Welcome to the ECOCITY 2022 Interactive Programme

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Civil engineers are liable to take measures to reduce their negatives impacts on marine biodiversity by selecting more bioreceptive construction materials, for marine infrastructure design. By the way, biodiversity conservation is a global target. It was shown that the early ecological performance, assessed by monitoring biofilm colonisation, is crucial in the selection of the most appropriate mix design but this work needs to be expanded into testing those designs in different environmental contexts. We'll demonstrate in this presentation that the pre-carbonation of cementitious materials accelerates their early biocolorization by lowering the pH of their surface. We've been shown, both in the laboratory and in-situ tests, that the bacterial colonization of cementitious materials is influenced by the pH, the surface design, the chemical composition and also by the type of cement. By comparing the bacterial colonization of Portland cement mortars, CEM I, and slag cement, CEM III, mortars, it was found that the CEM III mortars are more bioreceptive than the CEM I mortars. This study presents and verifies a novel experimental laboratory approach which can be used to evaluate the bacterial colonization (bioreceptivity) of cementitious materials in marine environments. The approach could be taken up in future recommendations to enable engineers to eco-design more eco-friendly marine infrastructure and develop green-engineering projects, to lower their impact on the ecosystem by construction projects

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Since the turn of XX and XXI century when the green infrastructure (GI) concept has been developed, the greatest number of theoretical considerations and analysis of practical applications have been devoted to large cities. It is understandable because the greatest needs and, at the same time, the greatest problems with the development of GI concern these cities. To a lesser extent, the researchers seem to be interested in the smaller cities. However, in the case of Poland, according to the political declaration, small and medium-sized cities are to play an increasingly important role as significant elements of the national settlement network. The prospects for their development are related not only to the economic situation, but also to the possibility of providing residents with an appropriate quality of life. This, in turn, is associated with the benefits provided by GI. We assumed that the possibilities of creating a well-functioning GI depend primarily on the arrangement of areas covered with vegetation and waters. Thus, we examined the distribution of these areas in 116 small and 148 medium-sized cities. We conducted a quantitative analysis of the proportion of open spaces with landscape metrics. The share of the primary structuring land cover/land-use classes, for example: forests, agricultural land, grassland, water, was also investigated. The configuration of open spaces was described by a method combining landscape indicators with photo-interpretation of qualitative attributes. Based on these analyses one could distinguish 6 types of spatial models. On the basis of qualitative and quantitative analyzes, it was also possible to distinguish cities which, due to the area covered with vegetation and water, their layout (existing linkages included) and quality (dominance of forested or agricultural or other open spaces) are characterized by diverse potential for building a GI network.

Acknowledgements: The work was created as a result of the research project No. 2019/35/B/HS4/04221 financed by the National Science Center, Poland

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It is estimated that over half of the world’s wetlands have been lost or degraded from being drained, filled, built-over, contaminated, or altered by changed hydrology. More than ever, ecological restoration is needed to repair wetlands and regain the benefits provided by wetland ecosystem services such as flood control, water infiltration and storage, nutrient retention, carbon sequestration, water purification, and wildlife refuge. With this in mind, British Columbia Institute of Technology’s (BCIT) Ecological Restoration programs (B.Sc. and M.Sc.) were determined to implement their annual wetland-building workshop despite the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with travel restrictions in place, the project moved on-site to BCIT’s Burnaby campus on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Nations of Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam. With course programming adapted to meet rigorous safety protocols, staff, faulty, and students were able to meet their learning objective of designing and building a wetland to initiate the recovery of a wetland and its ecosystem processes. The project succeeded in adding habitat complexity and providing the conditions needed to increase biodiversity in a second growth forest within a highly urbanized environment. The effort was a collaborative one between multiple programs and departments across campus and was aligned with the Institute’s sustainable campus development strategy. Furthermore, the wetland continues to offer renewable resource-based programs a living lab – a place to manage vegetation, monitor wildlife, sample water quality, and plan for continual monitoring and management of the urban ecosystem. The living lab model provides hands-on learning that is not only an essential component of ecological restoration training but also part of the applied learning model that BCIT is renowned for. The next phase of the project will be construction of a walkway and interpretive signage to engage and educate both local residents and the greater campus community. BCIT’s new wetland will continue to provide ecosystem benefits and refuge for wildlife and people alike for years to come.

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Urban greenspace and urban forests are widely recognized for the myriad benefits they provide to city inhabitants. However, it has been increasingly noted that not everyone has equal access to urban greenspace or equal input in decision-making surrounding it. These issues of environmental justice and green equity result in some individuals and groups benefiting from greenspace more than others. Some cities have sought to address this by increasing urban greening in underserviced areas, but research on green gentrification suggests such actions may ultimately undermine equity goals.

Green gentrification is an emerging area of research interested in how urban greening influences processes of gentrification, whereby marginalized communities are displaced by inmoving wealthier and Whiter individuals. This ultimately results in marginalized communities not benefiting from targeted urban greening initiatives. For cities to truly address issues of environmental justice and green equity, there needs to be an increased understanding of green gentrification and how it can be avoided. This presentation employs a literature review to examine how green gentrification has been studied thus far and makes suggestions for further advancing our understanding of this phenomenon.

Green gentrification has been largely researched via case studies of US cities, focusing on a wide range of vegetative (e.g. urban agriculture, greenways, and other parks) and non-vegetative greening initiatives (e.g. LEED-certified buildings and cycle lanes). Many studies take a qualitative approach, often employing multiple methods (particularly a mix of document review and interview data), but they can suffer from a limited depth of analysis. Further, it has to be questioned whether green 'gentrification' is actually being studied, given the gentrification indicators used (or not used), lack of temporal breadth in studies, and the difficulty of measuring displacement.

Future study of green gentrification could benefit from 1) expanding case-study contexts to different locales (e.g. outside the US) and types of greening (e.g. street trees); 2) integrating more quantitative methods, including spatial analyses and surveys; 3) applying social media and other technologies in data collection; 4) including gentrifiers and displaced residents in surveys and interviews; and 5) getting creative when measuring displacement.

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This session will explore ways to center equity in natural resource planning, decision-making and management for just access to biodiverse urban greenspaces.

Increasingly, cities are attempting to establish equitable access to greenspaces. Less common are efforts which ensure greenspaces provide high quality benefits to the people in the urban core; in particular, those who are most vulnerable, such as minorities and people of color. With intentionality, it is possible to incorporate greater urban biodiveristy in physical spaces that reach underserved parts of the community. Greater urban biodiversity has been shown to beneift humans and their health and well-being. High quality habitat is often associated with greater species presence and diversity. The presentation will feature case studies relating to urban monarch butterflies and urban tree planting efforts informed by human climate vulnerability, environmental justice, biodiversity, migratory birds and wildlife corridors.

Urban areas present important opportunities for diversity and supporting connections between people and nature. Because educational efforts can help foster an enhanced connection with urban natural resources that result in greater knowledge and appreciation, eco-literacy techniques and measurement tools will be highlighted. The use of community-based "citizen" science has proven effective in both raising people's awareness and collecting urban biodiversity data where municipal resources are limited.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

Catherine Werner serves as the Sustainability Director of the City of St. Louis, Missouri. In 2014, St. Louis City was among the first to pioneer urban monarch butterfly conservation techniques through Milkweeds for Monarchs: The St. Louis Butterfly Project. Milkweeds for Monarchs was successful in both creating significant urban monarch butterfly habitat, and improving eco-literacy among city residents. In addition, Catherine oversaw successful tree-planting efforts where objectives included socio-economic outcomes, advancing climate justice, addressing urban heat island and promoting ecological services such as stormwater management. In partnership with other cities, Catherine Werner has led/co-led urban biodiversity inventory efforts at the local and national scale. Examples include development of the Urban Biodiversity Inventory Framework (UBIF), crafting ways to utilize the UBIF methodology with iNaturalist, and coordinating the creation of the city's set of indicator/surrogate species for urban biodiversity.

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During the first phase of the intervention, the peace worker and scholar-activist activated an underrepresented group in a certain neighbourhood after a two years’ actor analysis process. The aim was to find a transformation space for the question of how equitable and sustainable solutions in an urban environment can be more “inclusive and just”. In order to live inclusion, build awareness for women's empowerment, implement peacebuilding strategies, contribute to more climate justice and learn about biodiversity on a micro level, a “Peace Garden” was created in February 2020 at the Alevi Culture Centre Wuppertal. This centre is a space genuinely dedicated to persons with a specific Alevi migration background, of religious devotion for music-making which is part of religious activity of the Alevi culture. In this location a group was formed consisting of community, locals and other international participants and started to work at eye-level. Beyond the creation herbal beds and the growth of vegetables in the middle of the city, the Peace Garden aimed at and succeeded in improving a common understanding for mutual respect in relationships and commited ecological sustainability. As a result, the group members - mainly women - created comprehensive future of change in the city. Parallelly, the project team had the opportunity to present this local idea of creating an intercultural peace garden in an urban space at the level of the EU Parliament's Horizon urbanA project, at the international Forum of European Alevi communities and elsewhere. At this point, the peace worker started to investigate the ability of individuals to change over time in response to transformation and evaluated how peace-building may create a nature-based method to support processes towards sustainable and just cities for tangible results. Additionally, peace-building catalysed inclusive and micro-level interactions during the participatory research approach. It didn’t just change individuals’ attitudes and behaviours but also helped to build bridges in between several actors in the city, used transformative tools and facilitated a better understanding of the root-cause problems.