Last updated: September 2024
The "Ruas Verdes+" (green streets) project, implemented in the parishes of Areeiro and Arroios in Lisbon, is part of a broader European initiative, Conexus, aimed at promoting green solutions in highly urbanized areas (Ref 3). The project primarily focuses on creating a tree-lined pedestrian corridor along Carlos Mardel and Francisco Sanches streets, establishing a continuous axis between the Casal Vistoso Urban Park and the Caracol da Penha Garden (Ref 1). This corridor is designed to mitigate urban heat island effects, enhance ecological connectivity, and improve residents' quality of life (Ref 5). The pilot phase includes planting 20 trees on Rua Carlos Mardel and removing a minimal number of parking spaces to balance urban greening with local needs (Ref 1). Additionally, planters are being introduced in the Bairro dos Actores area to test the community’s response to greening initiatives (Ref 1). The project also involves public participation through gardening workshops, encouraging residents to contribute to the greening effort by adding plants to their balconies (Ref 4). This initiative aims not only to enhance the urban environment but also to foster social inclusion and community engagement while addressing the challenges of climate change in Lisbon's densely populated areas (Ref 5).
Street Greenery
https://connectingnature.oppla.eu/casestudy/31120
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Green corridors and green belts
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Improving mental health
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Physical health harm (from pollution, wildfire, extreme temperature)
- Mental health issues (stress, anxiety)
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of green corridors (including connectivity between urban and rural ecosystems)
Project objectives
1. Increase urban greenery to reduce the effects of heat islands, improving thermal comfort for residents (Ref 1, Ref 5).
Create a green corridor linking urban parks, promoting biodiversity and establishing ecological networks within the city (Ref 1, Ref 5).
2. Capture CO2 and other pollutants through increased vegetation, contributing to better air quality and climate change mitigation (Ref 1).
3. Develop greener public spaces to enhance social interaction, reduce stress, and improve residents' mental and physical health (Ref 1, Ref 5).
4. Foster a sense of ownership and social cohesion by involving residents in greening efforts through participatory activities like gardening workshops (Ref 1, Ref 4).
5. Align with broader climate strategies to make urban areas more resilient to extreme weather events and rising temperatures (Ref 5).
Implementation activities
1. Tree Planting:
- Planting 20 trees along Rua Carlos Mardel.
2. Planters Installation:
- Placing 32 planters with low-growing trees in Bairro dos Actores.
3. Green Corridor Creation:
- Developing a tree-lined pedestrian corridor connecting parks.
4. Gardening Workshops:
- Teaching residents to plant and maintain flowers in pots.
5. Public Participation:
- Involving residents in planning and implementation.
6. Park Requalification:
- Expanding and enhancing urban parks.
These activities address key issues in the area by introducing greenery to mitigate urban heat islands, improve air quality, and enhance ecological connectivity. The project promotes social well-being and mental health through community engagement and the creation of pleasant public spaces. Additionally, it contributes to climate change resilience by making urban areas more adaptable to extreme weather events and improving biodiversity and recreational spaces. (All Ref 1)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Urban heat islands
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project is carried out by the local Parish Council and the Lisbon City Council. (Ref 1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project was initiated in response to the 2017 Climate Adaptation Strategy and the Climate Action Plan Lisbon 2030. (Ref 5))
Type of enablers
Capacity-building projects, Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), NBS research project (e.g., H2020, Urban Living Labs, national research projects)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- EU funds
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Prevent the frequency and/or intensity of heatwaves
- Expected prevent the frequency and/or intensity of heatwaves
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Expected improved air quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Expected increased green space area
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Expected reduced biodiversity loss
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Improved mental health
- Expected improved mental health
Type of reported 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
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Other
References
1.
André, M. (2023). Green Streets+, the project that will shade streets in Areeiro and Arroios. Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Fregruesia do Areeiro (n.d.). GREEN STREETS +. Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Lisbon Municipality (2023). More trees for Lisbon with the Green Streets + project. Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Lisbon Municipality (n.d.). Participatory Sessions Green Streets + (Areeiro and Arroios). Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Risi, F. (2024). CONEXUS – LISGREEN: re-naturing urban spaces in Lisbon. Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.