Eco-Spatial Indices as an Effective Tool for Climate Change Adaptation in Residential Neighbourhoods—Comparative Study

Renata Giedych, Gabriela Maksymiuk () and Agata Cieszewska
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Renata Giedych: Department of Landscape Architecture, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 159 Nowoursynowska Street, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Gabriela Maksymiuk: Department of Landscape Architecture, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 159 Nowoursynowska Street, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Agata Cieszewska: Department of Landscape Architecture, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 159 Nowoursynowska Street, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: Eco-spatial indices are commonly used tools to improve the quality of the environment in cities. Initially modelled on the Berlin BAF, indices have evolved to address current challenges, particularly climate change adaptation. The Ratio of Biologically Vital Areas (RBVA), introduced in Poland in the mid-1990s, is an early planning tool for implementing Nature-based Solutions (NbSs) at the site level. This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of the RBVA in Poland compared to its counterparts in Oslo and Malmö. The study employed a serious simulation game developed under the Norwegian-funded CoAdapt project, testing six development scenarios, varied in terms of applied NbSs, for a typical multi-family housing estate. The adaptive potential of the tested scenarios was assessed based on the values of five environmental parameters calculated in the game; that is, air temperature, oxygen production, CO 2 sequestration, rainwater harvesting, and biodiversity. The findings revealed that the RBVA, in its current form, has limited effectiveness in supporting climate adaptation. Its two-dimensional nature makes it less effective than the more comprehensive Green Factors used in Oslo and Malmö. The research presented in the article proves that better-constructed indices result in the efficiency of applied NbSs and consequently better adaptation to climate change.

Keywords: nature-based solutions (NbSs); green space factor; serious game; planning tool (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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