Biohabitats’ Post

Marais Wiels (Wiels Swamp), chronology of a #construction project 🏗️ gone wrong ... and the birth of a natural area 🪿🐜🐞 in Brussels. The Wiels swamp is a clear signal (and a warning) for the importance of an in-depth knowledge of the geology and #hydrogeology in large construction projects 🏢. In 1881 the Wielemans Breweries 🍻 set up on a marshy land in the commune of Forest, on the outskirts of Brussels. The #water from the underground aquifer was used to make beer. Over a century later, in 1988, de-industrialisation of the city lead to the closure of the breweries. In 2001 the abandoned site was bought by a construction company with the goal to develop an office building. Due to the geology of Brussels (sand, silt, gravel) stabilizing pillars that reach till deeper more stable geological layers need to be installed for high rise buildings. Unfortunately, during preparatory work in 2007, two core drills penetrated the more stable clay layer and hit a water table located underneath ⛲. The water pressure filled the excavation site and pumping the water to the sewer failed: a lake was created 🌊. The building project was abandoned soon after due to the high financial costs related to this accident. Once the lake was formed, various species typically seen in marches started to frequent the area and the 'urban nature' site was appreciated by the local residents. This led to the strong opposition to a new proposal in 2016 by the same construction company to build luxury homes in the area. In 2020 the Brussels region bought back the swamp area with the aim of opening up green area, using the water body as a storm basin to prevent flooding, and building eighty homes on half of the Marais. This again led to strong opposition by the residents. The area is a beloved site in the commune of Forest with dedicated residents, activists, and organizations like Les fé-e-s du Marais Wiels fighting for its conservation. More info on the Marais Wiels citizen conservation group (https://lnkd.in/ex3tcWGM). More info on the planned urban development project (https://lnkd.in/eYAJZM_8)

Check out this short video about the Arboredo project, co-executed by Forest Trends' Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative, COOBIO, Akarui and other local partners, with support from Arbor Day. The project supports and involves local communities in the restoration of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, one of the most biodiverse yet most threatened tropical forests in the world. 🌱

🌳🌳🌳🌳🇨🇱 The issue of non-native tree plantations in southern Chile makes for an interesting case study. That 'I' in #ILM: #Integration. Here at LFF, we discuss processes and methods to create deliberate spaces for interaction and discussion among competing claims on the landscape. What are the implications when homogenization and degradation of landscapes has resulted in decline in the well-being of local communities? This paper, recommended by Khalil Walji, emphasizes the need to deepen our understanding of creating and offering an integrated approach to landscape management to establish multi-functional landscapes. 👀 Significant effort is required to build a common vision before these spaces can be realized. Have a read: https://lnkd.in/dZnd2wK3

2024 has been a year of great growth for our Latinx professional network, el Merequetengue. We have a website (https://lnkd.in/g7xjTyVW); we have an active Instagram page (https://lnkd.in/gjGn-6aX); we are launching a quarterly newsletter; we’ve been meeting monthly to advance goals of equity, inclusion, and building knowledge around our homelands in Latin America. And this is not all! We are planning our 3rd celebration of Latin American Landscape Architects at the ASLA Conference in Washington DC. As you can see, we have so many things to celebrate with our community! Our theme for this year is Stories of Adaptation, and --coincidentally-- came across this quote. Felt so right. “Embrace Change / Anticipate + Adapt We know trees, plants and other living things grow. But the entire world is changing, sometimes dramatically, before our eyes. Oceans and rivers rise and fall, and occasionally flood. Weather intensifies and ebbs. Cliffs erode while beaches are built and rebuilt. These are constant, open cycles; conditions do not simply repeat. These open cycles, and the landscapes caught up in them, evolve and adapt. Odum’s Energy Diagram: Energy and Matter Flows through and Ecosystem expresses the open-ended nature of ecosystem dynamics, with inputs and outputs that connect a particular ecosystem to external forces-forces that could shape and be shaped by internal forces and mechanisms. Models like Odum’s partly inform complex adaptive systems ecology, which explicitly acknowledges that environmental health is best measured by an organism’s or an ecosystem’s ability not merely to survive or even resist change in the environment, but especially to adapt to it.” Chris Reed What's your story of adaptation? Sunday October 6th 5-7PM Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjPJDez2

Ken Yeang talks about the power of natural systems, the growth of ecological design, and hear about many of the stunning and verdant projects Ken has had a hand in over the course of his illustrious career. https://lnkd.in/grPZYerH

🌊 Sustainable Coastal Protection for Lower Saxony 🌊 Sea levels are rising faster and faster, changing coastal landscapes around the world. This development also poses enormous challenges for the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony: How can the coast adapt to climate change in a sustainable, responsible and careful way? And how can the use and protection of natural resources be reconciled in the best possible way? 🌍 Led by the Leichtweiß-Institut für Wasserbau (Prof. Dr. Nils René Goseberg) the project "Wissenschaftsraum CoastAdapt" aims to address climate change and develop sustainable coastal protection solutions. TU Braunschweig, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg and local authorities are collaborating to establish an internationally visible coastal competence center. 🎓 A new Master's programme in "Sustainable Coastal Engineering and Science" is being prepared to train interdisciplinary experts to tackle coastal challenges. Supported by the VolkswagenStiftung and the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, this project is paving the way for a secure and sustainable coastal future! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gsZ9eghZ 📸 Oliver Lojek/TU Braunschweig Forschungszentrum Küste Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung Nationalparkverwaltung Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer #FutureCity #CoastalEngineering #OceanEngineering #CoastalProtection #Sustainability #ClimateChange #CoastAdapt #Engineering #LowerSaxony

[We ACT for the planet 🌍] Creek revitalization in the Šumava Mountains 🏞 COLAS CZ carries out mainly road construction activities, but this Colas subsidiary in the Czech Republic also boasts a number of contracts related to watercourses. Recently, teams revitalized a section of the Černý potok (Black Creek) in the Šumava Mountains. The builders removed an unsuitable concrete channel, restored the original meanders and built three new pools. As part of the restoration process, some vegetation was removed and 100 new trees were planted. The revitalization has attracted not only locals and tourists, but also experts. Colas CZ won an award from the State Land Office for the project. For the past several years, Colas has been involved in ecological engineering projects. These sites, which focus on the maintenance or restoration of natural environments, involve shifting or altering the direction of streams, planting vegetation and creating habitats for animals. Objectives range from reducing flood risk to preserving biodiversity and fighting against invasive species. Ecological engineering projects require both the know-how of Colas teams and the perspective of pertinent actors. In addition to relying on and training internal specialists, the Group calls upon the expertise offered by design offices, ecologists, watershed technicians and professional associations. For Colas teams, these projects may be out of the ordinary, but their worth and impact are undeniable. 💪 Check out photos of the revitalized section of the Černý potok below 👇 📸František Zvoneček, Tereza Zikmundová #ColasCares #ColasDares #WeOpenTheWay

Technical Meeting / Water Management in Historic Gardens On the 13th and 14th of May a technical meeting on water management will take place at the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso in Segovia, Spain Patrimonio Nacional The growing concern about climate change and the search for efficient solutions for the care of natural heritage is an issue shared by all ARRE partners. Organizing a technical conference on water management in historic gardens presents itself as an opportunity to share reflections and experiences on the subject. The venue for the meeting is motivated by two circumstances: on the one hand, the launch of the restoration project of one of the most emblematic fountains of the gardens of La Granja and the enhancement of the original hydraulic system of the 18th century and, on the other hand, the celebration, in 2024, of the third anniversary of the completion of the construction of the gardens. Sharing experiences with other ARRE members will be essential for the establishment of common good practices. Therefore, we invite all members of the Network to participate. ❗ Reminder: this program is reserved for professionals working in a member institution of the Network of European Royal Residences. Anyone eligible who is interested in joining, please get in touch with your designated contact person. #heritage #historical #gardens #patrimoine #networking #development #sustainability #heritageconservation #heritagetourism #sustainabilitygoals

Today, we've released a new plan for Holyrood Park, which will guide the Park's development over the next decade, focusing on climate action, biodiversity protection, and visitor wellbeing. We understand that traffic management and access to the Radical Road are two of the issues people are most concerned about when it comes to the Park. These complex issues are being dealt with separately. We're working closely with Edinburgh Council on the Movement Strategy for the Park, as we know any proposals to amend vehicle access will have impacts felt beyond the Park. Regarding rock risk, specialist geotechnical engineers have completed a reassessment of risk and made recommendations around measures to mitigate rockfall. We're now acting on this information and, all going well, we should be able to improve access to some areas of the Radical Road from spring 2025. Find out more and download the Strategic Plan for Holyrood Park here: https://ow.ly/63tT50Tf9GE

#Europan #E17 Winner in El Prat de llobregat (ES) -- The Joy of the Vegetable Garden -- by AS: Carles Esquerra (ES), Gabriel Casals (ES) – architects "Our proposal focuses on the vulnerability of the Llobregat delta based on the analyses of 3 risks of climate change (sea level rise, rainfall floodings and heat island effect), also repairing the several deficiencies as for ecology, connectivity and site specificity. This approach will create new synergies between social and ecological patterns restoring the link between city and territory." #europan17 #livingcities2 #architecturecompetition #urbanplanning #urbanism #landscape #competition #architecturaldrawings #archilovers #axonometrics #elpratdellobregat #españa