Implementation of Healthy Corridors in Porto

Description: The project combines the perspectives of environmental, urban and social cohesion based on Nature Based Solutions (NbS) in order to improve the quality of life of the local population. The intention is to connect the eastern part of the city with the center by walking routes, small gardens, vegetable gardens, or other green solutions, make life easier for residents and attract tourists and visitors. Given the intention to implement new healthy corridors, the study area includes the most important strategic green areas (Parque Oriental, Praça da Corujeira, Quinta da Bonjóia, the municipality of Horto), services (schools, industry, health centers, local associations), as well as future projects, will soon take place in Campanhã (extension of Parque Oriental, Novo Matadouro, Monte da Bela). The Healthy Corridor design should formulate as many existing strategic areas as possible to be inclusive, reach more users and eliminate local fragmentation and disconnection. Actions are focused on implementing healthy corridors for the neighborhood of Campanhã through innovative and inclusive urban renewal, starting with joint construction and joint implementation of NbS with the participation of the local community.

Country: Portugal

City: Porto Metropolitan Area

City size: 2,040 km²

Population: 1.722 million (Eurostat, 2019)

start: 2019

Timeframe: 5 years

Phase: Ongoing

Nature-based solutions (NBS) : Yes

Initiator: Urbinat

Website source: http://www.domussocial.pt/noticias-domus/corredores-saudaveis-vao-dar-ao-jardim-da-corujeira https://urbinat.eu/cities/porto/

Latitude: 41.1574

Longitude: -8.5798

Co-benefits

Increased infiltration, water retention and flood protection

Yes

Improved air quality

Yes, urban trees help to improve air quality by facilitating widespread deposition of various gases and particles through the provision of large surface areas as well as through their influence on microclimate and air turbulence (Grote et al; 2016).

Reduced drought risk, cooling effect, urban heat island mitigation

Yes, urban green infrastructure such as street trees and urban parks have a significant role in mitigating urban heat and enhancing human comfort (Saaroni et al; 2018).

Biodiversity conservation or increased biodiversity

Yes, through the increase of green areas, the potential for biodiversity is also increased (Threlfall et al; 2017).

Ecosystem restoration and/or improved ecological connectivity

Yes, implementing new healthy corridors, including the most relevant strategic green spaces, in order to be inclusive, reach more users, suppress local fragmentation and improveecological connectivity.

Increased quality and quantity of green and blue infrastructures

Yes, expanding green infrastructure by increasing green areas between neighborhoods.

Sustainable urbanisation

Yes, the implementation of health corridors is intended to make the city more sustainable through the provision of cleaner air and reduction of ambient temperatures and soil erosion.

Increased access to green infrastructure

Yes, this action also aims to increase access to green infrastructure, highlighting the benefits that an ecological corridor can bring to the population.

Increased social interaction and inclusion

Yes, the project aims to involve local citizens in groups of volunteers to create together Healthy Corridors for the neighbourhood of Campanhã (URBiNAT, s.a.).

Increased willingness, participation, investment in NBS

Yes, the Health Corridors co-creation process will be organized in 4 phases, joint diagnostics, joint project, joint implementation and joint control, where citizens are invited to participate in various activities (URBiNAT, s.a.).

Provision of health benefits

Yes, the importance of trees in urban areas has been associated with the provision of valuable environmental services to combat challenges such as pollution, urban heat, and flooding, as well as to improve social cohesion, human health, and well‐being (Cavender, Donnelly, 2019). Urban green interventions play an important role in creating a culture of health and wellbeing (Hunter at al; 2019).

Education, knowledge exchange and learning

Yes, citizens are invited to participate in the project's workshops and public events in the form of educational trips with various interactive activities enhancing their experience and knowledge (URBiNAT, s.a.).

Original problems

Drought and heat risk

Yes, the Mediterranean Basin is undergoing a warming trend with longer and warmer summers, an increase in the frequency and the severity of heatwaves, changes in precipitation patterns and a reduction in rainfall amounts (Linares et al; 2020).

Loss of biodiversity

Yes

Low availability of green infrastructure

Yes

Low aesthetic value

Yes

Lack of local sense of ownership, participation

Yes

Limited knowledge about biodiversity

Yes

SDGs

Good health and well-being (SDG3)

Yes

Sustainable cities and communities (SDG11)

Yes

Climate action, resilience, mitigation and adaptation (SDG13)

Yes

Terrestrial biodiversity (SDG15)

Yes, this action aims to increase tree cover.

Reference: Bosello, F., Delpiazzo, E., and Eboli, F. 2015. Acidification in the Mediterranean Sea: Impacts and Adaptation Strategies. Review of Environment, Energy and Economics. Available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2585459.

Cavender, N., Donnelly, G. 2019. ntersecting urban forestry and botanical gardens to address big challenges for healthier trees, people, and cities. Plants, People, Planet, 2019;1:315–322. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.38.

Grote, R., Samson, R., Alonso, R., Amorim, J.H., Cariñanos,P., Churkina, G., Fares,S., Le Thiec, D., Niinemets, Ü., Mikkelsen, T.N., Paoletti,E., Tiwary, A., Calfapietra, C. 2016. Functional traits of urban trees: air pollution mitigation potential. Front Ecol Environ 2016, 1-8pp. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1426.

Hunter, R. F., Cleland, C., Cleary, A., Droomers, M., Wheeler, B.W., Sinnette, D., Nieuwenhuijsen, M.J. and Braubach, M. 2019. Environmental, health, wellbeing, social and equity effects of urban green space interventions: a meta-narrative evidence synthesis Environmental International, 130: 104923. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018331751

Linares, C., Díaz, J., Negev, M., Martínez, G.S., Debono, R., Paz, S. 2020. Impacts of climate change on the public health of the Mediterranean Basin population - current situation, projections, preparedness and adaptation. Environmental Research, 182:109107 Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.109107.

Saaroni, H., Amorim, J.H., Hiemstra, J.A., Pearlmutter, D. 2018. Urban Green Infrastructure as a tool for urban heat mitigation: Survey of research methodologies and findings across different climatic regions. Urban Climate, 24, 94–110. Threlfall, C., Mata, L., Mackie, J., Hahs, A., Stork, N., Williams, N. and Livesley, S. 2017. Increasing biodiversity in urban green spaces through simple vegetation interventions. Journal of Applied Ecology, 54:6, pp.1874-1883. URBiNAT, s.a. URBiNAT: History of a healthy corridor. Information obtained: 2021-03-02. Available at: https://urbinat.eu/cities/porto/.