Framtidens urbana planteringar. En undersökning av östra Europas stäpp som förebild för planteringar i hårdgjorda urbana miljöer

Abstract

With the steady rise of urban population and the effects of climate change the demands on urban vegetation are increasing. The urban vegetation needs to deliver important eco-system services such as stormwater management and enhancement of biological diversity at the same time as it has to look attractive to the public. Plantings for paved sites such as roundabouts, town squares and strips along roads and paths are considered as more and more important parts of the combined green city infrastructure. As a result of such factors as the urban heat island-effect and stormwater runoff the growing conditions for these sites are tough and require a highly site adapted planting tolerant of multiple stresses. As of today, plantings for these sites are often high in maintenance because of short term solutions with humus-rich soils and poorly fitted plants. Plantings that are more sustainable and adapted to the site are needed. The purpose of this thesis has been to investigate how the steppe of Eastern Europe could be used as a template for plantings in paved urban sites. Through a literature review as well as interviews with three professionals working with steppe-plantings in urban contexts the possibilities and challenges of urban steppe plantings have been investigated. The environmental conditions of both paved urban sites and the Eastern European steppe have been studied through the literature review while practical knowledge on planning and management was obtained through the interviews. The literature review has shown that the steppe of Eastern Europe shares environmental similarities with the inner-city environment of northern Europe and that its vegetation is potentially well suited for paved urban landscapes. This thesis has also shown that sustainable as well as attractive urban steppe plantings can be achieved by an ecologically-based approach along with adaptions to the local climate through well drained and nutrient-poor soil, adapted maintenance and a well-informed choice of plants.