How can we identify factors which allow the creation of a large green belt to connect the current 4,180,241 m² of green areas and gardens, with the orchard and natural landscapes; all this with the Segura river as the backbone.
Challenge description
The Green Infrastructure is defined as an ecologically coherent and strategically planned network, composed of a set of natural and semi-natural areas, rural and urban green elements and spaces, and terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine areas, which together improve the state of conservation of ecosystems and their resilience, contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and benefit human populations by maintaining and improving the functions that generate ecosystem services.
One of the key attractions of green infrastructure is the multifunctional character it generates in the same spatial area. Unlike most 'gray' infrastructures, which tend to have a single objective, green infrastructure is multifunctional, which means that it can promote nature-based solutions that benefit everyone, offering benefits to a wide range of stakeholders, as well as society in general.
Green Infrastructure has been widely recognized as the city's fifth vital infrastructure, along with the water, energy, waste management, and transportation; needed to plan, build, and maintain healthy communities.
Specifically, the Green Infrastructure Strategy of the municipality of Murcia seeks to improve the connectivity of urban green areas with valuable landscapes (such as the Segura river, natural spaces and La Huerta) and with the districts of the municipality of Murcia. This connection will provide ecosystem and strategic services, resulting in economic, social and cultural benefits.
Challenge vision
Ideas should focus on:
- Connection between urban green areas and natural spaces
The main objective of this Climathon is to provide solutions to improve the connection between urban green areas and those located in the environment. Solutions to connect ecosystems and people are needed.
- Green infrastructure and improvement of the identity and image of the municipality of Murcia
The quality and state of the green infrastructure of a municipality is closely linked to its identity and image. However, this link is not always obvious. That is why in this line we seek solutions that allow us to create this link and that Murcia, through its green areas, becomes a reference for other municipalities.
- Conservation, improvement, restoration or creation of ecosystem services in green areas
Green areas provide us with ecosystem services (for example, accumulation of water, biodiversity reservoir, recreation areas, reduction of climatic risks, among others), many of which are seriously degraded. In this way, we look for solutions and ideas that allow to reverse the trend so that green areas can effectively provide us these services.
- Economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by green areas
Nowadays, any action is subject to an economic cost / benefit assessment. That is why solutions are necessary to be able to economically value the ecosystem services that green areas provide us.
