bluegreencities.ac.uk EPSRC Grant EP/K013661/1

Overcoming barriers to Blue-Green infrastructure through multiple

benefit evaluation

Emily O’Donnell, University of Nottingham UK

Livable Cities Forum, September 13th 2016

@bluegreencities

Delivering and Evaluating Multiple Flood Risk Benefits in Blue-Green Cities (2013-2016)

Aim:

to develop new strategies for managing urban flood risk as part of wider, integrated urban planning in which the multiple benefits of Blue-Green Cities are rigorously evaluated and understood

International case studies: Portland, Oregon USA

‘Grey to Green’ initiative (2008-2013)

32,200 new street trees, 867 green street planters, 398 eco-roofs, culvert removal, land acquisition, river and floodplain restoration

City estimate:

investment of $9 million in GI for stormwater management saves ratepayers (who are currently paying for the $1.4 billion ‘Big Pipe’ project) $224 million in CSO maintenance and repair costs

International case studies: Newcastle, UK

Physical science

Asset maintenance

and performance

Climate change impacts

Future land use and climate

ModellingLack of

available space

Natural hazards

Downscaling climate

projections

Barriers to Blue-Green infrastructure

Socio-political

‘Novelty’

Lack of knowledge

Funding and costs

Ineffective communi-

cation

Issues with partnership

working

Adoption of assets

Legislation, regulations

Culture, public

perception

Identifying multiple benefits

Competing priorities

Barriers to Blue-Green infrastructure

Overcoming the barriers – the top five

1

• Promote multifunctional space and identify, quantify and monetise the multiple benefits

2

• Improve education and communication, raise awareness, community engagement

2• Partnership working from the project outset

4

• Changes in legislation, regulations, industry standards, planning guidelines

5• Exemplars (examples of best practice, local – international)

Promoting multifunctional space and identifying, quantifying and monetising (where possible) the

multiple benefits

1. CIRIA’s Benefits of SuDS Tool (BeST)

2. Blue-Green Cities Multiple Benefits GIS Toolbox

CIRIA = Construction Industry Research and Information Association www.ciria.org

Blue-Green Scenario: urban greening and permeable paving, Newcastle UK

Blue-Green Scenario: urban greening and permeable paving, Newcastle UK

Benefits of SuDS Tool

(BeST)

Tool and guidance available from http://www.ciria.org/News/CIRIA_news2/New-tool-assesses-the-benefits-of-SuDS.aspx

BeST outputs: permeable paving and urban greening scheme

Flooding

Biodiversity and ecology

Air quality

Groundwater recharge

Recreation

Health

£1,732£63,525 £65,026 £72,994

£2,979,475

£4,127,484

-£125,249

-£500,000

£0

£500,000

£1,000,000

£1,500,000

£2,000,000

£2,500,000

£3,000,000

£3,500,000

£4,000,000

£4,500,000

Flooding Biodiversity andecology

Air quality Groundwaterrecharge

Recreation HealthNoise and disruption

Mo

nta

ry b

en

efi

t

Benefit category

BeST outputs: permeable paving and urban greening scheme

Multiple Benefits GIS Toolbox

Tool developed by Malcolm Morgan and Richard Fenner, University of Cambridge

Tool and guidance available from http://www.bluegreencities.ac.uk/bluegreencities/publications/multiple-benefit-toolbox.aspx

Multiple benefits of permeable paving and urban greening scheme

Multiple benefits

<VALUE>

-10 to -7.5

-7.5 to -5

-5 to -2.5

-2.5 to 0

No change

0 to 2.5

2.5 to 5

5 to 7.5

7.5 to 10

Single benefits of urban greening scheme

Carbon sequestrationNoise reduction

Air pollutionHabitat size

Blue-Green Scenario

Wingrove, Newcastle

Additional greenspace and permeable paving

• Improved health and wellbeing through recreational opportunities, views and access to greenspace

• Flood damage reduction• Habitat size improvements in areas

adjacent to existing greenspace• Relatively small improvements in

carbon sequestration and groundwater recharge

• Reductions in air and noise pollution

• Local and wider reaching benefits

CASE STUDY KEY BENEFITS

Multiple benefits of permeable paving and urban greening scheme

Concluding remarks

Barriers to widespread implementation of Blue-Green infrastructure =

BiophysicalTechnicalInstitutionalPoliticalMonetarySocial, etc.

Barriers can be overcome by:

Multiple benefit evaluationEducation and engagementPartnership workingChanges in legislationExemplars, etc.

Technical problems can be overcome and, in most cases, the economical and social constraints rather than purely hydrological considerations will influence the final shape of the chosen solution1

1Niemczynowicz, 1999

Promotion of multifunctional space, and identification, quantification and monetisation of the multiple benefits will be key to helping many cities overcome the barriers to Blue-Green infrastructure

New tools can provide an indication of the likely benefits:

Multiple Benefits GIS ToolboxBenefits of SuDS Tool (BeST)

Acknowledgement

The research reported in this presentation is being conducted as part of the Blue-Green

Cities Research Consortium with support from the:

• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

• Northern Ireland Rivers Agency

• Environment Agency

• National Science Foundation

• City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services

bluegreencities.ac.uk EPSRC Grant EP/K013661/1

Thank you, any questions?