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Detmold School of Design

urbanLab
TH OWLDesignResearchProjekte

URBiNAT

Nature-Based Solutions as Drivers for Urban Renewal

The EU research project URBiNAT develops health corridors as drivers for the regeneration of social housing areas through the collaborative development of social, ecological, and marketable nature-based solutions in seven European cities (Porta, Sofia, Nantes, Høje-Taastrup, Siena, Brussels, and Nova Gorica). The urbanLab examines the effects of these green corridors on health and well-being. To this end, relevant data are collected before, during, and after the implementation of the open spaces.

Following a successful project launch in June 2018 with a joint three-day kickoff meeting in Coimbra—attended by around 80 participants from across Europe, as well as partners from China and Iran—the consortium worked in 2019 on the design and setup of data collection and management systems necessary to address the complex research questions.

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Juni 2021

A New Handbook for Evaluating the Impacts of Nature-Based Solutions Published by the European Commission

Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences was involved in the development of the comprehensive framework for impact analysis of nature-based solutions, a growing area of sustainability aimed at driving societal change through increased integration of nature in the built environment.

Nature-based Solutions (NBS) is an umbrella term for spatial, strategic, and process-oriented nature-based interventions aimed at harnessing their multidimensional benefits to address 12 current societal challenges simultaneously:

  • Climate resilience
  • Water management
  • Natural and climate-related hazards
  • Green space management
  • Biodiversity
  • Air quality
  • Urban renewal
  • Building knowledge and social capacities for sustainable urban transformation
  • Participatory planning and governance
  • Social justice and social cohesion
  • Health and well-being
  • New economic opportunities and green jobs

Marcel Cardinali, PhD candidate and research associate at the urbanLab, Faculty 1, has made a significant contribution to an EU handbook summarizing the current state of knowledge on the evaluation of nature-based solutions (NBS). The handbook, titled Evaluating the Impact of Nature-Based Solutions – A Handbook for Practitioners, represents a collaboration of 17 EU-funded projects carried out under the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme.

"The handbook is aimed at professionals in practice and administration, as well as researchers involved in the implementation and evaluation of nature-based solutions. Its goal is to support these groups in evaluating these measures and to highlight their multidimensional positive effects," explains Marcel Cardinali.

He was responsible for profiling the individual EU projects in the handbook and is also a co-author of several chapters addressing, among other topics, the principles of impact analysis and approaches to an evaluation strategy. "The handbook is the first output of an EU-level working group in which NBS experts from Horizon 2020-funded projects come together to leverage synergies and overlaps between projects. I am one of the researchers nominated by URBiNAT to this working group under the coordination of the European Commission. Our working group’s first publication now demonstrates the immense breadth of possible evaluation approaches—from highly technical remote sensing, through quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, to citizen science methods for generating data on the impacts of nature-based solutions. Regardless of one’s own resources or the scale of the NBS, there are almost always ways to analyze the effectiveness of NBS and thus verify the positive effects of local policy action," Cardinali elaborates.

URBiNAT is a consortium of 27 partners across 10 European countries and 4 non-European countries, including local authorities, municipalities, industry partners, NGOs, and academic institutions. The project focuses on the regeneration and integration of disadvantaged urban districts through NBS. Interventions concentrate on newly connected and valued public spaces with the aim of enhancing social cohesion and quality of life.

Following positive feedback on the publication—particularly from the European Commission—a smaller group from the same consortium was tasked with producing a summary of the handbook for policymakers. Here too, TH OWL will be represented by Marcel Cardinali.

The handbook is available as a as free PDF download

Duration: June 2018 – March 2024
Funding: European Union, HORIZON 2020 Programme
Project Lead: Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Kathrin Volk
Project Staff: Marcel Cardinali, PhD Candidate

Publications, Lectures and Public Relations

Books & Book Chapters

[Translate to Englisch:]

  1. European Commission. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. (2021a). Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions: A handbook for practitioners (A. Dumitru & L. Wendling, Hrsg.). Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/doi/10.2777/244577
  2. 2. European Commission. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. (2021b). Dumitru, A., & Wendling, L. (Hrsg.). (2021). Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions: Appendix of methods. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/11361
  3. 3. European Commission. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. (2021c). Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions: A summary for policy makers (M. Cardinali, A. Dumitru, V. Sofie, & L. Wendling, Hrsg.). Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/doi/10.2777/521937
  4. Cardinali, M., Bodenan, P., Burov, A., Chancibault, K., Fleury, G., Herpin, S., Roy-Lisneuf, J. L., Sapin, A., Petrova, M. T., & Mutafchiiska, I. (2024). How Nature-based Solutions Promote Health & Wellbeing. In Urban Inclusive and Innovative Nature (S. 302–369). Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli. https://fondazionefeltrinelli.it/scopri/urban-inclusive-and-innovative-nature/
  5. Moniz, G. C., Eddine, R., Nunes, N., Ferreira, I., Caitana, B., Curi, F., Holz, S., Antunes, L., Correira, L. M., Leite, V., Bandeirinha, J., Rochette, A., Lameiras, J. M., Truta, B., Marques, T., Marques, P., Mateus, A., Martins, S., Leonor, S., … Cardinali, M. (2024). Four Stages of Co-Creation. In Healthy Corridor Atlas: Roadmap for the Co-Creation of Nature-based Cities (S. 17–72). Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli. https://fondazionefeltrinelli.it/scopri/healthy-corridor-atlas/
Journal Articles

[Translate to Englisch:]

  1. Béchet, P. B. & B. (2023). Des « solutions fondées sur la nature » dans un quartier de grands ensembles ? Métropolitiques. https://metropolitiques.eu/Des-solutions-fondees-sur-la-nature-dans-un-quartier-de-grands-ensembles.html
  2. Bodénan, P., Doux, H., Béchet, B., Cannavo, P., Jean-Soro, L., Lebeau, T., Guern, C. L., & Vidal-Beaudet, L. (2022). Le jardinage urbain: Le défi de la qualité des sols urbains pour les collectivités. Projets de paysage. Revue scientifique sur la conception et l’aménagement de l’espace, 27, Article 27. https://doi.org/10.4000/paysage.31684
  3. Cardinali, M. (2024). Green Health: Examining the role of green space characteristics and their proximity in green space health pathways. 24(09). https://doi.org/10.7480/abe.2024.09
  4. Cardinali, M., Balderrama, A., Arztmann, D., & Pottgiesser, U. (2023). Green Walls and Health: An umbrella review. Nature-Based Solutions, 100070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbsj.2023.100070
  5. Cardinali, M., Beenackers, M. A., Fleury-Bahi, G., Bodénan, P., Petrova, M. T., Van Timmeren, A., & Pottgiesser, U. (2024). Examining green space characteristics for social cohesion and mental health outcomes: A sensitivity analysis in four European cities. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 93, 128230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128230
  6. Cardinali, M., Beenackers, M. A., van Timmeren, A., & Pottgiesser, U. (2023a). AID-PRIGSHARE: Automatization of indicator development in green space health research in QGIS. Accompanying script to the PRIGSHARE reporting guidelines. Software Impacts, 100506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.simpa.2023.100506
  7. Cardinali, M., Beenackers, M. A., van Timmeren, A., & Pottgiesser, U. (2023b). Preferred reporting items in green space health research. Guiding principles for an interdisciplinary field. Environmental Research, 228, 115893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.115893
  8. Cardinali, M., Beenackers, M. A., Van Timmeren, A., & Pottgiesser, U. (2024). The relation between proximity to and characteristics of green spaces to physical activity and health: A multi-dimensional sensitivity analysis in four European cities. Environmental Research, 241, 117605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.117605
  9. Sapin, A., Bodenan, P., Lebeau, T., & Fleury-Bahi, G. (2023). Allotment gardens: Psychosocial benefits and conflictual community aspects. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 33(3), 664–676. doi.org/10.1002/casp.2663
Conference Papers
  1. Dimitrova, E., & Tasheva-Petrova, M. (2021). Overview: Healthy Spatial Planning. INTERNATIONAL Conference Making Healthy Cities for People - Education, Research, Practice in Planning, Architecture and Engineering: Conference Proceedings, 2021, 23–24. https://hurbe-project.eu/Content/Documents/041020212050_HURBE2021_Conference%20Proceedings_web.pdf
  2. Moniz, G. C., Leite, V., & Cardinali, M. (2023). Regeneração urbana inclusiva para cidades saudáveis. Património Hospitalar e Paisagens de Cura, 397–411. http://www.ces.uc.pt/ficheiros2/files/Livro_de_atas_SIHAH.pdf
  3. Tasheva-Petrova, M., & Dimitrova, E. (2019). “City Health” as an urban challenge: Building capacity in research and education. IXth International Scientific Conference on Architecture and Civil Engineering - ArCivE 2019 ( 31 May - 2 June 2019, Varna, Bulgaria). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335026225_%27GRADSKOTO_ZDRAVE%27_KATO_URBANISTICNO_PREDIZVIKATELSTVO_IZGRAZDANE_NA_IZSLEDOVATELSKI_I_OBRAZOVATELEN_KAPACITET
  4. Yolova, M. (2021). Involving Teenagers in an Inclusive Planning Process for Healthy Urban Environment in Sofia, Bulgaria. INTERNATIONAL Conference Making Healthy Cities for People - Education, Research, Practice in Planning, Architecture and Engineering: Conference Proceedings, 2021, 107–117. https://hurbe-project.eu/Content/Documents/041020212050_HURBE2021_Conference%20Proceedings_web.pdf
Poster Presentations
  1. Tasheva-Petrova, M. Dimitrova, E. Burov, A., Mutafchiiska, I., Yolova, M., Healthy urban planning: in search for meeting points of values and policy agendas; Session 6.5: Barriers and facilitators for policy changes, Urban Transitions 2022: Integrating urban and transport planning, environment and health for healthier urban living, 8-10 November 2022 | Sitges, Barcelona, Spain, poster presentation PT3B.03 
Speaker at High-Level Conferences
  1. Anderson,. T., Cardinali, M. (panel speaker). The role of Nature-based Solutions in tackling Environmental and Health Issues. 7th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health. WHO Europe, UNEP. 05-07 July 2023 Budapest, Hungary
  2. Cardinali, M. (panel speaker). Combined effects of pollution, climate change and biodiversity on human health (Session 6). Research Perspectives on the Health Impacts of Climate Change. European Commission. 19-20 February 2024 Brussels, Belgium
Software / Code
  1. Cardinali, M., Beenackers, M. A., van Timmeren, A., & Pottgiesser, U. (2023). AID-PRIGSHARE (v1.0.0) [Python; QGIS 3.22]. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7794368
Dashboards & Websites

1. Cardinali, M., Bodenan, P., Ferilli, G., Nunez, N., Ferreira, Burov, Tasheva, M., & Fleury-Bahi, G. (2024). Wellbeing & Health Dashboard. Your neighborhood’s journey to Health and WellbeingURBiNAT Observatory. urbinat.eu/urbinat-observatory/wellbeing-health-dashboard/

 

Education
  1. Béchet, B. (2024). Module 5.3: NBS Impact on Nature: Monitoring NBS and hydrology. Online Course: Co-Creation of Nature and Human-Based Solutions. https://urbinat.eu/online-nbs-course/
  2. Cardinali, M. (2024). Module 5.2: Impact of NBS on Health and Well-being. Online Course: Co-Creation of Nature and Human-Based Solutions. https://urbinat.eu/online-nbs-course/
  3. Ferilli, G. (2024). Module 5.1: The importance of the observatory for monitoring. Online Course: Co-Creation of Nature and Human-Based Solutions. https://urbinat.eu/online-nbs-course/
  4. Cardinali, M. (2023). Workshop Tables about NBS Health Impacts. Summer School Healthy Home. Coimbra, Portugal. urbinat.eu/summer-school-2023/

More information you will find on our project page: www.urbinat.eu/

Please follow the project on Twitter @URBi_NAT

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