An urban resilience test Oasis model and the “Pocket Sm-Art Urban Forest”

ERSA 60th Congress 2021 Territorial Futures Visions and Scenarios for a Resilient Europe Climate Changes and Nature Based Solutions: the Oases model and the “Pocket Sm-Art Urban Forest” Prof. arch. Fabiola Fratini, DICEA – Sapienza The ecological challenge and the "Oases model" The contemporary urban model based on consumption of fossil energy, land and greenery and on the massive use of private transport is highly unsustainable. As a result, environmental degradation, congestion, economic and social exclusion are common urban features. According to the UN Global Report on Human Settlements (2011), the worldwide cities are responsible for up to 70% of harmful greenhouse gases while occupying just 2% of its land. "Despite its importance in promoting sustainable urban development, public spaces has not be given the attention it deserves in the global policy arena". The Resolution 23/4 on Sustainable Urban Development through Access to Public Spaces "addresses UN-Habitat Member States the issue of public space and how this can contribute to sustainable urban development and improved quality of life". The Charter of Public Space delivered by Un-Habitat defines public realm as a "key element of individual and social well-being that contributes to a sustainable development of the cities" (UN-Habitat latest report on "The State of the World's Cities 2012-2013"). Urban Agenda should take into account the role of urban public spaces for environmental regulation (drainage, microclimate), for the reduction of urban environmental risks and for the protection and development of ecologically valuable areas (river banks, biodiversity) . Cities need more than ever to be sustainable and should offer the kind of quality and opportunity that make city life a positive experience. And Europe calls for green, pedestrian-and cyclist friendly, carbon neutral and smart cities. Therefore the Oases model experiments an innovative and nature-based regeneration focused on marginality-challenged neighbourhoods with typical problems such as missing green infrastructures and poor urban quality. In this regard the references of the proposal are: the Leibzig Charter On Sustainable European Cities (2007); the UN-Habitat State of the World Cities 2012-2013; UN-Habitat "Global Public Space Toolkit" (2015); Habitat III New Urban Agenda (2016). For UN-Habitat cities are facing economic, social, urban and environmental challenges and, therefore, have to reconsider the existing model of urban redevelopment introducing an approach that re-shapes urban space creating a city at human scale where biodiversity can thrive. Un-Habitat believes that public spaces can be the means to regenerate the cities, improve the quality of citizens and enhance sustainability. In accordance with what has been said, the general objective of Oases model is to develop co-designed nature-based public spaces through the citizens' and stakeholders' involvement. More specifically Oasis develops a green regeneration within an innovative participated process aimed at converting unattractive places into inclusive, multifunctional, sustainable and green spaces for people. To maximize the delivering of eco-systems service, and therefore enhance city resilience and citizen’s health and well-being, the regenerated open spaces will be implemented and connected within a green infrastructure project: the Green Oases Network. “Walking trees”, temporary forests, green walls and roofs, pocket parks, edible gardening, tree boxes, gardening bags, parklets are among the prototypes of nature-based solutions to take into account. In accordance with what has been said the paper illustrates the creation of the “Pocket Sm-Art Forest” as the first step of the realisation of the Green Oases Network designed in the San Lorenzo district in Rome. Green Oases Network in San Lorenzo and the “Pocket Sm-Art Forest” The district of San Lorenzo (Rome) is chosen as a test area to experiment Green Oases Network (GON) due to some specificities: housing density, and public space decay in addition to a reserve of potentially strategic abandoned spaces. Moreover the district’s background has a tradition in the field of culture, art, associations, and valuable historical and archaeological heritage. San Lorenzo offers an optimal mix of conditions to imagine a sustainable regeneration project. The (GON) scenario fits into this specific framework: a participatory project with the aim of improving the greenery and increasing the welfare of the inhabitants. The “Sm-Art Pocket Forest” located in the Dogana di San Lorenzo is the first and principal node of the GON designed with the participation of the university students along with inhabitants, associations and stakeholders. The idea that emerges from the co-disegned process is a forestry prototype able to become a Manifesto to support green initiatives in the neighboorhood to be realised in the Dogana area in short term. Therefore the project takes the form of a “Pocket Forest” made of potted trees. In order to increase the awarness concerning the ecosystems services delivered by Nature in the city, the functions released by the “Pocket Forest” are diffused thanks to the data collected by a network of sensors. Therefore the Pocket Forest becomes smart and to enhance its attractiveness the data are transformed in an artistic light performance projected on the surface of the trees. Green urge, smartness, art are intertwined in the “Pocket Sm-Art Forest” prototype exhibited at the 2017 Rome Public Space Biennial. The meeting helps the prototype to become reality facilitating the convergence of interests between the Sapienza research group, the local asssociations and the stakeholders: Municipio II and the Ex-Dogana structure. The latter becomes the sponsor of the project. Two months later, July the 24th, the day of its inauguration the "Pocket Sm-art Forest” has attracted hundreds of intrigued guests by the oxymoron "Bosco alla Dogana" and has awakened important media attention. The “Pocket Sm-Art Forest” of San Lorenzo is an “installation of one hundred potted trees” located on the quay of the Dogana area, placed one meter above the ground. The trees belong to different species and are already adults, for a height that can even exceed three meters. Their presence imposes itself on the disused landscape of the former railway yard area and they become a pole of attraction. If a "philological" approach would have suggested trees from the Mediterranean species, the idea is to collect a mix of tree to create an “unhortodox botanical garden”, and make it more attractive. Furthermore, scientific research can take advantage of the presence of many species to test their resistance in “extreme” urban conditions. The first trees come from the Presidential Reserve of Castel Porziano: eighteen plants including holm oaks, crenates, cork oaks and laurels. This first contribution is particularly significant and symbolic because it demonstrates how much the actions in favor of nature are shared at the highest institutional levels. The rest of the forest is financed by the Ex-Dogana structure. Following the inauguration the Sapienza University started the sensor project, aimed at measuring and representing the ecosystem functions performed by trees. Low-cost mobile sensors were placed under the trees in order to demonstrate how the tree shadow can increase the microclimate comfort and people enjoyment of the nearby space. Part of this information was designed to be transformed by an algorithm and projected onto the trees through an art-light performance with the purpose of making "visible" the virtuous activity of the plants. At the same time, scientific dissemination included activities aimed at weaving relationships and developing a sense of belonging between citizens and trees. In this way the duty of research is also to build bonds between plants and inhabitants, especially children. And the first event promoted for this purpose coincides with the "Tree Festival", on November the 21st, 2017, involving over 150 schoolchildren in the experiments around the theme of nature. Conclusion The goal of the research is to offer interpretative keys and to transmit innovative experiences that can help to make our living spaces more sustainable, desirable and shared. The “Pocket Sm-Art Forest” has awakened the attention of citizens, children and adults, to the issues of the environment and liveability through their involvement in a “cultural and scientific live performance” of nature. The experimentation demonstrates that there is a need of real actions that condenses a perspective of change and shows how any form of nature, even the most artificial, is always capable of producing enchantment and empathy. However temporary actions should be framed in long term strategies, therefore the environmental challenges, social urgencies and everyday practices will continue to question us about our governance models our visions, about how to deal with complexity through adaptive and interactive strategies (Folke et al., 2005).