Towards an adapted choice and design of urban green, in the light of climate change. A study through three urban landscape projects in Antwerp, Brussels and Liège

Abstract

Climatic changes in cities can be explained by two phenomena: global climate change on the one hand and a specific local climate resulting from the ‘urban heat island effect’ on the other hand. The effects of climate change are already felt daily, and even more so in cities. To combat climate change and its effects, there is the combined need of climate mitigation and adaptation. Urban green is known to have an important mitigating effect on climate change, thanks to multiple complementary mechanisms. Yet, there is also the need to adapt urban green to climate change. In recent years, the awareness of the importance of urban green has grown. Many urban landscape projects are being developed, aiming to improve the quality and quantity of green in cities. However, the potential of these projects is often under-used in the context of climate adaptation and mitigation. This results in missed opportunities, as the projects carried out today determine the future qualities of our cities. In this research, we suggest that by adapting the choice and design of urban green, we can improve the value of urban landscape projects in terms of climate adaptation and mitigation. Therefore, we aim at developing an evaluation tool, based on objective criteria, for the evaluation of those projects. This set of criteria is defined based on a study of scientific literature and is translated in a series of quantitative indicators. The evaluation method is tested through three case study projects, all located in Belgium. The first case study ‘South Dock Park’ is situated in Antwerp, the second ‘Central Boulevards’ in Brussels city, and the third ‘Quays of the Meuse’, in Liège. These three cities correspond to the main heat island zones of Belgium. The case studies are analyzed through the proposed evaluation method. Based on the results and interpretation of this evaluation, proposals for modifications are made for optimizing the value of each project in terms of climate adaptation and mitigation. Finally, the adapted projects are evaluated according to the same evaluation method. In this way, we can understand the impact of the modifications. This research hopes to contribute to a systematic and objective evaluation method, which can help landscape designers, but also policy makers and city services, to create resilient urban public spaces, in an era of climate change.