Sunday, April 30, 2023

AFTER CONCRETE

 

by Elliott Papazahariakis and Francesca Massa

 

Amongst the many words that come to mind when thinking about European cities, one of them is certainly concrete. The ground on which we walk, the walls that surround us, and much of the built environment are characterised by this versatile and familiar material. Regardless of aesthetic preferences, the effects of extreme urbanisation and mineralisation on humans’ physical and mental health have been extensively studied (D’Acci, 2020). Depression, fatigue, feelings of unease and disconnection from and within our surroundings are just some of the consequences experienced by city dwellers. Beyond this, research on the effects of climate change highlights the link between mineralised environments and rising temperatures and biodiversity loss in cities.

 

As we got acquainted with this subject, it became impossible to ignore the unjustified presence of concrete in cities. Walking around Brussels, we found ourselves imagining a city in which other alternatives were possible, where citizens have the knowledge and the tools to reclaim public space to make it greener, livelier, and more inclusive... And what if we told you that we have found an organisation that is making these apparently utopian thoughts a reality? In what follows, we will introduce you to Less Béton, a non-profit organisation that is greening the city in a participatory and socially just manner.

 

In 2020, after ten years working across Brussels’ non-profit sector, Laetitia Cloosterman founded Less Béton. Motivated by her environmental consciousness and a desire to take an active role in the transformation of the city she was born and raised in, Laetitia set out to develop her own non-profit organisation. Her goal to reclaim public space, however, was not individual. On the contrary, it was driven by the necessity to share this experience with other citizens to create a common emancipatory platform. This is how she began to develop numerous projects of demineralisation (or unsealing) and re-vegetation of public space, together with the support and collaboration of local organisations such as Heroes for Zero and the Université Populaire d’Anderlecht. The team only expanded in the summer of 2022 when Michèle Schor, a landscape architect with decades of experience in the Commune of Schaerbeek, joined. The determination of this small team is exactly what inspired us to dive deeper into their mission and vision for the future.




 

(Source: Less Béton ASBL Instagram page, 2022. Rue de Bosnie project)

 

So, what does Less Béton actually do? They listen to citizens’ desires for their neighbourhoods, create plans to collectively re-design public space, request permits and funding, and when this is successful, they demineralise and re-vegetate streetscapes. In this way, they act as an independent intermediary between citizens and the communes they live in. Throughout the entire process, Less Béton adopts a holistic approach, in which demineralisation benefits the urban ecosystem at multiple levels simultaneously, both for humans and non-humans alike. Below, we look at how their small-scale projects tackle climate change, mitigating urban heat, promoting biodiversity and fostering community.

 

As climate change intensifies and temperatures rise, cities are increasingly at risk of extreme heat stress. Their rapid development has resulted in a material imbalance between natural and built structures, which possess different heat retention and water permeability properties. On an urban scale, this can translate to significant temperature differences between the built environment and the natural environment that surrounds it. This difference is known as the urban heat island (UHI) effect (Phelan et al 2015).

As shown in the map below, the most densely urbanised areas of Brussels experience the highest temperatures, meaning that the consequences of urban heat islands are not felt


equally, but are concentrated in areas marked by inequality. In Brussels, these belong to the croissant pauvre (poor croissant), in which high density and low green and blue infrastructure provision converge. Responding to this, the first projects have been located in highly mineralised communes such as Anderlecht (in Square Pequeur) and Saint Gilles, (in Rue de Bosnie).




(Source: Bruxelles Environnement, (n.d.). Cartography of freshness oasis in the Brussels Capital Region)

 

By removing concrete, the overall heat retention capacity of urban spaces is lowered and, consequently, overall temperatures may be reduced, especially during periods of extreme heat. Furthermore, through re-vegetation, Less Béton also enhances integrated rainwater management strategies in public space. By doing so, water is absorbed by plants and soil, and eventually into the water table below ground. Long term, this improves thermoregulation of streetscapes, fosters drought resistance, and reduces the risk of flooding.





(Source: Less Béton ASBL Instagram page, 2022. Integrated Rainwater management (GIEP). From the left Square Pequeur project and Place des Heros project)

 

Beyond this, the project also fosters the creation of spaces for more-than-humans in cities, supporting biodiversity. When concrete is replaced by soil and new vegetation is planted, we open up spaces in which animals, insects, and other forms of non-human life can flourish. Following Ikin et al (2015), increasing green spaces is one of the key ways to support biodiversity-sensitive cities. As part of Less Béton, one of Michèle’s main duties is to select plants that can adapt to the increased heat and dry period in Brussels, as well as to the nutritional and dwelling necessities of local fauna. As shown in the images below, the organisation also uses organic materials to create shelters for non-humans against adverse weather, pollution and traffic. This consideration of the non-human in urban design is especially innovative, exploring human and non-human relationships on a practical level, and reinforcing the positive relationship between increased biodiversity and human health (Taylor & Hochuli, 2015).

 

 





(Source: Less Béton ASBL Facebook page, 2022. Square Pequeur project)


Finally, weaving this all together, Less Béton is founded on collaboration. Each intervention they launch is guided by local communities who are involved from a project’s initial design through to its execution. By working together, participants learn about the flora and fauna that inhabit Brussels and the everyday risks of climate change. In doing so, they share knowledge of their neighbourhood’s peculiarities, and thus play a necessary role in the redesign of the public space they will experience first-hand. By practising inclusive urbanism in this way, social ties across neighbourhoods are strengthened in the name of environmental justice. The pedagogical aspect of this work is particularly evident in Less Béton’s latest intervention in Saint Gilles. Together with students from Ulenspiegel School, they redesigned the square in front of the school entrance (Place des Heros) within the framework of the urban renovation regional plan Contrat d’Ecole. Their role as intermediaries gave depth to the regional plan, introducing a participatory approach that brought a new vibrancy to the square and its surroundings.






(Source: Less Béton ASBL Facebook page, 2022. Place des Heros project)

 

For now, this is only the beginning. While Less Béton’s projects predominantly take place on a neighbourhood scale, there is a wider, more serious, even philosophical goal at play here. As Michèle underscored in our conversation with her, “Our aim is to demineralise the consciousness of people.” Framed this way, the act of removing concrete from the streets and replacing it with soil becomes something far more profound. It gestures towards an urban future in which concrete is dislodged from its pedestal, citizens participate in city-making, and nature flourishes. Their work not only envisions, but works towards cooler streets, and warmer communities. Less Béton shows us that another city is possible.


References

 

Brussels Environment. (n.d.). Cartographie des îlots de fraîcheur dans la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale. https://environnement.brussels/sites/default/files/ilots_de_fraicheur_ensemble.pdf

D’Acci, L. S. (2020). Urbanicity mental costs valuation: a review and urban-societal planning consideration. Mind & Society, 19(2), 223-235.

Ikin, K., Le Roux, D. S., Rayner, L., Villaseñor, N. R., Eyles, K., Gibbons, P., ... & Lindenmayer, D. B. (2015). Key lessons for achieving biodiversitysensitive cities and towns. Ecological Management & Restoration, 16(3), 206-214. https://doi.org/10.1111/emr.12180

Less Beton ASBL. (n.d.). Instagram page. https://www.instagram.com/less_beton_asbl/ Less Béton ASBL. (n.d.). Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/lessbeton.be Phelan, P., Kaloush, K., Miner, M., Golden, J., Phelan, B., Silva III, H., Taylor, R. A. 2015.

Urban Heat Island: Mechanisms, Implications, and Possible Remedies,

Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 40:1, 285-307

Taylor, L., & Hochuli, D. F. (2015). Creating better cities: how biodiversity and ecosystem functioning enhance urban residents’ wellbeing. Urban ecosystems, 18, 747-762. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-014-0427-3

What Are Nature-Based Solutions?

Authors: Berfin Tandoǧan &  Marta Galindo Díaz






Caption: Experiment demonstrating how mangrove vegetation reduces the effect of hurricanes or storm surges on shores. Source: Deltares (2016).

 

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) can be defined as:

“ actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature.”

 

WHY NBSs ARE IMPORTANT?

 

NBSs are designed to address challenges such as climate change, disaster risk reduction, food security, water security, biodiversity loss, or human health. In the figure below some facts about the current situation of the EU regarding environmental and unsustainable practices are given. It becomes evident the necessity to solve the former challenges. NBSs aimed to solve environmental and social problems as well as to secure nature-human relationships.

 



Caption: Facts regarding environmental problems that affect the EU’s society and economy. Source: Modified from: European Commission (2022).

 

The SDGs are a series of goals developed by the UN to lead the world to sustainability. NBSs are proposed as tools to accomplish the 17 SGS. It is believed that NBSs can decrease the different trade-offs between goals, such as “green-grabbing”, while improving the synergies between goals, for example, through the installation of urban gardens.



Caption: UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Source: UN (n.d.)

 

 

 

 

EXAMPLES OF NBSs

Examples of NBSs:

 

Reforestation, restoration, or conservation of forests located in the upper-catchment of rivers to:

 

Planting trees and increasing green areas in cities to:




a.              Protect downstream areas of flooding,

b.              Enhance biodiversity                

c.              Contribute to carbon sequestration

a.              Decrease temperature

b.              Contribute to carbon sequestration

c.              Decrease air pollution

d.              Provide recreational space

e.              Increase health and well-being

 

LIFE-PACT project (Leuven)



The European LIFE PACT project stands for People-driven: Adapting Cities for Tomorrow, and it is based on the ability of cities to deploy and improve nature-based solutions (NBSs). The main objective of the project is to increase urban resilience and improve the health and well-being of citizens. The participating cities for this project are the cities of Leuven, Madrid, and Krakow.



Caption: Participating cities of Life-Pact Project. Source: Interview

PACT’s approach will be first implemented in Leuven with 2 pilot locations and further replicated across Leuven, Madrid, and Kraków. This project addresses three main challenges in pilot locations. The first of these challenges is the lack of buy-in from citizens. NBSs can conflict with other needs, such as the (perceived) need for space for cars (e.g. parking spaces). The second addressed challenge is the lack of an integrated, multi-stakeholder approach. Beyond the city administration, there is a need for a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach. For instance, 80% of Leuven’s sealed/impermeable surfaces are on private property; to unlock the potential for NBSs, there is a need to activate non-city stakeholders. Lastly, the third challenge is the lack of data on the (private) urban green stock. Many cities don’t have a clear picture of the amount or quality of their green spaces. This is particularly due to data scarcity in private green spaces. Without such data, it is difficult to design or plan effective interventions.



Caption: Pilot locations and replications sites.  Source: Interview 

Some of LIFE-PACT activities

 

SPAANSE KROON NEIGHBORHOOD

 


Caption: Main characteristics of the Spaanse Kroon neighborhood.  

OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT
1. Participatory approach

Participatory approaches are crucial to designing NBSs. Research has proved that the involvement of residents in NBS projects leads to increases in fairness and sustainability in the governance process.

 

In Spaanse Kroon multiple meetings were organized where citizens - of all ages - had a place to know each other, understand the opportunities and sensitivities of greening the areas, aware people, and for ideas. Before the meetings took place, temporary green areas were implemented, such as the ‘talking bench’ (caption below).

 

 


Caption:  Meeting in Spaanse Kroon. Source: Interview

 

2. Streets Design

Different plans were proposed to citizens: small, medium, and large. In the small scenario, green areas were included but no further modification was proposed. On the other hand, the medium and large scenarios involved the removal of sidewalks and larger planting areas. The information gathered in the different workshops was contradictory. More environmentally aware people assisted the first workshops who liked the large design. Later, there was a disagreement among the residents as some of them did not understand why the project had to take place in their streets. After several conversations, the large scenario was chosen.

 







Caption: Old Situation (2022) of Spaanse Kroon. Source: Interview







Caption: Three different amounts of greening were proposed (A: Small, B: Medium, C: Large). Source: Interview

 

PRIVATE DOMAIN

The lack of public green spaces obliges the inclusion of private gardens in the green governance of the city. To do so, it is very important to inform residents of the importance of NBSs as well as to provide strategies and means to increase private green. For this project to succeed, many different stakeholders must take collective action: city hall, citizens, and partners (university, contractors, garden rangers, …).

 

The influence of the LIFE-PACT project on Leuven’s citizens consists in supporting and encouraging residents to green their gardens. As part of this project, the municipality of Leuven supports its residents with different implementations. These supports include personal garden advice (garden rangers), joint purchasing of planting material, organizing collective planting days, cooperation with ecological gardening contractors, and financial support through grants.

 



 Caption: Different activities taken by the LIFE-PACT in Leuven. Source: Interview

 

In addition to these supports, the municipality aims to encourage its residents through promotional communication. To do so, the municipality focuses on organizing neighborhood challenges and rewards. With a form of gamification, it stimulates residents to take action and encourage each other. As a result of the residents’ actions and implementations, they are rewarded by the municipality.




Caption:  Reward system. Source: Interview

 

Major takeaways

 

As we see from this specific project (LIFE-PACT) Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) are actions that protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems to address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, benefiting both people and nature. NBSs are essential to tackle environmental challenges such as climate change, disaster risk reduction, food security, water security, biodiversity loss, and human health. The SDGs developed by the UN aim to make the world sustainable, and NBSs are considered tools to accomplish such goals.

The LIFE-PACT project aims to increase urban resilience, improve the health and well-being of citizens, and address challenges related to the lack of citizen buy-in, lack of an integrated, multi-stakeholder approach, and data scarcity of private green spaces. The project's participatory approach, street design, and private domain strategies have led to positive outcomes, such as increased fairness and sustainability in the governance process, increased private green areas, and the stimulation of residents to take action and encourage each other through promotional communication and gamification. Overall, NBSs and projects such as LIFE-PACT are crucial to creating a sustainable world for both people and nature.

 

 

REFERENCES

City of Leuven. (n.d.). Klimaatadaptieve acties PACT. Leuven.be. Retrieved from https://www.leuven.be/klimaatadaptieve-acties-pact

 

City of Leuven. (n.d.). LIFE Project PACT. Leuven.be. Retrieved from https://leuven.be/en/life-project-pact/

 

Deltares [Shafiq Zikri]. (2016, Nov 23). How Mangrove Forests Protect The Coast [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoMrLYJOdA4

 

European Commission. (2022). Nature-Based Solutions: Harnessing the Power of Nature to Address Societal Challenges. Retrieved from https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-08/ec_rtd_nature-based-solutions.pdf

 

Kiss, B., Sekulova, F., Hörschelmann, K., Salk, C. F., Takahashi, W., & Wamsler, C. (2022). Citizen participation in the governance of nature‐based solutions. Environmental Policy and Governance, 32(3), 247-272.

 

Seddon, N., Chausson, A., Berry, P., Girardin, C. A., Smith, A., & Turner, B. (2020). Understanding the value and limits of nature-based solutions to climate change and other global challenges. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 375(1794), 20190120.

 

UN Brussels. (n.d.). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UN Brussels. Retrieved from https://www.unbrussels.org/the-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/

 

GREEN TRAMWAY TRACKS – A FLAWLESS NATURE-BASED SOLUTION FOR URBAN GREENING?

  By Jakub Osmański   Although they had been known and used for over 100 years, the interest in green tram tracks and their application ...