Currently, about 50% of the global population lives in urban settings, and by 2050 it is projected that the share will grow to 70% [1]. Urban areas are increasingly exposed to the impacts of climate change like frequent occurrence of extreme events e.g. heatwaves, strong winds, flash floods [2][3]. Parallelly, cities are affected by urban heat islands [4] what makes the urban thermal conditions an urgent issue to tackle towards healthy and resilient cities. Climate change challenges mentioned are within the interest of project Connecting Nature (H2020) aimed at positioning Europe as a global leader in the innovation and implementation of nature-based solutions. The City of Poznań together with Adam Mickiewicz University, as the project partners, monitor the impact of preschool gardens on local thermal conditions. Taking the above into account and a fact that certain demographic groups, such as children, are more sensitive to the health issues associated with urban living, particularly in combination with climate change [5-7], in this study we aim to recognize: 1) the thermal conditions of preschool gardens based on the land surface temperature (LST); 2) the potential of small-scale nature-based solutions (NbS) such as preschool gardens to lower the temperature at site scale (identification of cold island effect). In the study, we used Landsat 8 satellite images (5 scenes – bands 4, 5, and surface temperature layer based on band 10) taken in summer seasons in years 2018-2020 at 09.49 GMT during clear sky weather (cloudiness 0-1%) without radiation disturbances (e.g. precipitation, fast wind). As proposed by Majkowska et al. [8] we calculated average LST values for each pixel (aLST) to generate aLST distribution map for Poznań. In addition, we mapped the NDVI to group the gardens according to vegetation cover. Data on the number of kindergartens including public and non-public institutions, their location, and information on the number of children as of October 1, 2019, were obtained from the Education Department of the Poznań City Hall. The inputs were processed by using GIS software to measure the distribution of aLST in preschool gardens as well as to generate thermal profiles for 3 case studies. The results show that mean aLST for preschools with a low vegetation index (NDVI = 0,3, N=21, see Fig. 1). The average cooling effect of selected NbSs (N=3) was estimated at 0,2 - 0,3 oC (aLST) within distance of 45 m.

Green infrastructure (GI) is increasingly addressed in urban planning and research to enhance urban sustainability and resilience through the provisioning of ecosystem services (ES). Yet, few applications exist of planning models for multifunctional GI in high spatial and thematic detail that simultaneously align with stakeholder interests. In our recent paper, we addressed these gaps by developing and presenting a spatially explicit model to inform urban planners on priority areas for multifunctional GI development. This model was made possible by spatial analyses on multiple scales, enabling us to assess ES in sufficient detail, while simultaneously matching the preferences for scale and ES-indicators of decision makers and urban planners. The model involves a novel weighting scheme based upon the local capacity of GI to mitigate problems. We applied our model to the city of The Hague using a set of three policy-relevant problems: air pollution, the urban heat island effect and storm water flooding. Our results show that the capacity of GI to mitigate these problems varies spatially, both within and between ES, and depends on local characteristics of GI and the environmental context. We illustrate the relevance of using a multi-scale approach in spatial ES analysis, and underline that GI planning measures should be assessed in high spatial detail due to their often locally distinct ES capacity. Our approach makes important strides towards the deployment of nature-based solutions for urban challenges in the light of demands for increasing resilience and sustainability.

In light of climate adaptation, rooftops of intensive urban areas are undergoing a transformation, as what is happening in the Dutch capital city – Amsterdam. Extensive Green Roofs (EGRs), Photovoltaic Panels (PV), and the combined system (CS) are more and more considered to apply on the rooftops due to their potentials to either reduce environmental stress factors such as the urban heat island, flooding, and air pollution, function as green energy, or both. This paper presents a model that identifies the technical potential of both green roofs and solar panels at building level, including the combined system of green roofs and solar panels which has received less attention in research and in practice. The model is refined to a resolution of 0.5 by 0.5 meter which enables to analyze the potential within the roof as well. The models of all these three systems can be applied to all areas in the Netherlands. For illustrative purposes and due to the challenges faced by the capital city to mitigate and adapt to climate change, Amsterdam is analyzed in particular. The potential areas are classified into suitable and moderate areas, including the competitive overlap between green roofs and solar roofs. Main results identify that industrialized areas show highest potential for all three systems, whereas smaller buildings with steep slopes do not have a high potential for green roofs, but instead more for solar panels.