Urban Sustainability and River Restoration

Katia Perini is adjunct professor and postdoctoralresearch fellow at the Scuola Politecnica – Università degli Studi di Genova, Department of Architectural Sciences. Her research focuses on environmental sustainability and on integration of vegetation as means to restore the environmental quality of urban areas. She has been a guest researcher at the Delft University of Technology (CITG, Department of Materials & Environment). She was selected as a Fulbright grantee, under the Fulbright-Schuman Program, with a research project regarding the sustainability of urban areas with New York City as case study; the research was conducted at the Urban Design Lab of the Earth Institute of Columbia University (NY, USA).Paola Sabbion is lecturer and post-doc researcher at the University of Genoa, Polytechnic School, Department of Sciences for Architecture. She has researched degraded landscapes and was winner of a Research Fellowship at UrbanLab, Municipality of Genoa Urban Planning Office, with the advisory of Richard Burdett, London School of Economics. Paola works as tutor at different international workshops to the students of the Master's degree in Landscape Architecture (i.e.: Workshop: "Grossraschen Lake District", Cottbus (Germany), in collaboration with IBA - Internationale Bauausstellung, and Workshop: "Mies van der Rohe: Mediterranean Cities", in collaboration with UNIGE and UPC Barcelona). In 2012 Paola is winner of a PhD grant based on funds from MIUR (Ministero Istruzione Università Ricerca) by Italian government.

• Preface ixAbout the Authors xiAcknowledgements xiiiForeword xivPart a Definition of the Issue 11 Green and Blue Infrastructure in Cities 31.1 Definitions 31.2 Economic and environmental benefits 5References 72 Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies 102.1 Climate change and sustainable development 102.2 Impacts and risks in (of) urban areas 112.3 Mitigation and adaptation strategies 12References 143 Environmental and Ecological Imbalances in Dense Urban Areas 173.1 Sustainable urban design 173.2 Imbalances in cities 193.3 Benefits connected to vegetation 20References 224 Water in Urban Areas: Ecological and Environmental Issues and Strategies 264.1 Urbanisation and the water cycle 264.2 Perspectives and strategies 30References 335 Ecosystem Services in Urban Areas – Social, Environmental, and Economic Benefits 365.1 Human activities and ecosystems 365.2 Green and blue infrastructure supporting ecosystem health 375.3 Economic value of urban ecosystems 37References 42Part B Strategies and Techniques 456 Green and Blue Infrastructure – Vegetated Systems 476.1 The role of GBI vegetation 476.2 Multifunctional ecological systems in urban areas 486.3 Vegetative biofilters 526.4 Infiltration basins 556.5 Bioretention Systems 566.6 Wetland ponds 576.7 Green roofs 58References 607 Green and Blue Infrastructure – Unvegetated Systems 637.1 Unvegetated green and blue infrastructure 637.2 Water squares 647.3 Porous paving/pervious paving 667.4 Infiltration trenches 677.5 Treatment train 70References 738 Urban River Restoration 768.1 Watershed processes and functions 768.2 Degraded river ecosystems 778.3 Techniques and strategies for river restoration 808.4 Restoring connectivity within urbanised areas 84References 879.1 The Bronx River, USA – Strategies and Techniques 939.1.1 Context 939.1.2 Ecological and environmental issues 989.1.3 Strategies, techniques and results 99References 1049.2 Los Angeles River, USA – Strategies and Techniques 1069.2.1 Context 1069.2.2 Ecological and environmental issues 1099.2.3 Strategies and techniques 111References 1159.3 Madrid Río, Spain – Strategies and Techniques 1179.3.1 Context 1179.3.2 Ecological and environmental issues 1209.3.3 Strategies, techniques, and results 121References 1269.4 Paillon River, France – Strategies and Techniques 1279.4.1 Context 1279.4.2 Ecological and environmental issues 1299.4.3 Strategies, techniques, and results 133References 1379.5 River Thames, England – Strategies and Technique 1389.5.1 Context 1389.5.2 Ecological and environmental issues 1419.5.3 Strategies and techniques 145References 1499.6 Emscher River, Germany – Strategies and Techniques 1519.6.1 Context 1519.6.2 Ecological and environmental issues 1549.6.3 Strategies, techniques, and results 155References 158Part C Opportunities and Policies 16110 Green and Blue Infrastructure Top‐Down Policies 16310.1 European environmental and water policy 16310.2 American environmental and water policy 168References 17311 Bottom‐Up Initiatives for Green and Blue Infrastructure 17711.1 Bottom‐up and top‐down approaches 17711.2 Bottom‐up initiatives in the United States 17811.3 Bottom‐up initiatives in the European Union 185References 18712 Selection of Management Practices and Guidelines 19012.1 Sustainable urban development 19012.2 Best Management Practices (BMPs) 19112.3 Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) strategies 19312.4 Low Impact Development (LID) 19512.5 Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) 198References 20013.1 The Bronx River, USA – Opportunities and Policies 20313.1.1 Project development 20313.1.2 The greenway 20813.1.3 Policies and local community 210References 21213.2 Los Angeles River, USA – Opportunities and Policies 21413.2.1 River revitalization plans 21413.2.2 Costs and benefits 22013.2.3 Community involvement 224References 22513.3 Madrid Río, Spain – Opportunities and Policies 22713.3.1 Project development 22713.3.2 Project costs and benefits 231References 23313.4 Paillon River, France – Opportunities and Policies 23513.4.1 Framework of French water policies 23513.4.2 Local policies and projects 236References 24213.5 River Thames, England – Opportunities and Policies 24413.5.1 Water policy framework and planning strategies 24413.5.2 Local policies and projects 24713.5.3 Project costs and benefits 250References 25413.6 Emscher River, Germany – Opportunities and Policies 25613.6.1 Project development 25613.6.2 Policies and participation 26213.6.3 Project costs and benefits 263References 264Index 266