VIRTUAL Barcelona Livable Cities
Abstract
Nature-based solutions (NBS) have been gaining increasing support for combating climate change impacts and rapid urbanisation challenges in cities. Integrating natural components in the urban environment has been one of the key areas for addressing these challenges. Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI), as an NBS, can provide synergetic outcomes at various spatial scales to enhance resiliency and reduce vulnerabilities of cities against various climate change impacts. It incorporates networks of sustainable natural and semi-natural components consisting of integrated green spaces and open water surfaces in the design of urban areas to enhance the resiliency of the cities. It provides multiple co-benefits necessitating its integration into urban developments. Despite theoretical and experimental support, transition towards BGI systems has been slow. This study investigates transition challenges and barriers towards BGI uptake in city of Sydney, Australia. We highlight the Socio-Technical nature of BGI and use the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) as our analytical framework for understanding Socio-Technical Transition (STT). A qualitative research approach, based on four case studies and semi-structured interviews, was employed. Results are categorized into five main themes, including Institutional and governance, Economics and Finance, Knowledge and experience, Socio-cultural, and Spatial planning. However these themes are highly interconnected and influenced by one another, revealing the complexity of the issue. Therefore, for future research and interventions, we suggest approaching the transition barriers as a complex issue and addressing it through systems thinking practices to facilitate its pathway. That necessitates dynamic interdisciplinary and connective collaborations among different organisations to bridge this practical gap.
Somayeh Sadegh Koohestani: With a background in urban planning and design, Somayeh’s research interest concerns creating resilient cities for climate change adaptation and mitigation. She is currently doing her PhD at the Institute for Sustainable Futures on facilitating transition pathways towards Blue-Green Infrastructure. She also has broader research experience in sustainability and climate change research projects.
Pierre is a professionally registered civil engineer with 30 years experience in the water and sanitation sector. He has worked across urban water planning in both technical and research capacities. Before joining the Institute for Sustainable Futures, Pierre worked for three years as a senior planning engineer with an Australian water utility.
Rachael is a social scientist with an interdisciplinary background in sustainability science, geography and political science. Her research across academia, government and industry is focused on systemic approaches to creating more sustainable resource futures that support human health as part of broader ecological health. In particular she specialises in whole-of-system approaches to the circular economy, including the redesign of product service systems to improve product stewardship, reuse and repair, and ways of addressing toxicants and pollutants in circular supply chains.
Mat Santamouris is the Anita Lawrence Professor of High Performance Architecture in the University of New South Wales in Australia. He is a past a professor at the University of Athens, Greece and visiting Professor at the Cyprus Institute, Metropolitan University of London, Tokyo Polytechnic University, Bolzano University, Brunnel University and National University of Singapore. Past President of the National Center of Renewable and Energy Savings of Greece.