4.6 Article

Urban-Rural Dependencies and Opportunities to Design Nature-Based Solutions for Resilience in Europe and China

Journal

LAND
Volume 11, Issue 4, Pages -

Publisher

MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/land11040480

Keywords

nature-based solutions (NBS); green infrastructure; urban planning; airshed; watershed; natureshed; peopleshed; rural-urban fringe; social and biophysical scales

Funding

  1. European Commission [821016]
  2. National Key R&D Program Intergovernmental Cooperation in International Science and Technology Innovation from Ministry of Science and Technology of China [2021YFE93100]

Ask authors/readers for more resources

The interrelationships between urban and rural areas are crucial for the development of future living conditions and quality of life. Major challenges faced by cities in China and Europe are related to climate and environmental changes, as well as decision-making processes that make urban and rural landscapes more susceptible to environmental pressures. Nature-based solutions (NBS) can help counteract these pressures and enhance resilience in both regions.
Interrelationships between urban and rural areas are fundamental for the development and safeguarding of viable future living conditions and quality of life. These areas are not well-delineated or self-sufficient, and existing interrelations may privilege one over the other. Major urban challenges facing China and Europe are related to changes in climate, environment, and to decision-making that makes urban and rural landscapes more susceptible to environmental pressures. Focusing on the six European and Chinese cities and surrounding rural areas, under study in the joint EC and MOST-funded REGREEN project, we examine how nature-based solutions (NBS) may assist in counteracting these pressures. We explore urban-rural dependencies and partnerships regarding NBS that can enhance resilience in Europe and China. We analyse differences between European and Chinese systems of governance, reflecting on the significance of the scale of research needed to understand how NBS provide benefits. We highlight interactions between differently delineated sheds (watershed, airshed, natureshed, and peopleshed), which influence the interrelationships between urban and rural areas. There may be one-way or two-way interdependence, and the impact may be uni or multi-directional. The European and Chinese solutions, exemplified in this article, tackle the nexus of environmental and peoplesheds. We discuss complex human interactions (and how to model them) that may, or may not, lead to viable and equitable partnerships for implementing NBS in cities within Europe and in China.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.6
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available