Publicação
Nature-based solutions for urban waterfront regeneration
| Resumo: | Urban waterfronts, as dynamic interfaces between land and water, face increasing vulnerability due to climate change-induced risks such as sea-level rise, flooding, and extreme weather events, compounded by anthropogenic pressures like urbanisation, pollution, and habitat loss. Traditional hard engineering solutions, while effective in structural resilience, often neglect ecological and social dimensions. Nature-based Solutions have emerged as transformative approaches capable of addressing these multifaceted challenges, offering multifunctional benefits that integrate ecological restoration, climate adaptation and urban liveability. Despite their potential, their application in urbanised waterfronts needs a better understanding, as these techniques have traditionally been adopted in landscapes where land availability allows for larger-scale ecological interventions. This study aims to address this research gap by systematically reviewing academic literature and analysing real-world case studies to examine how NbS are conceptualised, implemented and assessed in urban waterfront regeneration. The findings identified recurring frameworks, analytical dimensions and three strategic orientations: (1) retrofitting waterfront edges with hybrid green-grey solutions to enhance resilience and biodiversity, (2) systemic ecological restoration of degraded waterfront environments and (3) increasing permeability through water-sensitive urban systems. The analysis highlights the multifunctionality of NbS, their capacity to balance ecological, social, and infrastructural objectives, and the prevalence of hybrid approaches in more space-constrained contexts. However, gaps remain in post-implementation monitoring and long-term performance evaluation. This review underscores the need for operational guidelines to scale NbS in urban waterfronts, particularly in underrepresented regions, and emphasises their role as systemic interventions for adaptive urban resilience. |
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| Autores principais: | Marzio, Sara |
| Outros Autores: | Tosi, Jacopo; Amado, Miguel; Poggi, Francesca |
| Assunto: | Climate Change Adaptation Nature-based Solutions Sustainable Urban Planning Urban Waterfront SDG 13 - Climate Action |
| Ano: | 2026 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | recensão |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| Resumo: | Urban waterfronts, as dynamic interfaces between land and water, face increasing vulnerability due to climate change-induced risks such as sea-level rise, flooding, and extreme weather events, compounded by anthropogenic pressures like urbanisation, pollution, and habitat loss. Traditional hard engineering solutions, while effective in structural resilience, often neglect ecological and social dimensions. Nature-based Solutions have emerged as transformative approaches capable of addressing these multifaceted challenges, offering multifunctional benefits that integrate ecological restoration, climate adaptation and urban liveability. Despite their potential, their application in urbanised waterfronts needs a better understanding, as these techniques have traditionally been adopted in landscapes where land availability allows for larger-scale ecological interventions. This study aims to address this research gap by systematically reviewing academic literature and analysing real-world case studies to examine how NbS are conceptualised, implemented and assessed in urban waterfront regeneration. The findings identified recurring frameworks, analytical dimensions and three strategic orientations: (1) retrofitting waterfront edges with hybrid green-grey solutions to enhance resilience and biodiversity, (2) systemic ecological restoration of degraded waterfront environments and (3) increasing permeability through water-sensitive urban systems. The analysis highlights the multifunctionality of NbS, their capacity to balance ecological, social, and infrastructural objectives, and the prevalence of hybrid approaches in more space-constrained contexts. However, gaps remain in post-implementation monitoring and long-term performance evaluation. This review underscores the need for operational guidelines to scale NbS in urban waterfronts, particularly in underrepresented regions, and emphasises their role as systemic interventions for adaptive urban resilience. |
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