Work Package 3

Blue Green Adaptation Support Tool

(Coordinated by Deltares and Alterra)

Objective(s)

To address the barriers related to the application of integrated blue-green solutions in the planning, design and decision making process of city (re)development in order to exploit and enjoy their full scale of services and benefits. WP3 will develop an adaptation support tool (AST) to maximize efficiency, effectiveness and attractiveness of blue and green ecosystem services for urban climate adaptation, while dealing with constraints in budget, space and other resources. AST quantifies consequences and effects of a specific set of adaptation measures for each (project) area, as blue and the green adaptation measures can produce synergies. Blue, green and grey solutions are evaluated on criteria using validated models. A Performance Evaluation System (PES), part of the AST, includes these criteria like hydrological performance, climate resilience, adaptability, multi-functionality, costs and benefits, but also the fit in development and design process, stakeholder acceptability (power field analysis), and costs and responsibility for operation and maintenance. The PES allows environmental and socio-economic impacts of alternative solutions to be quantified. With help of this AST alternative green/blue (eco-engineering) solutions can be ranked and compared with a traditional grey engineering (zero) alternative for each specific situation. The AST output will support designers, developers, engineers and urban stakeholders in their efforts to make cities climate-proof in a sustainable way, meanwhile creating a range of co-benefits and different jobs for Blue-Green city professionals.

Description of work

The stepwise AST development will include active involvement of end-users from BGD countries.

1. Selection of stakeholders and key players from the BGD cases and definition of tasks of development, testing and full scale implementation of the tools.

2. Definition of AST Terms of Reference, based on WP1 outputs.

3. Performance evaluation criteria (based on WP2) will be identified; tools to quantify these criteria will be made available. The criteria are meant to evaluate individual blue-green solutions as well as the integrated approaches that are proposed for a specific project area.  . Evaluation criteria are transformed into a transparant Performance Evaluation System (PES)

4. A MapTable (kind of giant iPad) is a tool especially equipped for collaborative design processes. Here, it will be fed with existing software applications (GIS supported) for blue and green design solutions and the evaluation of different urban design options, creating a basic version of the AST tool.  Firstly the Map Table will be implemented and tested by BGD project business partners (Arcadis, Aecom and Ingenieurgesellschaft Prof. Dr. Sieker mbH) and feedback provided.

5. Participating SMEs (Bosch Slabber and Stuudio Exter) will produce apps that enhance the applicability of the basic AST for specific end-users or purposes. Example: apps that facilitate visualization of BG solutions in city design or apps that would assist in evaluating the design with quantified performance evaluation criteria.

6. The whole set-up will firstly be tested in full scale test beds with Sainsbury full scale cases and then practice by designers and engineers form Arcadis, Aecom and Ingenieurgesellschaft Prof. Dr. Sieker mbH)  in at least two BGD cases; results will be used to improve the AST and the underlying models and apps.

7. Based on testing and practical experience the AST (and underlying parts) will be converted into a marketable tool for designers and engineers in EU and beyond. A business case will be formulated and the participating and one or more starting companies will be invited to bring the product to market.

8. Also, procedures are formulated for standardized testing (technique and effectiveness).of blue and green (BG) infrastructure, in order to quantify and specify each of performance indicators which will serve as a basis for independent certification.

9. An organizational infrastructure will set up to do the BG infrastructure testing, creating opportunities for business development in the certification process of BG development.

10. Test Certificates are issued by certifying organizations  including selected participants in the BGD project.

The AST is to be developed with support from the whole BGD team (step 1); Deltares and Alterra will co-ordinate activities and guard progress. All participating parties (see Table 1, section 4.4) as well as representatives of the testing sites will participate in step 2 and 3, formulating specs of the AST and PES. A prototype of the AST is developed by In step 4 by Deltares, Alterra and Arcadis, so that other parties can contribute to this framework; the SME’s in our team are invited to contribute to step 5; and the representatives of our Permanent BGD testing, demonstration and training sites are leading the testing of the AST in two BGD cases (step 6). All project partners are again involved in Step 7, 8 and 9,,supported by TU Delft; will; our industrial and SME partners in the BGD team are in particular invited to take action in step 9 and, eventually, step 10.

Deliverables

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