Regenerative design grows green-blue cities 42%

Visualisation of Almanakken project by Sweco Architects shows three ring-shaped building structures set within a regenerative green neighbourhood. — *Almanakken is a vision project by Sweco Architects which highlights a regenerative neighbourhood*

By growing green-blue areas in cities, regenerative design not only boosts biodiversity, but can also help urban communities build resilience to the risk of extreme weather events such as floods and heatwaves.

A new report released by leading consultancy group Sweco highlights the potential of 22 European cities to enhance liveability, sustainability, and resilience through regenerative design in the built environment.

By adopting the principles of regenerative design, these cities can increase the size of their green-blue areas by as much as 42% — and align with the new EU nature restoration law related to urban ecosystems.

Dead zones, floods and heatwaves

Currently, 75% of EU citizens reside in urban areas. As cities expand, green-blue spaces tend to be sacrificed for grey infrastructure, thereby negatively impacting biodiversity.

By paving over natural surfaces, removing trees, and channelling waterways, urban development has led to ecological ‘dead zones’ and increased vulnerability to floods and heatwaves.

These environmental risks carry serious implications for society and sustainable lifestyles, explains one of the authors of the report, Tobias Nauwelaers, a Sweco expert in nature restoration and urban ecology:

“The decline of biodiversity is progressing at an alarming rate and scale, triggering a chain reaction. This also threatens the essential ecosystem services citizens rely on, such as clean water and air, and pollinating crops.”

Reversing the downward trend, by law

The conservation status of 63% of animal and plant species is currently deemed unfavourable, according to the latest data from the European Environment Agency. This official assessment also reveals that some 81% of protected habitats are in poor condition, with only 9% shown to be improving.

Under the new EU Nature Restoration Law, which aims to restore degraded ecosystems, Member States are required to plan and follow-up on their contribution to reversing this trend.

One solution to Europe’s city biodiversity problem is regenerative design, suggests Tobias Nauwelaers:

“By incorporating natural and semi-natural systems to achieve more green-blue areas, cities not only minimise environmental harm, but start ‘giving back’ by contributing positively to ecosystems and boosting biodiversity.”

The good news for decision-makers is that a dedicated pot of money is also on offer, adds Nauwelaers:

“There is EU funding available to address this problem, as at least €20bn a year will be allocated from the 2021-2027 EU budget for spending on biodiversity.”

Recommendations for regenerative cities

Bar chart graph shows current and potential green-blue percentages for 22 cities, also how each city compares to the 30% green rule. — *Graph shows 22 cities and their current and potential green-blue percentages, also how each city compares to the 30% green rule — source: Sweco, based on data from EU service Copernicus*

Sweco has studied 22 cities: Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bergen, Berlin, Brno, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Krakow, London, Munich, Oslo, Prague, Rotterdam, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Tallinn, Tampere, Vilnius and Warsaw.

As seen in the graph above, Tampere, Bergen and Oslo have potential to become some of Europe’s greenest cities, while others in the study would need to take additional measures to meet the 30% green rule.

The report highlights several recommendations for decision-makers in European cities and municipalities to consider along the road to a more regenerative future — with key suggestions as follows:

Use nature-based solutions that utilise green-blue infrastructure to support biodiversity, manage water, and create healthy spaces;
Prioritise native plants to boost biodiversity, control invasive species, and restore degraded areas for a healthier ecosystem;
Establish green corridors to connect natural areas, enable species movement, and support biodiversity;
Use permeable surfaces, rainwater harvesting, and wetlands to absorb rain, prevent flooding, and support water quality and wildlife;
Engage residents in planning and projects to foster inclusivity, collaboration, and shared responsibility;
Establish closed-loop systems to minimise waste, recycle resources, and generate renewable energy.;
Promote urban agriculture with community gardens to boost local food production, cut transport emissions, and support the local economy;
Create resilient, net-zero infrastructure that adapts to climate change and supports health, sustainability, and future needs.

Urbanisation, digitalisation and sustainability

Sweco is Europe’s leading engineering and architecture consultancy, with sales of approximately SEK29bn (€2.5bn) in 2023. The company is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

Together with its clients, the Sweco group harnesses the collective knowledge of some 22,000 architects, engineers and other experts to co-create solutions to address urbanisation, capture the power of digitalisation, and make societies more sustainable.

Just this month, Sweco has also agreed to acquire Sipti Consulting, a specialist in geotechnical and environmental design and consulting. The acquisition will add some 50 experts to Sweco operations and significantly increase its offering within geotechnical, rock and environmental engineering.

The Urban Insight knowledge platform features reports by Sweco experts on urban development issues seen from a citizen perspective. The latest report in the series looks at regenerative neighbourhoods.

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