Smart urban green spaces
At a glance
- Project leader : Lukas Glauser, Martina Rechsteiner
- Project team : Reto Hagenbuch, Tal Hertig, Dr. Luzius Jean Petit Matile, Dr. Johann Junghardt, Dr. Alisa Rupenyan-Vasileva, Prof. Luciano Sarperi, Dr. Franziska Schranz, Prof. Thilo Stadelmann, Prof. Andreas Witzig, Christoph Zech
- Project status : ongoing
- Funding partner : Public sector (excl. federal government) (Stadtgrün Winterthur)
- Project partner : Stadt Winterthur / Stadtgrün Winterthur
- Contact person : Martina Rechsteiner
Description
The importance of urban green spaces is growing the longer they are used to mitigate the effects of global warming (including an increase in hot & dry summers, and more intense heavy rainfall): ground-covering vegetation delays the drying out of unsealed surfaces, increases evaporation, improves the cooling function and increases the retention of precipitation. The city is thus cooled and carbon dioxide is also bound. At the same time, the pressure on green spaces increases: with the warmer climate, the soil is less moist, more watering is required and the areas are used more intensively due to the increasing population. Climate-adapted planting and green spaces can improve the population's quality of life, reduce the risks of natural hazards (heavy rain, flooding), and contribute to preserving and promoting biodiversity.
This project aims to explore the potential of smart green space maintenance. The various vegetation areas, paved areas, and equipment elements are to be analyzed with the help of sensors, drone images, and other environmental data. The information obtained from this and possibly with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) will be used to optimize the maintenance of the various areas. Human resources, nutrient and water consumption are to be used according to the principle of “as much as necessary, as little as possible”.