitigation target and at other times it may only partially satisfy it. Future research should run continuous simulations using an appropriately long rainfall record to establish the probabilities of meeting performance requirements. In general, simulations suggest that if future heavy rainfall events follow the median climate change projection, then LID can be used to maintain or reduce flood hazard for rainfall events up to the 25-year return period. This study demonstrates that in a smaller urban watershed, LID can play an important role in reducing the flood impacts associated with climate change. / Graduate

The paper evaluates nature-based solutions for a retrofitting proposal for the combined regeneration, climate adaptation, and green space management of the industrial area Gåsebäck in Helsingborg, Sweden. The objective of this study was to evaluate options for how Gåsebäck could be sustainably regenerated and developed, while providing additional security against future negative effects of climate change, through the implementation of nature-based solutions. The methods used were unstructured interviews, literature study, thematic data analysis, and scoping review. Some urban societal challenges the area is facing were identified as Urban regeneration, Climate adaptation, and Green space management. The suggested NBSs to address these challenges are phytoremediation, mycoremediation, street trees and bushes, green walls, green roofs, flower beds, permeable surfaces, roadside greenery, rain gardens, de-culvertation and pocket parks. Examples of how the identified nature-based solutions can be retrofitted to block Italien are installing green walls on the old fire station for noise and pollution abatement, biodiversity increase, climate regulation, and enhancement of green elements; green roofs on various buildings for e.g. water management, increased biodiversity and green elements; street trees and bushes along the streets Södergatan and Malmöleden/Gåsebäcksvägen for noise and pollution abatement, water management, biodiversity increase, and enhancement of green elements; site specific installation or pocket park with phyto- or mycoremediation; flower beds and roadside traffic to increase attractiveness; and rain gardens and permeable surfaces for water management. / <p>20180620</p>

A partir da segunda metade da década de 2000, novas variáveis, de cunho ambiental, foram introduzidas nas políticas públicas que tratam da relação entre rios, várzeas e áreas urbanas na Cidade de São Paulo, resultando em uma mudança significativa na forma de entender a urbanificação dessas áreas, tanto em âmbito municipal quanto estadual. O objetivo desta tese é analisar o andamento dessas novas políticas públicas, em suas diversas escalas, dos planos aos projetos urbanos, observando as restrições e potencialidades que se apresentam ao seu desenvolvimento. É possível observar, a partir dos estudos realizados, que apesar de a abrangência das intervenções ainda ser pequena, há avanços nas políticas, o que indica que a relação estabelecida com o sistema hídrico no século passado está em processo de transformação. Contudo, permanece o caráter setorial das intervenções, resultando em ações muitas vezes incompletas, que respondem parcialmente às demandas sociais, ambientais e urbanas. Como resposta às questões colocadas pela análise, a tese sugere alguns parâmetros para o planejamento, implantação e gestão de caminhos verdes, parques lineares, ou outros espaços livres públicos em fundos de vale. / After the middle of 2000 decade a number of new environmental variables were brought into the public policies debate around rivers, riverbanks and the management of urban areas in the city of Sao Paulo. This has had a profound impact on how urbanization is perceived both at municipal and state levels. This doctorate thesis\' objective is to review the development of such policies at its multiple levels, as well as its plans and development programmes with special attention to the opportunities and shortcomings its implementation may bring. Results show that even though the scope of interventions is still narrow, there has been improvements in the way these public policies are made, which suggests a trend in the way water has been historically managed for the last century. Nevertheless, the silo approach to water management resources is still prevelent, which leads to insufficient responses to the social and environmental needs of urban development initiatives. In response to the challenge posed by this research, the thesis recommends a set of parameters for the planning, implementation and management of greenways and other public spaces on the urban river corridors.

Esta tese propõe o desenvolvimento de um sistema de corredores ecológicos para o setor Oeste da Reserva da Biosfera do Cinturão Verde (RBVC), área que foi delimitada seguindo a metodologia e os objetivos do Programa Homem e Biosfera, da UNESCO. A área estudada localiza-se na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo e possui diversos instrumentos legais, bem como algumas unidades de conservação que são de extrema importância para a manutenção dos serviços ambientais e ecológicos na região. Além disso, no entremeio dessa área, considerada como Zona Núcleo pela RBCV, existem fragmentos de vegetação típica de Mata Atlântica em diversos estágios sucessionais, sujeitos a maior fragmentação e perda de habitat, os quais ainda hoje possuem potencial para condução de fluxos ecológicos, tanto para biodiversidade como de recursos hídricos, todos fundamentais à preservação da vida silvestre. O objetivo do trabalho foi então apresentar e discutir os conflitos, as barreiras e oportunidades, avaliados por uma abordagem fundamentada em princípios de ecologia da paisagem e planejamento ecológico, de modo a manter e aumentar os fluxos ecológicos no setor estudado pelas indicações de soluções que possam minimizar os conflitos mais desafiadores. O desenho do sistema de corredores foi fundamentado em avaliações da paisagem natural, feitas por meio de matrizes e diversos mapas temáticos, que indicaram áreas com alta relevância para processos ecológicos e conectividade. A cada escala de avaliação do processo de planejamento, o desenho foi sendo aprimorado. Partiu-se de uma escala regional, até a definição do traçado do eixo principal e de cinco faixas indicativas secundárias que compõem o sistema estudado. Como resultado, foi obtido o traçado do sistema macro de corredores, estabelecendo-se áreas com maior potencial para a condução dos fluxos ecológicos e a definição dos principais conflitos e barreiras para o deslocamento de animais. Por fim, para o eixo principal e suas faixas indicativas secundárias, foi feita uma proposta de implementação dos corredores e sua integração com o tecido urbano, bem como apresentados alguns exemplos de infraestruturas, de maneira a implementar o desempenho dos importantes elos de conectividade que existem na área, podendo, assim, garantir uma maior eficiência da Reserva da Biosfera do Cinturão Verde de São Paulo. / Here is presented a proposal for the development of ecological corridors in the western sector of the São Paulo Metropolitan Region Green Belt Biosphere Reserve (RBCV). This area was delimitated under the methodology and goals of the UNESCO\'s Man and Biosphere Program. This area of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo already have a number of legal instruments and some conservation areas that are of extreme importance for the maintenance of ecological services for the Region. Between them there are fragments of Atlantic Forest in various succession stages, but under stress of further fragmentation and loss of habitats. They are until now providing ecological flows, both for biodiversity and water resources, all fundamental to the wildlife preservation and quality of the human life. This thesis aims to present the ecological corridors system obtained, that leads to discuss the conflicts, barriers and opportunities that could be taken in order to keep and enhance the flows of the ecological system in this track of the RBCV, through a landscape ecology and planning approach, with the indication of the landscape designs that could deal with the most challenging of these conflicts.The system design was based on ecological assessments of the existing landscapes, indicating areas with the more high relevance for ecological processes and connectivity. Assessments were made through the use of matrix and thematic mapping overlays. In this process, we went from the scale of regional planning to a Master Plan of a local development, which originates from the main corridor swath. We got the general layout of corridors that came out from this design process. It indicated areas with the greatest potential for conducting ecological flows, defining the main conflicts and barriers to the movements of animals and finally, allowed the delineation of the possibilities for the corridors implementation and its integration with the urban fabric and the infrastructure network that cross the whole area. The ecological and land-use and landscape information gathered could be preliminarily processed to indicate the most significant natural elements that remains, and the new elements that should be added through landscape planning and design, that could be integrated in order to resolve the barriers and conflicts, that are restraining the performance of the crucial links that can give to the RBCV its needed full implementation.

With the global population becoming more urban and less rural, increasingly research has argued for concepts such as establish Green Infrastructure (GI) as a tool for enhancing wildlife survival and human’s living quality (e.g. Harrison et al., 1995; Benedict and McMahon, 2006). However, an interdisciplinary planning approach underpinned by ecological and social evidence has not yet been fully developed. This research therefore seeks to integrate an ecological network with a green space planning standard by exploring the use of biotope and sociotope mapping methods. Seeking a comprehensive planning that takes all green resources into account, a green space typology is firstly developed according to Taiwanese contexts for identifying green spaces from land use maps. In order to specify effective features of these green spaces to bird survival and user preferences, an insight was conducted into the relationship of ‘birds and urban habitats’, as well as ‘human preferred urban green spaces’ in Taipei City. Important environmental factors influencing bird distribution and influencing human experiences in urban green spaces are respectively specified and developed into an ecological value index (EVI) to detail potential habitats and a social value index (SVI) to evaluate recreational green space provision. Interestingly, proximity to green space appears to plays a more critical role in human preferences than bird survival in Taipei city; size is important both as a habitat and for creating an attractive green space; and green space quality tends to be a more significant factor than its structure for both wildlife and people. Utilising the bio-sociotope maps, this thesis argues for a number of strategies: conserving, enlarging, or creating large green spaces in green space deficient areas; increasing ecological and recreational value by enhancing green space quality of specific characteristics; and tackling gravity distance by combining green space accessibility and attractiveness in optimising urban green structure. As these suggestions are a challenge to apply in intensively developed urban areas, barriers from land use, political mechanisms, technical shortages, and cultural characteristics are also explored with possible resolutions presented for facilitating implementation. It is clear that optimising a multifunctional GI for both wildlife and people requires interdisciplinary knowledge and cooperation from various fields. The EVI and SVI developed within this thesis create the potential for a more place-specific and quantifiable green spaces strategy to help better link ecological and social functions in urban areas.

No description available.

En milieu urbain, la concurrence entre les enjeux de préservation de la biodiversité et de la densification du territoire est particulièrement développée. Dans une optique d’aide à la décision, une meilleure connaissance des zones les plus conflictuelles est requise. Face au constat d’insuffisance et d’inadéquation des données et des méthodes nécessaires à la cartographie des Trames vertes urbaines, notre travail s’intègre en premier lieu dans une démarche technique. Celle-ci est centrée sur la mise en place d’une méthode de traitement d’images satellitaires Très Haute Résolution Spatiale Pléiades (THRS) pour l’extraction de la végétation arborée et herbacée à l’échelle fine d’une emprise urbaine. D’abord appliquée à des données fictives, cette méthode est ensuite déployée sur quatre territoires (Toulouse, Muret, Pierrefite-Nestalas et Strasbourg). Bien que fondée sur une approche pixel, la simplicité de la méthode, qui s’appuie sur des outils libres, et les résultats obtenus (indice Kappa supérieur à 85 %) garantissent sa reproductibilité sur de vastes territoires plus ou moins urbanisés. Cette donnée de végétation est ensuite exploitée pour modéliser les connectivités écologiques potentielles du paysage urbain et périurbain toulousain. L’approche mobilise la théorie des graphes et permet d’évaluer l’impact d’un aménagement urbain sur la biodiversité. Le cas du Boulevard Urbain Nord de Toulouse est étudié. La cartographie proposée des réservoirs de biodiversité, hiérarchisés à l’aide de métriques de connectivité, est avant tout indicative. Elle est finalement confrontée à des documents d’urbanisme (Plans Locaux d’Urbanisme) afin d’obtenir une meilleure visibilité des territoires à enjeux environnementaux et urbanistiques. En fonction des enjeux fixés par les acteurs du territoire et à travers le filtre applicatif, cette thèse propose un outil robuste d’analyse et d’aide à la décision pour la gestion et la planification du territoire. / In urban areas, competition between land development and ecological conservation is intense. To assist decision making, a better knowledge of those areas of interest is required. Regarding inadequacy data and methods needed for ecological network mapping in urban areas, the aim of our study is to develop a method for semi-automatic vegetation extraction with Very High Spatial Resolution Pleiades imagery (VHSR). Initially applied to training samples, the process is then be deployed to four French study areas (Toulouse, Muret, Pierrefite-Nestalas and Strasbourg). The reproducibility of this method over large urbanized areas is ensured by its simplicity and the results of a pixel-based classification (kappa coefficient higher than 85 %). This extraction workflow uses free or open-source software. This vegetation data is then used in order to model potential ecological connectivity in Toulouse’s urban and peri-urban areas. Impacts on biodiversity due to urban planning are assessed using graph theory. The “Boulevard Urbain Nord de Toulouse” project, a road infrastructure, is studied. Graph metrics have been calculated to assess the level of connectivity at habitat patches and landscape scales. We classified the importance of the patches which is cross-tabulated with planning documents (PLU, a local town planning) in order to locate conflict urban areas: between biodiversity preservation and urbanization. Depending on the issues set out by local actors and through the application filter, this thesis proposes a robust analytical tool and decision-making aid for landscape management and land planning.

ALMEIDA, V. S. Infraestrutura verde urbana na subprefeitura da Capela do Socorro (São Paulo SP): redes de espaços conservados em áreas de mananciais para sustentação da paisagem, da biodiversidade e suas funções socioambientais. 2015. 250f. Dissertação (Mestrado) Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Ambiental, Instituto de Energia e Ambiente, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2015. A subprefeitura da Capela do Socorro fica na Zona Sul de São Paulo, entre as represas Guarapiranga e Billings e o rio Jurubatuba. Tem 600 mil habitantes e ocupações diversas, desde bairros residenciais de médio ou alto padrão e áreas industrias a loteamentos irregulares, favelas, clubes náuticos e áreas rurais. Essa paisagem vem sendo transformada por dinâmicas urbanas como projetos de ampliação de infraestrutura, reurbanização de favelas, construção de parques e, recentemente, pela forte retomada do crescimento descontrolado, marcado por invasões e desmatamentos. Nesse contexto, esta pesquisa fez um levantamento e um diagnóstico dos espaços que devem ser conservados por diferentes estratégias e diretrizes para a garantia de uma infraestrutura verde, isto é, uma rede de sustentação da biodiversidade, da produção de água, de atividades humanas ao ar livre e de processos ecológicos e paisagísticos em geral. Foram identificados e diagnosticados 155 espaços potenciais, com diferentes características de cobertura vegetal, hidrografia, relevo, uso e ocupação e degradação ambiental. A distribuição desses espaços favorece a criação de uma infraestrutura verde constituída pelos seguintes tipos de rede: (1) bases de sustentação ecológica, incluindo as grandes manchas de vegetação nas áreas rurais ao sul; (2) eixos de estruturação do arco verde, compostos pelos corredores principais formados nas várzeas e margens das represas Guarapiranga e Billings, do rio Pinheiros/Jurubatuba e do ribeirão Cocaia, circundando as áreas urbanizadas; (3) eixos de integração regional, compostos por extensos corredores descontínuos de importância secundária localizados entre os eixos de estruturação; (4) eixos de integração local, com as menores redes que se distribuem ao longo dos bairros. Para garantir e potencializar essa configuração, definiram-se cinco diretrizes estratégicas para um plano de infraestrutura verde: (a) preservação e conservação das 39 unidades com cobertura vegetal e características ecológicas mais significativas, inclusive ocupações como parques naturais, parques urbanos e sítios, (b) manejo e enriquecimento de 45 espaços como clubes, equipamentos públicos, campi e chácaras, onde a arborização é mais esparsa e a restauração de florestas é mais limitada, (c) contenção e integração de espaços que têm áreas desocupadas com menor valor ecológico, que poderiam ser parcialmente destinadas a projetos de desenvolvimento urbano, (d) aproveitamento criativo de 15 espaços com potencial ecológico e paisagístico relevante, mas com características de uso e propriedades especiais e limitadas como ferrovias, linhas de transmissão de energia e o autódromo de Interlagos e (e) recuperação e restauração de 33 espaços com alta degradação ou fragmentação, que demandam intervenções urbanísticas e ambientais urgentes para garantir suas funções potenciais na paisagem. Foram também definidas sete grandes redes de espaços não construídos que pertencem a outras subprefeituras e municípios e que se conectariam a essa infraestrutura verde e ao cinturão verde da cidade. Assim, a paisagem estudada tem um grande número de espaços potenciais para a formação de uma infraestrutura verde integrada em escala de bairros, distritos, subprefeitura e metrópole, mas que, se não for urgentemente reconhecido, esse potencial será cada vez mais comprometido em curto e longo prazo. / ALMEIDA, V. S. Urban green infrastructure in the Subprefecture of Capela do Socorro (São Paulo City São Paulo State, Brazil): networks of conserved spaces in Fountainhead Areas for the conservancy of landscape, biodiversity and their environmental and social functions. 2015. 250f. Dissertação (Mestrado) Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Ambiental, Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2015. The Subprefecture of Capela do Socorro is located in the South zone of São Paulo city, between Guarapiranga and Billings reservoirs and Jurubatuba river, it has 600,000 inhabitants and diverse occupations, ranging from medium or high standard residential neighborhoods, industrial areas, irregular land parcelings, slums, yacht clubs to rural areas. This landscape has been transformed by urban dynamics such as projects for infrastructure expansion, slum reurbanization, construction of parks, as well as the recently reinstated processes of uncontrolled urban growth, marked by land invasion practices and deforestation. Within this context, this study conducted a survey and diagnosis of spaces to be preserved by different strategies and directives for ensuring a green infrastructure, that is, a network for sustaining biodiversity, water production, outdoor human activities as well as ecological and landscape processes as a whole. One hundred fifty-five potential spaces with different vegetation coverage, hydrography, relief, use and occupancy, and environmental degradation characteristics were identified and diagnosed. The distribution of these spaces favors the creation of a green infrastructure constituted by the following types of network: (1) ecological support bases, including the large vegetation patches in the Southern rural areas; (2) green arch structuring axes, composed of the main corridors formed along the floodplains and riverbanks of Guarapiranga and Billings reservoirs, Pinheiros and Jurubatuba rivers, and Cocaia stream, surrounding the urbanized areas; (3) regional integration axes, composed of vast discontinuous corridors of secondary importance located between the structuring axes; (4) local integration axes, with the smallest networks that are distributed throughout the neighborhoods. To ensure and potentize this configuration, five strategic guidelines for a green infrastructure plan were defined: (a) preservation and conservation of the thirty-nine units with most significant vegetation coverage and ecological characteristics, including occupations such as natural parks, urban parks, and ranches, (b) management and enrichment of forty-five spaces such as clubs, public facilities, campi and small farms, where arborization is more sparse and forest restoration more limited, (c) containment and integration of spaces with unoccupied areas of lower ecological value, that could be partially allotted for urban development projects, (d) creative use of fifteen spaces with relevant ecological and landscaping potential, but with special and limited properties of use and conservation , such as railways, power transmission lines, and the Interlagos Circuit, and (e) recovery and restoration of thirty-three spaces with high degradation or fragmentation, that require urgent urban and environmental interventions to ensure their potential roles in the landscape. Seven large networks of open spaces belonging to other subprefectures and municipalities and that would be connected to this green infrastructure and to the citys green belt were also defined. Thus, the Capela do Socorro has a large number of potential areas for the formation of an integrated green infrastructure on a scale of neighborhoods, districts, borough, and green belt of the city, but, if such potential is not urgently recognized, it will be increasingly threatened in the short and long terms.