The biodiversity of our world is at risk due to climate change, pollution and a growing human population. Housing areas need to expand globally, but with the challenges of our times, we need to plan our cities in novel ways. Stormwater solutions will be a key element. The dragonfly, one of the oldest living species on our planet, can lead our way into the future and help us with solutions for city planning that are cost effective, aesthetic, eco-friendly and will preserve biodiversity.
Local
Sweden
{Empty}
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
We are living in a world where the number of threatened species of insects and animals are bigger than ever before. The human population is increasing, and more housing is needed. This means less habitats for animals and less nature areas that can infiltrate stormwater. The climate change is a fact, we will face heavy rainfalls in the future and city planning is going more towards including solutions to this problem. What if we could include biodiversity as much as stormwater solutions? In the study Environmental variables drive differences in the beta diversity of dragonfly assemblages among urban stormwater ponds researchers looked at biodiversity connected to stormwater ponds in Uppland, Sweden and saw that it is a big number of species of Dragonflies living in and around the ponds. It is a correlation between the number of species of dragonflies and other types of biodiversity. Creating a stormwater pond that is big enough with variation in depth, width and vegetation will increase biodiversity in general.
Sweden is a country with a growing population and in many cities, there is a demand for more housing areas. An example of a rapidly growing city in Sweden is Uppsala. Today there are plans to build new residential areas in Bergsbrunna, Southeast of Uppsala, where it today is nature areas and forests. With increased hardened surfaces, more solutions are required to manage stormwater. What should these solutions look like to create sustainable cities in the future?
With this project, I want to show a concept that uses a stormwater solution to highlight how ecological, aesthetic and social sustainability interact. I do not think it has to cost more to focus on all parts and I think we have to weigh in on all to create a sustainable future.
Stormwater management
Biodiversity
Aesthetics
Social values
Mimic nature
This project aims to create a stormwater pond in Bergsbrunna, Southeast of Uppsala, Sweden, where new housing areas are planned to be built. The pond will be a part of the stormwater system and be planned to benefit biodiversity, aesthetics and social values. With this project I want to focus on the term sustainability in city- and landscape planning. I do not think that we always must choose between ecological, social or aesthetic sustainability, it is when we combine them that we manage to create a future sustainable world to live in. I think focusing on one of the parts does not have to cost less than combining them. It is possible to design and build landscapes that is both beneficial for biodiversity and ecology, and for people’s eyes and wellbeing. In this project one important part of combining them is the way of mimicking nature, and letting it take time to benefit both biodiversity and people´s wellbeing.
In Sweden we have the term “Allemansrätten” which means everyone´s right to roam and access the Swedish nature and countryside. It includes hiking, biking and picking berries and mushrooms in the nature. The availability and opportunity to be in nature is for many people an important part of the Swedish culture. Seeing and experiencing nature can in many ways provide more understanding and respect for it. By having humans in mind when designing the pond and its surroundings it can be a place for people to come closer to nature. This could for example be an opportunity for children to learn more about biodiversity, the aesthetics of plant and nature, and what role the plants play in a stormwater solution.
The answer to this question goes along with the previous one about design, culture and positive emotions. At first, I designed an approximate shape of the pond based on the purification and delay of the water. What I then mainly want to bring into the sustainable way of working is that it is possible to bring in more angles of sustainability. By thinking about the choice of plants, we can bring in plants that have functions for purification of water, insects and biodiversity as well as for design, aesthetics and design. The term inclusion comes into this project by working with different types of sustainability and to combine the ecological values with the social values by focusing on the design and the aesthetics of plants. When it comes to maintenance the plants are chosen to suit this particular site and be able to grow and spread themselves over time without it having to coast a lot of money.
I think that I have covered this question by answering the two previous questions but to conclude, the thought is that people benefit from being in a close to nature and with this proposal people can be able to see and understand more about how biodiversity, water and plants are and can be connected. stormwater management.
I am currently studying to be a landscape architect and I have developed this concept during a course called Urban Ecology. We were introduced to the housing project in Bergsbrunna by Uppsala municipality and got material and plans of the planned housing areas. After that we explored our own interests in the subject of urban ecology. I chose to look at stormwater management in the area and decided to focus on biodiversity linked to stormwater management and recreation.
During the course, I was supervised by landscape architects and contacted ecologists. I also had the opportunity to interview Frank Johansson, who currently works at the Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University. Frank does research in Evolutionary Ecology, and we talked about dragonflies and biodiversity. This concept has been based on my knowledge in stormwater management, plants and design together with other landscape architects, ecologists and references I have read (see reference list in the project).
The biodiversity of our world is at risk due to climate change, pollution and a growing human population. Housing areas need to expand globally, but with the challenges of our times, we need to plan our cities in novel ways. Stormwater solutions will be a key element, but how can we make people understand this problem? By letting people come close to nature and wanting to be in nature I think that everyone will gain more understanding and respect for nature. I want us to talk more about what the concept of sustainability means. By working with ecological and aesthetic sustainability in one, I am sure that social sustainability will come into the bargain.
The dragonfly, one of the oldest living species on our planet, can lead our way into the future and help us with solutions for city planning that are cost effective, aesthetic, eco-friendly and will preserve biodiversity.
The concept can be implemented in many other places in the world. Many countries have more and more problems with torrential rain and are or will have to build new stormwater solutions. The big difference when carrying out a project like this is that in many cases you must use different types of plants that can handle the stand for that particular place.
If we look at it from a climate and ecology perspective, it is globally important because we must find solutions for stormwater management, and we must work to promote biodiversity. With my background as a landscape architecture student, I also think it is incredibly important that we highlight aesthetics and social sustainability together with ecological sustainability. I believe this is how we succeed in building sustainable communities, both locally and globally.
