Scholarly record
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS IN URBAN PLANNING: ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Abstract
Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) have emerged as a strategic approach in contemporary urban planning for addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and urban resilience. By integrating natural processes and ecosystem services into the design and management of cities, NBS offer sustainable alternatives to conventional gray infrastructure while simultaneously generating environmental, social, and economic benefits. Green roofs, urban forests, wetlands, permeable surfaces, green corridors, river restoration, and climate-adaptive public spaces are increasingly recognized as essential instruments for sustainable urban transformation and the achievement of climate-neutral cities. This study examines Nature-Based Solutions in urban planning with a particular focus on their economic and environmental benefits. The research investigates how NBS contribute to improving air quality, reducing urban heat island effects, managing stormwater and flood risks, enhancing biodiversity, increasing carbon sequestration, and strengthening public health outcomes. At the same time, the study evaluates their economic value through cost-benefit analysis, ecosystem service valuation, increased property values, green job creation, reduced infrastructure maintenance costs, and long-term climate adaptation savings. Using an interdisciplinary methodological framework combining systematic literature review, comparative case study analysis, spatial planning assessment, and economic evaluation models, the study identifies best practices in the implementation of NBS across European and global cities. Particular attention is given to policy integration within smart city strategies, the European Green Deal, climate adaptation frameworks, and municipal sustainability planning. The analysis also explores the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, digital twins, and urban environmental monitoring platforms in optimizing the planning, management, and evaluation of nature-based interventions.
Publication details
References10
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