Summer School 2

Green Team Research Overview

During the Civis BIP Summer School, I was part of the Green Team focused on assessing the efficiency of nature-based solutions in the NAWI area.

green_team aoi

Research Question

The central research question guiding the Green Team’s investigation was: How efficient are nature-based solutions in the NAWI area?

Objectives

The research objectives were multi-faceted:

  • Identifying and spatializing the existing urban nature categories in the NAWI area: This involved mapping and analyzing the different types of natural elements within the urban landscape.
  • Designing a network analysis of the stakeholders and problems: Understanding the network of stakeholders and the issues they face in implementing nature-based solutions.
  • Developing a survey to gauge stakeholders’ perceptions: Creating a survey to gather insights into stakeholders’ perceptions and attitudes towards urban nature.
  • Identifying existing forms of public participation: Examining the ways in which the public currently engages with urban nature spaces.
  • Suggesting future improvements: Providing recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of nature-based solutions in the NAWI area.

Land Cover Classification

For land cover classification, we utilized Sentinel-2 Level 2 imagery. The classification included six dominant classes found in the NAWI area.

Stakeholders

Several stakeholders were identified, including Nonneberg Abbey, Paris Lodron Universitat Salzburg, BIG Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft, private owners, Salzburg Rathaus, inhabitants, students, bikers, and environmental NGOs.

Survey Creation Sections

The survey designed by our Team comprised four sections:

  1. Survey Purpose: Outlining the objectives and purpose of the survey.
  2. Demographics: Gathering demographic information from respondents.
  3. Activities in Urban Nature Spaces: Assessing the types of activities individuals engage in within urban nature spaces.
  4. Future Development and Engagement: Exploring stakeholders’ views on future development and engagement with urban nature.

survey

Media Conclusions

  • Limited activity within the Natural Science students community.
  • Tourists sharing aesthetically pleasing images from the botanical garden.
  • Annual NAWI students Summer/Winterfest being a notable event.
  • Specific events focused on nature and geoinformatics.

How to Promote Public Participation

To enhance public participation in nature-based solutions, the we proposed various strategies:

  • Initiatives with real estate companies to promote collaboration.
  • Collaborative design and planning involving stakeholders.
  • Crowdsourcing and idea generation platforms to solicit public input.
  • Vacant tax and repurposing initiatives to repurpose properties into community spaces.

This overview encapsulates the Green Team’s research efforts during the Civis BIP Summer School, providing insights into our methodologies, findings, and recommendations for promoting nature-based solutions in the NAWI area.