Integrating nature-based solutions and the conservation of urban built heritage: Challenges, opportunities, and prospects

Urban transitions towards Nature-based Solutions

“…Maćkiewicz and Puente-Asuero (2021) found that health and well-being impacts were the most acknowledged among other societal, ecological and economic benefits by plot holders of allotment gardens in Seville. Similarly, bringing together the concepts of NbS and built heritage conservation, Coombes and Viles (2021) highlight the societal benefits of education, inspiration, sense of place, and identity that can derive from acknowledging and safeguarding the cultural value of certain NbS.…”

“…Cortinovis et al (2022) andD'Ambrosio et al (2022) adopted a similar approach in showing what is possible to do considering the physical constraints imposed by the urban structure. However, barriers to NbS feasibility are not limited to physical conditions, as discussed by Coombes and Viles (2021), who analyze the possibility of introducing NbS to historical parts of cities, pointing to the related challenges, opportunities, and prospects. The issues of NbS implementation are addressed also in the paper by Kampelmann (2021), who deals with the financing of NbS as a key factor.…”

Problems with Nature-Based Solutions

“…A 'lessons learned' lens is also sometimes applied, based on NBS implementation in particular regions (Brokking et al, 2021), for a particular purpose (Ramíres-Agudelo et al, 2020), or both (Qi et al, 2020). Finally, studies also address specific barriers and situations in-depth, such as financing NBS (Droste et al, 2017;Toxopeus & Polzin, 2021), the 'path dependence' barrier (Davies & Lafortezza, 2019, defined as "a concept where active memory conditioned by past decisions has a controlling influence on decision making" [p. 406]), and using NBS on heritage sites (Coombes & Viles, 2021). Five of the studies explicitly utilize the EC definition of NBS.…”

“…NBS can help mitigate flood and heat risks, provide ecosystem services, and offer new or better green living spaces for humans and wildlife (Brokking et al, 2021). They can include smallscale interventions, such as planting trees to increase shade (Coombes & Viles, 2021), up to regional frameworks for increasing ecological connectivity (Brokking et al, 2021). The European Commission defines NBS as "actions inspired by, supported by, or copied from nature and which aim to help society address a variety of environmental, social and economic challenges in sustainable ways" (Voskamp et al, 2020).…”

Environmental Assessment and Tourist Carrying Capacity for the Development of Geosites in the Framework of Geotourism, Guayaquil, Ecuador

“…The geodiversity and biodiversity of a place are essential characteristics for the confirmation of the natural heritage [9], in which the development of human beings, their cultural traditions and the history of the sector stands out [10]. These sectors consist of a universal value that encompasses the scientific and educational perspective [11], promoting the conservation and maintenance of the natural beauty that magnifies its importance and reason for visitation [12].…”