Green infrastructure planning for urban

climate change adaptation & mitigation:

Challenges for urban ecological research
Stephan Pauleit
Centre for Forest & Landscape
University of Copenhagen
17/07/2009

Green Infrastructure
(Green Infrastructure Northwest)
Life support system - the network of natural
environmental components and green and blue spaces
Lies within and between cities, towns and villages
Provides multiple social, economic and environmental
benefits.
Physical components include parks, rivers, gardens,
street trees and moorland.

www.greeninfrastructurenw.org.uk/

Climate change hits cities hard

Concentration of people &
economy
Location in risk zones, e.g.
coastal areas, floodplains,
slopes
Elevated temperatures: Heat
island
Stormwater water runoff
increased
Climate change intensifies
heat island and stormwater
runoff

Key role of urban planning

Human population increasingly urban
IPCC reports emissions by sector, not urban areas
Focus on urban areas essential
To mitigate GHGs
Urban areas heavily impacted by climate change, where
adaptation efforts must focus

Through Urban Planning (UP) communities determine:

Land use, densities, character of built environment, parks
and open space, location and capacity of public infrastructure
and facilities

Through Urban Management, communities:

Administer public services and regulate and provide
incentives for private infrastructure providers and land
markets
Source: Blanco 2009

Research needs of urban planning

Planning analysis: down-scaling of global models &
assessment of vulnerabilities
Public engagement: techniques for public education &
engagement
Generating alternative options for integrated strategies
Assessment /Appraisal of Alternative Strategies
Adoption of plans, e.g. role of political leadership, NGOs,
planning capacity, public engagement in adoption of
plans
Implementation: institutional, legal and financial barriers
Evaluation of plans: Identifying and evaluating indicators
for monitoring
Source: Blanco 2009

Climate change
- Example Greater Manchester

Temperatures on a hot summer day

in C

Low density residential: +3,1C

Town centre:
+4,3C
Sources: Gill 2006, Gill et al. 2007

Vulnerability of people & places

Source: Lindley, 2009

Pluvial flooding

Greve Municipality

Stormwater runoff

56% more precipitation:

82% more runoff
Surface runoff (mm)

Sources: Gill 2006, Gill et al. 2007

Nye udfordring tilpasning til

klimaforandringer

Evapotranspiring surfaces

Sources: Gill 2006, Gill et al. 2007

UMT survey

Residential 10% green cover

Low density residential

High density residential

40
Max surface temp (C)

Max surface temp (C)

40
35
30
25
20
15

35
30
25
20
15

1970s

2020s
Low

2020s
High

2050s
Low

2050s
High

2080s
Low

Time period and scenario

2080s
High

1970s

2020s
Low

2020s
High

2050s
Low

2050s
High

2080s
Low

2080s
High

Time period and scenario

current development

Town centre shows

similar pattern

Sources: Gill 2006, Gill et al. 2007

-10% green
+10% green

Hydrological and climatic functions

of the green infrastructure
Corridors

Patches

Matrix

Retention

Infiltration

Evapotranspiration

Shading

Adapted from: Gill et al. 2007

Wenn Rasen vertrocknet

Droughts
(Available water content in the top 30cm = 0)

No. of month with AWC=0

Sources: Gill 2006, Gill et al. 2007

The role of trees

Retention and infiltration

Augustenborg, Malm

Bjlsen studentby, Oslo

Infiltration in tree trenches

- example Stockholm

Alvem & Bennerscheidt, 2009

Limits to compaction? Integrated strategies

Research challenges for urban ecology

Down scaling of cc scenarios & urban vulnerabilities

Understanding the role of GI in adaptation &

mitigation: heat island, stormwater

Adaptation of GI to climate change

Tools that help to bridge the gap between urban

ecology & planning and decision making, e.g.
UMT
Assessment of alternatives/appraisal needs
Scenario approaches Governance of adaptation

Inter- & transdisciplinary research approaches

Comparative approaches required

Acknowledgements
Dr. Susannah Gill
Mersey Community Forest, UK
susannah@merseyforest.org.uk
Prof. John Handley
Centre for Urban and Regional Ecology
The University of Manchester, UK
john.handley@manchester.ac.uk
Prof. Hilda Blanco
Department of Urban Design and Planning
University of Washington, USA
hblanco@u.washington.edu

References
Alvem B.-M., Bennerscheidt C., 2009. Baumstandortoptimierung und Regenwasserbewirtschaftung
Chancen fr ein gemeinsames Vorgehen. In: Dujesiefken D. (Ed.) Jahrbuch der Baumpflege 2009. Taspo
Fachbuchservice, Braunschweig, S. 70-78.
Blanco H., Pauleit S., Jrgensen G., 2009. Integrated planning strategies for climate change mitigation and
adaptation in Europes urbanizing regionsTowards a research agenda. Presentation given at IARU
International Conference on Climate Change, Copenhagen, March 9-12.
Gill, S.E. (2006). Climate Change and Urban Greenspace. Unpublished PhD thesis, School of Environment and
Development, University of Manchester.
Gill S., Handley J., Ennos R., Pauleit S.,2007. Adapting cities for climate change: the role of the green
infrastructure. Journal Built Environment 33 (1), 115-133.
Lindley S., 2009. Research agendas on climate change: perspectives from the work of the Centre for Urban
& Regional Ecology. Presentation given at Climate Change and Urban Development workshop, Centre for
Forest and Landscape, University of Copenhagen, March 13, 2009.
Nicol F., Wilson W., Ueberjahn-Tritta A., Nanayakkara L., Kessler M., Comfort in outdoor spaces in Manchester
and Lewes, UK. Working paper, accessed 15/12/07