Last updated: October 2021
This underground garage in Alicante, Spain, received a green roof makeover according to Alicante's climatological conditions (Ref. 2). Urbanarbolismo, a Spanish firm with a strong focus on vegetation, designed and installed this succulent garden in the courtyard of the garage. The garden is very low-maintenance and doesn't require any irrigation whatsoever. Further, with every passing year, it will grow more and more beautiful as the plants grow larger and take root. The Urbanarbolismo Benisaudet IVVSA parking garage was created by this Spanish design firm with the purpose of "keep[ing] the underground lot cooler, as well as improv[ing] its air quality." (Ref. 1)
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Green parking lots
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Improving mental health
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
-Reducing CO2 levels
-Visual Appreciation: "it's also aesthetically pleasing" (Ref. 1)
-"keep the underground lot cooler, as well as improve its air quality" (Ref. 1)
-"In recent times there have been some initiatives to improve this aspect by covering them with vegetation, while providing an environmental benefit, as, among other advantages, [it] improves air quality by reducing CO2 levels." (Ref. 2)
-"This vegetable cover not only contributes to the landscape aspect of the building but also improves the quality of the air and reduces the ambient temperature in the patios and in the houses during the summer."(Ref. 2)
Implementation activities
"The selection of plant species has been made according to the climatological characteristics of Alicante" (Ref. 2)
"The selection of plant species has been made according to the climatological characteristics of Alicante and consists of 37 different species of short plants of different genera: Crassulas, Sempervivum, Aeonium, Kalanchoe, Echeveria ... with a density of 50 plants / m2 . The plants contribute a great variety of colors to the building throughout the year." (Ref. 2)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
- Improve carbon sequestration through selection of more adaptable species
- Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
- Other
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Other
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
-The company who built the vegetal roof called "Urbanarbolismo" (Ref. 1 and 2)
-The building owner: "IVVSA" which is called Valencian Institute of Housing (Real Estate Agency) (Ref. 2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved mental health
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Increased appreciation for natural spaces
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Reif, Tiana (2011). "The Urbanarbolismo Benisaudet IVVSA Improves Air Quality". Source link. Source link (Accessed: 09 July 2020)
2. Anon. (2010). Fitum vegetal covers in Benisaudet. [Cubiertas vegetales Fitum en Benisaudet]. Source link. Source link (Accessed: 09 July 2020)
3. Anon. (2010). Succulent-covered garden in Alicante. [Cubierta ajardinada con crasas en Alicante]. Source link. Source link (Accessed: 09 July 2020)
2. Anon. (2010). Fitum vegetal covers in Benisaudet. [Cubiertas vegetales Fitum en Benisaudet]. Source link. Source link (Accessed: 09 July 2020)
3. Anon. (2010). Succulent-covered garden in Alicante. [Cubierta ajardinada con crasas en Alicante]. Source link. Source link (Accessed: 09 July 2020)