Urbane GmbA - Urban potential of greenable area in the obscured stock

Reliable basic data on the existing greenable area is necessary to increase green infrastructures in urban building stock. Currently available instruments do not cover the relevant information and data. The project Urbane GmbA explores and assesses the potential of areas from buildings and sealed surfaces (vertical and horizontal) suitable for greening up in Vienna.

Methods and state-of-the-art technologies were defined and categorised, currently available survey instruments tested and reviewed. The application results were established in situ and verified at the project pilot areas Neulerchenfelderstraße and Innerfavoriten Kretaviertel. The need for innovation was assessed using an evaluation matrix and the corresponding market relevance. This information was used to assess the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the identified technologies and system solutions. The Innovation Lab GRÜNSTATTGRAU will use the assessment of the innovation potential and the technology leaps for further R&D projects. Urbane GmbA reviewed approaches for economic valuation, additional innovation potentials and future technology development. The project defined targeted research and development needs for science, urban development and implementation action. The project partners Dep. of Environmental Protection in Vienna MA 22 and the Innovation Lab GRÜNSTATTGRAU received a road map with recommendations to support further action and implementation.

The results show that available instruments include valuable and useful information, which can be used to assess the area potential and further action. A synthesized application to map the potential of the building stock has been achieved by identification and adaptation of relevant datasets as well as the complementation of missing data with image-based analysis. The newly developed evaluation matrix is classified in technical, economic and socio-ecological components, making the benefits and weaknesses of the systems or system groups of green roofs and walls comparable. The analysis of the TRL showed higher maturity in development for green roofs than green walls (reaching average level) as funding and legislative landscape as well as technical discussion have been going on for longer for green roofs. Economic assessment is not yet established as a standard in greening issues but diversely explored. Established approaches (e.g. opportunity costs for greening and renaturation) are facing more complex approaches (Total Economic Value: direct vs. indirect value). Integrative approaches and monetary techniques with qualitative, process-oriented decision models (e.g. TEEB, multi-criteria analysis) seem suitable for extensive establishment of green infrastructures.

On basis of the road map the project partners can develop further steps for objects with higher priority and identify new areas with high greenable potential. The road map is seen as a calendar of work and an instruction manual. The Urbane GmbA results are a solid base for a monitoring system of green areas within the city. Further analysis of the innovation potential on product or component level seems necessary as the system categories have varying technologies. The need for innovation is extensive, from energy efficiency, technical optimization and water management to communication innovation or robot use. The focal recommendation is to enable the design and maintenance as well as continuous development of a registry for existing and potential green roofs and walls in the building stock in Austria. The aim is compatibility with existing systems, easy to handle and allowing for up-to-date data extraction for all stakeholders.

Project management

Univ.-Prof. in DIin Dr. in Rosemarie Stangl, Institute of Soil-Bioengineering and Landscape Construction, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

Project partners

• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
• GrünstattGrau GmbH
• MA22 Wiener Umweltschutzabteilung

Institute of Soil-Bioengineering and Landscape Construction
Department of Civil Engineering and Natural Hazards
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Peter-Jordan-Straße 82
A-1190 Vienna
Tel.: +43 (1) 47654-87401/-87426
E-mail: rosemarie.stangl@boku.ac.at
Web: http://www.baunat.boku.ac.at/en/iblb/