DeSCIPHER_norway

1. Designing Sponge Cities for
multiple benefits: integrating
nature-based solutions to create
sustainable places (DeSCIPHER)
CEH (Europe lead: Mike Hutchins), University of
Surrey, NIVA, University of Oslo, CAS Institute of
Urban Environment (Xiamen) (China lead: Shen Yu),
Tsinghua University (Beijing), Earthwatch
Main case study

2. Sponge Cities: a major recent Chinese initiative
Sponge Cities: Replacing impermeable surfaces with wetlands, green
rooftops and rain gardens means stormwater is absorbed back into
the land, making water work for the city instead of against it
Permeable pavements, Lingang.
Photo: Helen Roxburgh
Terminology:
o Nature-Based Solutions (NBS)
o Green Infrastructure
o Low Impact Development
o Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems
Bicester: 2010s district
Bicester: 1980s district
Flooded street, Wuhan.
Photo: AFP/Getty

3. Bringing it all together: multi-domain framework
How do changes in
climate and societal
drivers affect the co-
benefits and trade-
offs between a range
of environmental
quality indicators
arising from
implementing NBS?
Evaluating NBS at
a range of scales
local
neighbourhood
whole city
wider hinterland, airshed,
downstream …
Heat
Air
quality
Green
space
access
Biodiversity
Flood
risk
Soil
quality
Noise
Water
quality
Environmental
quality
indicators

4. Public use of urban parks; and business engagement
How can business innovation
be incentivised to provide or
contribute to NBS?
Use of social media
and other
volunteered
geographic
information…
…urban green space:
1) map its use
2) identify how to
improve equitable
access.

5.  A tool for assessing co-benefits and trade-offs arising
from NBS implementation.
 Definition of how environmental impacts at larger
scales inform the choice of solutions adopted in urban
areas
 Evidence-based recommendations on design criteria
and management strategies - to be applied when
developing NBS to optimise co-benefits
Expected results

6. 1. Atmospheric
chemistry transport
models calculate
health benefits of
urban vegetation via
pollution removal
2. Spatial models
calculate which
houses benefit
from noise
reduction by trees
3. Riparian shade: shade
maps from canopy surface
models enable simulation of
water quality benefits
(cooler water and
suppressed eutrophication)
Reduces upper quartile
temperature by 1.1 ⁰C
in River Thames, UK.
e.g. vegetation benefits
Previous work: ecosystem services

7. Thank you!
DeSCIPHER
Designing Sponge Cities through
Innovation, Policy, Health and
Environmental Research
Example of
previous work:
Lead in sediment
cores along an
urban gradient: 5
sites in Shanghai:
Urban core …. developed …. developing
Natural source Vehicle exhaust Coal combustion