Goals, approach and expected results
GRACE 'Green for climAte resilienCE' is a PRIN 2022 PNRR project funded by the Ministry of University and Research as part of the NATIONAL RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN (PNRR). The project runs from December 2023 to November 2025.
Two research units, from the University of Bologna and the University of Perugia, are participating in the project.
The project focuses on a highly topical subject that represents a priority challenge for the future of our cities: the integrated evaluation of the various environmental, energy and microclimate benefits of urban green systems.
Many urban and peri-urban areas, subject to population growth and climate change, are facing multiple environmental challenges: high energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, heat island effect, air pollution and reduced exposure to nature. Correct and systematic planning of urban green systems can contribute to improving the resilience and quality of the urban environment.
The project therefore aims to demonstrate the contribution that green systems planning can provide to strengthening resilience, mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Focusing on case studies in Emilia-Romagna and Umbria, the interdisciplinary project team will evaluate implementation scenarios of urban green systems, to provide useful elements to support decisions for their implementation and integration into territorial planning.
The project aims to demonstrate the contribution that planning of urban green systems can provide to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening resilience and adaptation to climate change, with reference to:
- improvement of the urban and peri-urban microclimate,
- reduction of energy consumption and air pollution,
- promotion of carbon stock and biodiversity.
The project will consider different types of urban green systems, even in combination: green areas, trees and building-integrated vegetation. Urban green systems will be assessed and modeled using scenarios aimed at achieving climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives, established based on the improvement of current conditions. Performance will be simulated to demonstrate the benefits of green systems and provide decision support elements for the implementation and integration of green systems into spatial planning.
The main expected result is to provide scientific evidence of the positive contribution that different types of green systems can offer, optimized based on the specific characteristics of the sites, with potential for transferability to other urban and peri-urban contexts.
Thanks to an interdisciplinary team that combines expertise in biosystems engineering, agroecology and soil sciences, the project will address a multiscale approach that combines environmental modeling and simulations, field evaluations and laboratory tests.
The municipalities of Bologna and Perugia have been identified as case studies, representing different territorial, landscape, settlement and climate contexts.
Funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) - Mission 4 Education and research - Component 2 From research to business - Investment 1.1 Notice PRIN 2022 PNRR (DD N. 1409 del 14/09/2022), from title [Urban green systems: integrated modelling of environmental, energy and microclimatic benefits and GHG offsetting for strengthening resilience and adaptation to climate change – GRACE (Green foR climAte resilience)], proposal code [P20229ZC79] - CUP [J53D23018250001]
