What is an urban landscape?

An urban ecosystem refers to the interaction between natural processes and human activities within a city or urbanised area. In the Nordic region, urban ecosystems are shaped by a unique blend of cultural and environmental factors, including seasonal variations and proximity to natural landscapes such as forests, lakes, and fjords. Urban ecosystems are strongly influenced by human activities that have modified the once natural environment. The interplay between built infrastructure and natural spaces creates a complex habitat and home to species that can adapt to such urban environments. However, these species often differ from those in more natural environments. 

Urban areas as NbS

As cities and urban areas expand, natural habitats are often replaced by buildings, roads, and parking lots, fragmenting ecosystems and impacting biodiversity. However, urban environments also offer unique opportunities for nature-based solutions. Making nature a part of cities through parks, green rooftops, community gardens and blue features like ponds, streams and raingardens has become increasingly important.   

Urban ecosystems are not just home to humans and habitats for urban wildlife, they are also vital for addressing societal challenges, which can be addressed by integrating NbS into urban areas. These solutions can enhance biodiversity, reduce pollution, and help adapt to climate change, while also improving the quality of life for urban communities. Including NbS into urban planning and development can contribute to resilient urban communities in the several ways: 

  • Biodiversity enhancement: By incorporating NbS into urban planning and development, cities and urban areas can support biodiversity. Green spaces, urban forests, and urban streams and wetlands provide living spaces for wildlife that conventional city planning does not. 

  • Human health and wellbeing: Cities in the Nordics also increasingly recognize benefits to human health and wellbeing which are linked to having access to nature in urban areas.  

  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation: Planting urban trees can help regulate temperature and create more livable spaces. Establishing raingardens and swales and resurfacing historic streams can help manage increased rainfall, reduce flood risk, and improve water quality in urban areas. 

  • Disaster risk and preparedness: Urban wetlands, swales and rain gardens can filter water and contribute to reducing stormwater flooding, thus contributing to disaster preparedness, which urban areas are often very vulnerable to. 

 

 

Urban Infographic: Before

Urban ecosystem before NbS have been implemented

Urban infographic: After

Urban ecosystem after NbS have been implemented

 

NbS that can be implemented in urban areas

  • Green and blue-green roofsGreen roofs can help reduce stormwater and regulate local temperatures to reduce urban heat island effects, improve air quality, and create habitats for local species, including birds and insects. Green roofs are particularly beneficial in densely built environments with limited ground-level green space. The same goes for living walls. There are fewer examples in the Nordics of the latter, but also this is also increasing. 
  • Rain gardens and swales: Rain gardens and swales can mitigate the effects of frequent rainfall and snowmelt by retaining and treating stormwater runoff. These structures can help prevent flooding, reduce pollution entering waterways, and recharge groundwater. In the Nordic region, where frequent rainfall and snowmelt can lead to significant stormwater runoff on hard surfaces, rain gardens, swales, and constructed wetlands offer solutions to manage stormwater, reduce flooding risks, and filter pollutants from the urban environment. For such structures to truly be nature-based solutions, care needs to be taken for these also to be beneficial for biodiversity, thinking about which plants and vegetation are used or not used in the solutions. 
  • River daylighting and river re-opening Restoring or creating urban rivers, lakes, and wetlands—also known as river daylighting—improves water quality, reduces flood risks, and provides critical habitats for aquatic and terrestrial species. Wetlands also play a role in carbon sequestration and can contribute to climate change mitigation.
  • Urban trees and forests: Planting street trees and protecting or restoring urban forests can help cool down city areas and reduce the impact of heat waves as well as protect against wind. Trees can also absorb stormwater and offer habitats for birds and other species while also contributing to the aesthetic and recreational value of urban spaces.    
  • Flower strips and buffer zones: cities can establish pollinator-friendly areas and corridors, such as flower strips, green roofs, and community gardens, to address pollinator decline. Such areas in the urban environment can be essential for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that is also needed for food security. 

Are you unsure how to choose an NbS for an urban ecosystem? See our general guidance on Nature-based solutions! 

You may also be interested in the S-ITUATION project's factsheet on urban areas, which describes types of NbS that are typically used to solve various problems in specific land-use contexts.

These pages have been written by Line Barkved, Ingvild Skumlien Furuseth and Caroline Enge 

Kupilas, Seifert-Dähnn & Enge (2023). Nordic NBS fact sheet Urban nature-based solutions. https://nordicsituation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/s-ituation-factsheet-urban-nbs-1.pdf  

Venter, Z. S., Hassani, A., Stange, E., Schneider, P., & Castell, N. (2024). Reassessing the role of urban green space in air pollution control. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(6), e2306200121.  

NbS catalogue: a catalogue of nature-based solutions for urban resilience.The guide has info for different types of cities based on their location in the river basin. To a degree, the position of a city determines the suitability of NbS types. To help select appropriate NbS the catalogue contains 14 NBS categories (NbS families). 

UNALAB technical handbook of nature-based solutions: The UNaLab project has developed a first draft version of its Technical Handbook of NbS. The handbook provides accurate, detailed information on the full range of potentially applicable nature-based solutions to support urban climate and water resilience, their anticipated or demonstrated performance, and their limitations. 

NATWiP Handbook: A handbook for practitioners to promote and inspire implementation of nature-based solutions in peri-urban areas 

UrbanGreenUP: tools and resources for selection of NbS