Urban green areas at the centre of urban policy action

The necessity and urgency of taking action to improve urban responses to climate change, thereby boosting the adaptive capacities of territories, is now widely acknowledged (EEA, 2020). The pressure for action is motivated by an expansion of the risks resulting from climate change to which European cities are increasingly subjected. If we consider Belgium and the project area, the impacts that are observed and that will intensify are an increase in heat extremes, a decrease in summer precipitation and a higher risk of river floods (ibidem).

The increase in extreme events, along with a progressive loss of biodiversity due to urbanisation and the impact of human activities on the territory, can generate very negative impacts on the population, particularly on residents of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, as they are often highly urbanised and have limited or poor green spaces. The EU strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change recognises that the impact of high temperatures and other effects of climate change is greater on certain categories of people and thus emphasises the need to focus policies and actions on the most vulnerable groups. For example, elderly people, children, the homeless, and those with health issues are at greater risk of suffering the effects of heat waves because they have less ability to defend against such hazards (EEA, 2022). The residents of the central districts of Seraing are therefore doubly at risk. On one hand, they live in urban areas particularly subject to the urban heat island effect due to the high level of impermeability and the scarcity of green areas. On the other hand, the presence of a large portion of the population with low income and a high incidence of health issues, homelessness, and addiction problems, makes the residents more vulnerable to the mentioned risks.

Restoring parks and creating new green areas is one of the nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban areas recommended by experts due to the multiple benefits they can provide, including increased and conserved biodiversity, improved air quality, social and cultural benefits (including health and social cohesion), etc. The ability of green and wooded areas to reduce air and surface temperatures is widely recognised and constitutes a central element in the climate change adaptation process. The APTBC project adopted nature-based solutions (NBS) to encourage social practices for citizen engagement, enhance their connection with the neighbourhood, and improve their physical and psychological well-being. The adopted solution involved training a group of citizens with a difficult access to employment in sustainable management practices and tools. The impacts of this activity were socio-economic, as jobs were created and individuals were professionally trained, and social, as the renovated green areas saw a moderate increased use and engagement from the neighbourhood as a whole. Although not among the primary objectives and not monitored, it can be expected that the increase in green space and the rehabilitation of existing areas also resulted in increased biodiversity and mitigation of rising temperatures.

NBS are primarily about this: "multi-benefit" measures that produce numerous advantages for urban communities, particularly the most vulnerable ones, and help cities become more resilient to environmental risks.

Seizing the opportunity of nature-based solutions

As mentioned in the latest journal, sustainable management methods for green areas that were tested during the project implementation have then been at least partially integrated into the practice of the municipal Public Works service. This was part of the expected results of the project. At the same time, to fully seize the opportunity offered by the APTBC project, the municipality should not stop at green area management but would need to expand the NBS model by adopting other approaches within an ecosystemic perspective. By doing so, it would address the challenges posed by climate change and the urgency of a just environmental transition.

As highlighted by De los Casares and Ringel, considering the objectives promoted by the European Green Deal, and several other EU policies (such as the Biodiversity Strategy, the EU Adaptation Strategy and the Urban Agenda for the EU) NBS can address different challenges and contribute to the achievement of a wide range of objectives, which should be prioritised by local urban policies.

A comprehensive urban strategy aimed at promoting sustainable urban development and facilitating climate change adaptation should enhance local green infrastructures, addressing at least three fronts: 1) the preservation, revitalisation, and creation of new parks and urban forests; 2) the planting of individual trees and the replacement of impermeable surfaces with grass; 3) the implementation of green roofs and facades on buildings (EEA, 2021). Green infrastructures are the most effective measures for reducing the risk associated with high temperatures. In addition to this, they can also help improve flood management, particularly through water interception. What has been achieved by APTBC project is an excellent starting point. Nonetheless, to upscale the project results, the ambition of the municipal Master Park must be expanded: not only pursuing the goal of creating a network of urban green spaces connected by soft mobility paths, but also developing a comprehensive plan that addresses the environmental, economic, and social dimensions in an integrated manner. This implies 1) maintaining and expanding existing ecosystems, preserving biodiversity; 2) improving the management of resources (water, energy) and waste; 3) investing in cost-efficient and low-cost solutions for a sustainable management.

The effective implementation of NBS faces obstacles that need to be considered in their planning, as it is suggested by some scholars. Possible challenges must be faced through solid partnerships, composed of a variety of actors from civil society, technical and professional sectors, and the administration, at different levels. Given the multiplicity of actions, possible interconnections, and the various impacts achievable, NBS require the production of a knowledge base supported by diversified sources and promoted by visionary leadership.

Some recommendations for Seraing

Based on the considerations expressed so far, some recommendations can be proposed for Seraing and, more generally, for cities that, like Seraing, must face the challenges posed by climate change: primarily rising temperatures and the risk of floods. Seraing can start with its existing green areas and develop its own adaptation plan according to its own resources and strengths.

• Engage the relevant local stakeholders and collectively define the current state from which to plan interventions, then collaboratively set medium to long-term goals and vision. This process could be launched at the Maison du Peuple, the place that now most represents the space for co-creation.
• Indicators should be developed to monitor climate impacts and allocate resources to mitigate them according to principles of equity. An environmental justice index could be used, which measures the level of exposure to risks in an urban area relative to the socio-economic conditions of the population, to allocate funds where they are most needed. For example, the city of Berlin has developed a monitoring system that involves identifying areas most vulnerable to climate risks due to a combination of factors (including air pollution, green space provision, social status, etc.) and using this mapping as a basis for the decision-making process in urban planning and resource distribution (EEA, 2019). In the case of Seraing, the spatial injustice characterising the territory from an environmental perspective is striking and evident: the city, in absolute terms, has a high percentage of green areas, but they are concentrated in the peripheral zones where the higher-income population lives, while the central areas are poor in parks and vegetation.
• Involving vulnerable and marginalised people to identify adaptation strategies. Co-designing solutions is a central tool to ensure that the most vulnerable residents are reached and that no one is left behind. The process involves the participation of residents, local associations, administration, and experts in identifying the weaknesses of the local system and developing an action plan. An interesting example in this regard is the city of Dresden, which, through the HeatResilientCity project, invited multi- and transdisciplinary groups to collaborate in finding adaptation measures and innovative solutions to combat the impacts of extreme heat on the population in the most at-risk areas.
• Introducing nature-based solutions in the city planning process. Mainstreaming nature-base solutions is of the utmost importance for their acceptance by the wider public, but especially by local administration services, which support is essential for implementation. Clever Cities is a project funded by the European Horizon 2020 programme that has formulated and tested a roadmap in various cities to outline strategies tailored to their needs and integrate nature-based solutions into planning and policy-making processes. By co-creating a NBS roadmap, cities can find the best solutions to improve citizens' well-being and health while reducing the negative impact of climate change.
• Identifying and addressing barriers for implementation, such as legislation gaps, lacking capacities and skills, unawareness, too sectoral approach to resource management, etc.
• As demonstrated by the excellent results obtained from the APTBC training course in sustainable management of green areas, the implementation of NBS can be a catalyst for job creation, the development of new professional roles, and the revitalisation of an economy based on sustainable and green services.
• Upscaling the demonstrator sites with the aim not only to contribute to green infrastructure and raise public awareness about environmental issues, but also to significantly green the neighbourhood, for example, by planting trees wherever possible.
• The central neighbourhoods of Seraing are highly cemented and at the same time have many buildings in need of retrofitting. The Climate Plan (Plan Climat), which already strongly focuses on energy retrofitting to reduce emissions and build a sustainable future, is an excellent strategic tool to which renovation interventions, including green facades and roofs, can be linked.
• Become an active participant and support Belgian federal measures for climate change adaptation by forming partnerships and alliances at the regional and national levels, with the aim of contributing to the development of coherent and coordinated strategies, advocating for the necessity of funding, and exchanging best practices.