To reduce the effects of climate change, urban adaptation strategies are urgently needed. In the near future it will be necessary to cope with extreme weather events, including heavy rainfall and heat islands. With VerdeVale project, we are exploring how public green spaces, shrub species and innovative green management systems can make urban areas more resilient.

The cities of Bolzano (Italy) and Lugano (Switzerland) together with their partners R3GIS, Demetra and Benicchio have carried out a detailed census of public green spaces and established a database for innovative maintenance. In addition, about 50 specimens of the six most common shrub species were studied in each of the two cities. The aim: to quantify their ability to absorb particulate matter from the air and climate-damaging CO₂.

The most important results of the project are summarised in simple thematic sheets to easily communicate to municipalities and companies, working in the green sector, the new approaches and lessons learned from VerdeVale, so that they can be applied elsewhere. The first sheet covered the detailed census of green areas, which was conducted in the two project cities. The second booklet on hydrology is now also available. It proposes a method for classifying areas according to different types of land cover, which correspond to different water infiltration capacities.

Want to stay up-to-date on upcoming Good Practices? Visit the dedicated section on the VerdeVale website where you can directly download all the sheets in pdf format. https://verdevale.eu/buone-pratiche/