Sustainable Cities: Communities for Climate Change Action project introduces innovative solutions to combat adverse climate change impacts
A joint action to combat climate challenges – The Co-Adapt project transforms Warsaw’s residential areas into green oases. Local communities’ efforts to adapt to climate change become a reality through the innovative ideas of residents and SGGW experts.
Researchers representing the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, the University of Warsaw, the Warsaw University of Technology and the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning of the Polish Academy of Sciences started cooperation with the Warsaw City Hall in 2022 as part of the project.
The testing phase of the ‘Osiedle z Klimatem’ game in six different Warsaw residential areas has been completed. The sites were selected in cooperation with representatives of the Warsaw City Council. Nearly 80 participants attended twelve workshops involving residents, experts from Warsaw institutions of higher education, members of the local community, local leaders, and community workers. The educational game proved to be an effective tool for consulting different generations of residents, listening to their needs and discussing with experts what measures are implementable. The workshops, meetings with residents and community walks aimed at developing pro-adaptation solutions would enable the estates and residents to adapt to a changing climate and extreme phenomena (drought, high summer temperatures, tropical nights or stormy rainfall).
Urban heat islands
During the meetings, residents of the Kłobucka Street residential area pointed out the problem of hot summers and the overheating of walls and concrete surfaces. During game testing, they suggested extra pots with taller plants (because planting large trees is impossible because of the underground garages) or platforms with plants and a canopy above the entry to the Local Urban Activity Centre (MAL). The fences and walls of the surrounding buildings would be covered with climbing plants, creating an additional biologically active surface. All to improve the microclimate of the area.
Planting of trees and bushes
On the other hand, residents of the Twarda residential area at ul. Miedziana and ul. Twarda decided to create special areas where autumn leaves may be littered. The residents of Sadyba Południowa estate chose similar solutions; located among Sobieskiego, Capri, Kartaginy, Śródziemnomorska and Iberyjska streets. The idea is to help the existing trees, which find themselves in an increasingly difficult situation, suffering from drought and disease, and thus unable to provide us with valuable benefits, i.e., ‘ecosystem services’. At the same time, they want to solve the problem of the ‘disposal’ of leaves that were raked up in the autumn and cover exposed tree roots. They stressed the importance of education, and some plaques informing people about these solutions and what they are for will be provided. Residents of Sadyba Południowa also pointed out the problem of greenery next to car parks, where water stagnates during heavy rainfall. These places call for some form of on-site rainwater retention and greenery. Pots are also needed to grow vegetables and some individual fruit trees (e.g. apple trees).
People living on ul. Gandi, at the Stary Mokotow estate, proposed planting shrubs in the green areas. “There is a lack of them here”, they say. Two large trees will also be planted to replace the removed trees. They also proposed to remove the concrete square and separate the car parks with hedges. They also dream of at least one rain garden.
Residents of the Michalowska residential area, Praga district, located among Lochowska, Grajewska, Siedlecka and Michalowska streets, have proposed additional greenery planting, climbing plants separating rubbish bins and rain barrels. Currently, during summer days, some residents carry watering cans to their own homes and water the greenery with tap water. Yet it is possible to do things more simply and differently and use rainwater on site. As far as the city centre is concerned, as much as 90 per cent of rainwater goes into the sewer system, while only 10 per cent infiltrates the soil and is available for tree roots. Planting of urban fruit species, valuable for wild pollinators, is expected to be an interesting feature.
A budget of between pln 30,000 and pln 40,000 per individual residential area has been set to implement selected solutions, such as planting greenery, rainwater retention devices and introducing community gardens. They will be implemented by April 2024.
The Co-Adapt Co-Adapt project: ‘Communities for Climate Change Action’ benefits from funding provided by the EEA and Norway Grants. The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR) is the project operator. The project partners are represented by scientists from leading Warsaw universities and scientific institutions: SGGW (Department of Landscape Architecture), Warsaw University in cooperation with Warsaw University of Technology and the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, PAN.
Dr hab. Agata Cieszewska Katedra Architektury Krajobrazu, Instytut Inżynierii Środowiska SGGW
Dr Kasper Jakubowski Katedra Architektury Krajobrazu, Instytut Inżynierii Środowiska SGGW
