Urban Sprawl

Urban Sprawl Drivers, consequences, problems, solutions and best management practices

Urban Sprawl: Drivers

From rural to urban landscape Present landscape structure is reflection of: • Natural conditions • Socio-economic changes • Political interventions • Industrial needs/possibility • Environmental hazards

• Other influences

Urban Sprawl:

Consequences for rural landscape Social/cultural

Environmental

Migration

Landscape abandoning – succession processes – spontaneous reforestation

Ageing of rural population

Decrease of agricultural production

Loss of cultural diversity and traditional knowledge

Loss/grow of natural values

Reduction of the birth rate

Decrease of arable land area

Urban Sprawl:

Consequences for urban ecosystem/urban health Surface runoff Reduced infiltration Disrupted underwater recharge

Soil sealing

Loss of connectivity Fragmentation Decrease of biodiversity

Intra-urban floods Water body degradation Drought

Urban Sprawl:

Consequences for urban ecosystem/urban health

Soil degradation

Loss of ecological functions

Reduced infiltration

Loss of fertility

Decrease of biodiversity

Loss of environmental functions

Lowered ability to retain pollution

Surface runoff

Intra-urban floods

Soil erosion

Water body degradation

Urban Sprawl:

Consequences for urban ecosystem/urban health

Low ratio of vegetation

Low evaporation transpiration

Urban heat island

Dust

Hay fever, asthma

Noise

Stress

Biodiversity decrease

Temperature increase

Drought

Urban Sprawl:

Consequences for urban ecosystem/urban health Heavy metals Chemical

Nutrients Acids/bases

Thermal

• Urban environment degradation • Public health risks • Aesthetic deterioration and

Physical

Noise Light

Pollution

Biological

Pathogens

public perception

Urban Sprawl:

Soil sealing: Belgrade 1990

Urban Sprawl:


Urban Sprawl:


Urban Sprawl:


Urban Sprawl

Soil sealing: Banská Bystrica

1950

2010

Urban Sprawl

Soil sealing: Banská Bystrica Population change since 1950´s

83698

83056 78724

77375

2010

2014

62688

44749

22529 13605 1950

1960

1970

1980

1991

2001

Urban Sprawl

Soil sealing: Banská Bystrica • impervious surfaces cover 44,6 % of urban area

Soil sealing

area (ha)

%

Buildings

291,95

37,0

Roads, pavements

259,42

32,9

Parking lots

210,09

26,6

21,24

2,7

6,35

0,8

789,05

100,0

Industrial areas Construction sites ∑

Urban Sprawl Surface runoff

Surface runoff contrast: natural vs. urban catchment 300

250

Flow m3/s

200

150

Natural catchment Urban catchment

100

50

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Time T

Urban Sprawl

Surface runoff: Banská Bystrica • mean annual runoff varies from 5,007 to 6,251 mil. m3 • urban surface runoff is 64 times greater compared to natural (forested) catchment • torrential rainfall (23 mm/hr) creates stormwater runoff volume of 148 000 m3 • approx. 1,37 kg of cadmium and 2,67 kg of lead is stored to river annually (only from atmospheric deposition – not including local sources of pollution)

Urban Sprawl

Surface runoff: Banská Bystrica

... mean annual runoff would fill Ružín II. reservoir on 138 % of its capacity

Urban Sprawl

Surface runoff: Banská Bystrica

... to purify torrential stormwater runoff in water treatment plant would cost 195 064 € (with value-added tax)

Urban Sprawl

Vegetation and soil issues Urban heat island

Urban Sprawl

Vegetation and soil issues Urban heat island • Surface runoff is 10°C warmer than rain (physical pollution of streams) • Increased electric power consumption for cooling systems • Increased water consumption • Public health risk (see the European 2003 heat wave)

Urban Sprawl

Vegetation and soil issues Impact of urban ecosystems on rain • Temperatures inside the city are 2-8 °C higher than surrounding landscape • Warmer air tends to rise; as it rises, it cools and forms rain-producing clouds

• Especially tall buildings help warm air to rise • Cities are a sources of aerosols that help condensation of water vapor • Risk of convective storms

Urban Sprawl Pollution

Sources of pollution • Automobile (oil products, anti-freeze, heavy metals, NOx, Sox, noise...) • Residents (fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, pet droppings, detergents, household cleaners, poorly maintained septic systems...)

• Agriculture (soil, livestock waste, pesticides, fertilizers, oil...) • Urban (runoff, change of habitats, noise, light...) • Construction (oil, debris, paint...) • Storm drains


Light pollution • Increasing energy consumption • Disrupting the ecosystem and wildlife • Harming human health • Effecting crime and safety


Noise pollution • Hearing problems • Sleeping disorders • Cardiovascular issues • Effect on wildlife

Urban Sprawl: Solutions Land take targets

• Quantitative limits for annual land take. They are used as monitoring tools and regularly assessed (analyzing urgency, type of uptake - Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Andalucía) • Use of permeable materials and surfaces

• Green (blue, grey) infrastructure (see Council Directive 91/271/EEC concerning urban waste-water treatment)


• Permeable materials and surfaces


• Green, blue, grey, infrastructure

Urban Sprawl: Solutions Brownfield reusing/recycling

Zeche Zollverein

Urban Sprawl: Solutions Landscape planning

• legislative and planning restrictions (protecting sea coasts, forests, rivers and lakes – see also The EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC; Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption) • Clear restrictions on the construction of large shops and shopping centers on greenfield (Denmark) – also see Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment, The EIA Directive (85/337/EEC) • proper urban management (limiting building activities within floodplains – according to Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks)

Urban Sprawl: Solutions Landscape planning

• Greenbelts around urban areas: to control the unrestricted sprawl; to preserve the special character of historic towns; to limit noise, dust and emission pollution (see Directive 2002/49/EC relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise) • Soil quality in city planning (designation of protective zones for soil (no conversion) and calculation of water infiltration capacity for all planning zones. This promotes the application of natural drainage systems or the construction of water retention areas to avoid increased water runoff)

Urban Sprawl: Solutions

Protection of agricultural soils and valuable landscapes • Fees and special taxes concerning soil conversion (Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia and Italy) • Protection and supporting of multifunctional land use of peri-urban areas (the Nederlands, France, Italy, Spain)

• See also The European Landscape Convention; Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources

Urban Sprawl: Solutions

Improving the quality of life in large urban centres • The urban renewal programmes of Porto and Lisbon and the neighbourhood renewal programme in Catalonia, all three of which are supported by the European Regional Development Fund. • The Erdberger Mais development in Vienna, which is built on five inner urban brownfield areas, providing housing for 6 000 new inhabitants and 40 000 work places.

Urban Sprawl Best management practices

Case study of the Łódź city (Poland) The Sokolówka river restoration

Case study of the Łódź city (Poland) • reduced the concentrations of N and P by up to 60% • water stress reduction • mitigation of extreme flows • improving the ecological status of river • recreational use possibilities • stormwater retention • increasing of the city for the climate change adaptation • improving the attractiveness of the city for inhabitants and investors

Rain gardens

Primary school Zárečie (Slovakia)

Green roofs

Knokke-Heist basic school (Belgium)

Parking garages in Žilina (Slovakia)

Infiltration reservoirs

Stormwater infiltration reservoir (Slovakia)

Infiltration and purification pond (Barcelona, Spain)

Infiltration pond (Björnson´s park, Brno, Czech Republic)

Retention, detention reservoirs

Stormwater retention reservoir (United Kingdom)

Detention and purification pond (United Kingdom)

Useful links http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/eea-fast-track-service-precursor-on-land-monitoring-degree-of-soilsealing http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/urban-atlas http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/explore-interactive-maps/urban-atlas-for-europe

Thank you for your attention! Tomáš Lepeška, PhD. Department of Applied Ecology Faculty of ecology and environmental sciences Technical University in Zvolen T.G. Masaryka 24, 960 53 Zvolen Slovakia