The four aims of the research project are theoretical (1st and 4th aims) and empirical (2nd and 3rd aims). The 1st aim is to originally framing a Nature Based Solutions (NBs)based urban management in a new insightful light. We investigate the role of NBSs in enabling urban resilience according to the last level of resilience: the transformative one. The 2nd aim is to empirically analyze the NBSs and the related urban transformations with regards to a significant set of Italian cases study. The research on field concerns the towns of Latina, Lucca, Macerata and Mantua. The 3rd aim deals with the other empirical part of the project: the biomonitoring. The proposal is to study the ecological resilience by originally introducing the biomonitoring science into the NBs concept. Two managerial tools we recently introduced the Overlap Index - OBI and the Monitoring Breakdown Structure (MBS) will be tested. The 4th aim deals with Covid-19 questions that will not go away. It tries to enlightening urban and socio-spatial implications of COVID-19 measures: the actual normal will be the new normal? Answering to this question aims to originate insights for areas where future research will be critically needed. 1. We here apply an integrated approach among the different fields of research aiming to identify viable solutions towards a sustainable development of urban context consistent with Agenda 2030-SDG 11 "sustainable cities and communities". 2. The other innovative aspect is the on field research by studying the of NBSs in four Italian cities that are involved in NBSs-based projects. Bridging these two innovative aspects will lead to propose an urban model based on "4P and 1T", i.e. a model involving Preparation, Prevention, Protection, Promotion and Transformation policies for enhancing the transformative resilience in urban contexts. This novel integrated approach will allow to identify updated lines of possible transformative resilience-based solutions towards the SDGs.
The research project is characterized by relevant and innovative aspects indicated below.
1. The main aspect of innovation of the project is the proposal of an integrated approach among different fields of research, i.e., urban management, NBSs, transformative resilience, Biomonitoring science in order to identify viable solutions towards a sustainable development of urban context consistent with Agenda 2030-SDG 11 "sustainable cities and communities".
2. The second innovative aspect is the on field research studying the application of NBSs in four Italian cities (Latina, Lucca, Macerata and Mantua): all the four cities are involved in relevant NBSs-based projects and are acquiring new knowledge that could be helpful to share at academic and practical level. Moreover, bridging these two first innovative aspects (point 1 and 2) will lead to propose an urban model based on "4P and 1T", i.e. a model involving Preparation, Prevention, Protection, Promotion and Transformation policies for
enhancing the transformative resilience in urban contexts. This novel integrated approach will allow to identify updated lines of possible transformative resilience-based solutions towards the SDGs. In fact, when disturbances are not manageable anymore, the need to implement bigger changes rises: in this extreme case a crucial capability is to be able to "bounce forward" (instead of "bouncing back") (transformative resilience). Among the emerging solutions to
promote a resilient urban context, not only in terms of bouncing back, instead also of bouncing forward - there are the Nature Based Solutions (NBSs).
3. The integration of biomonitoring science (see 3.3) Methodological section) as an empirical support to the NBSs is a novel aspect that can give relevant information connecting resilience and the ecological quality of the applied NBSs. Accumulative bioindicators can store contaminants in their tissues and are used for the integrated measurement of the concentration of such contaminants (elements) in the environment. Bioaccumulation is the result of equilibrium process of biota compound intake/discharge from and into the surrounding environment and it relates to ecological resilience.
This part of the project requires the involvement of different laboratories with high costs (materials for laboratory experiments, intercalibration studies). Of relevance will be the conclusion of a long-time study we conducted about the effects of the volcanic eruption by lichens bioindication, started in North Patagonia in June 2011. Moreover, we'll study other key ecosystems such as Lazio province by using bees and other products (see methodological section).
The biological monitoring approach simplifies the chemical analysis providing a measurement over time of the level of environmental pollution and consent to develop studies at a global, regional and local scale. Lichens and bees, being very good bioaccumulators, reflect complex synergistic effects of airborne elements (i.e. contaminants) as a sum of parameters and provide low-cost information on the nature of relative spatial and temporal deposition patterns of contaminants.
For these reasons¿ lichens and other organisms (bees, pollen, etc.) are the most excellent biomonitors of air pollution.
In the last years, and in cooperation with the University of Buenos Aires (Director: Prof. Mabel B. Tudino) we are conducting studies dealing with the baseline trace metal levels in organisms and seawaters in different geographical areas. The aim of these researches is to establish useful baseline reference levels
(i.e. establishing ecological resilience) for making comparisons with other reference sites in the world.
Relative intercomparison studies among laboratories will be conducted in order to test the quality of the employed analytical methods (GFAAS, FAAS, ICP-MS, NAA). We also strongly implemented chemometric tools in order to manage analytical data. (Johnson's statistics, Univariate and multivariate analysis such us cluster analysis (CA), discriminant analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), etc. We have produced several publications in this field in the last years (see please the list of publications). The elements' lichen analyses are conducted by using the experimental nuclear power plant (R3) at Ezeiza Atomic Centre, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 4. The fourth element of innovation relates to the implications of the Covid-19 on the urban management linked with the transformative resilience in which the information is scarce. Future scenarios will be studied evidencing some negative aspects. We here intend to propose, after a profound analysis, the future questions and the present answers. Lessons learned, best (and bad) practices, a prediction model, uncertainty and complexity will be presented and fully debated.