Nature-based Solutions for Urban Challenges

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are defined to be inspired and supported by nature and have recently been proposed by practitioners and policy makers, as solutions to urban challenges such as urbanization and climate change. NBS can be parks with trees that reduce heat stress and provide recreation areas, green roofs, wetlands and ponds that hold storm water, permeable surfaces and rain gardens that infiltrate storm water. Traditionally, technical solutions, such as storm water management dominate the solutions for urban challenges, however while those solutions generally tackle single challenges, sometimes at the expense of the ability to handle other challenges, NBS have the potential to simultaneously deliver solutions for several urban challenges. The overall aim of Urban Nature is to investigate the ability of NBS to simultaneously meet different urban challenges such as climate change and public well-being.