Geoscience for Cities: Delivering Europe’s Sustainable Urban Future

Stephanie Bricker (), Jan Jelenek, Peter van der Keur, Francesco La Vigna, Sophie O’Connor, Grzegorz Ryzynski, Martin Smith, Jeroen Schokker and Guri Venvik
Additional contact information
Stephanie Bricker: Environmental Science Centre, British Geological Survey, Keyworth NG12 5GG, UK
Jan Jelenek: Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 131/3, 118-21 Prague, Czech Republic
Peter van der Keur: Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, DK-1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
Francesco La Vigna: Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Geological Survey of Italy, Via Vitaliano Brancati, 60-00144 Roma, Italy
Sophie O’Connor: Geological Survey Ireland, Booterstown Hall, Booterstown, Blackrock, A94 N2R6 Dublin, Ireland
Grzegorz Ryzynski: Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute, 4, Rakowiecka Street, 00-975 Warsaw, Poland
Martin Smith: Lyell Centre, British Geological Survey, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK
Jeroen Schokker: Geological Survey of the Netherlands, Princetonlaan 6, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Guri Venvik: Geological Survey of Norway, P.B. 6315 Torgarden, 7491 Trondheim, Norway

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 6, 1-21

Abstract: European Union (EU) policy is clear in its ambition to deliver a sustainable urban future for Europe. In this paper, we consider the role of urban geoscience to help achieve these ambitions. We highlight the relevance of geology to urban subsurface planning and wider EU policy and strategy. Despite the lack of explicit mention of urban underground space in key policy documents, we identify a significant number of priority urban issues for which geological characterisation is a pre-requisite and for which the geological system forms part of the solution, such as mitigation of climate impacts, delivering net zero energy, and implementing nature-based solutions. We reflect on the paradigm shift of urban geoscience as a geological discipline, rooted initially in engineering geology but which has moved towards an interdisciplinary, solution-focused science operating at the inter-section of environmental–social–built systems. In this regard, we highlight cutting-edge urban geoscience research aligned to current urban challenges and note, in particular, the significance of digital technologies to enable 3D urban characterisation, support data-driven decision-making for planning and development, and serve as a means to communicate geology to urban practitioners. The role of the urban geoscientist as an agent of change to enhance integrated science, improve the accessibility of geological issues, and accelerate the translation of national–regional geology to local settings and to urban policy drivers should not be underestimated.

Keywords: urban geoscience; planning policy; cities; subsurface; natural resources; geohazards; geo-data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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