OASI VERDI DALLE SCUOLE AL QUARTIERE. UN PROGETTO GREEN E COLLABORATIVO PER ACCRESCERE SOSTENIBILITA’ E CONVIVALITA’ A LIVELLO LOCALE

Abstract The OASIS project addresses the H2020 SC5-14-2019 call with the participation of the cities of Rome, Paris, Sarajevo, Moscow and a partnership with the University Paris 1 Sorbonne-Panthéon. OASIS intends to demonstrate a visionary, 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. Therefore the general objective of OASIS is to develop, implement and validate co-designed and co-managed nature-based public spaces through the citizens' and stakeholders' involvement. More specifically OASIS will develop a green and digital regeneration process involving schoolchildren and their families, and the community stakeholders in an innovative participated process aimed at converting sealed surfaces, unattractive and unsafe, into inclusive, multifunctional, sustainable and green spaces for people of all ages, cultures and gender. The designed process will start from the neighbourhood taking into account all the open spaces available including schoolyards (cfr. Sustainable schoolyards, Kosovo funded by Swedish Development cooperation and implemented by UN-Habitat support). OASIS proposes a "3R strategy" which means to Rescue, Reconquer and Regenerate "everyday spaces" in "ordinary neighbourhoods". International framework By 2030, the UN estimates, 70% of people will be in our global cities, the hubs of innovation and economy that today provide about 80% of global GDP (World Bank). In Europe, the proportion of urban inhabitants is even higher. Currently, nearly 75% of Europeans live in cities and urban areas, and by 2020 this is expected to rise to 80%. European cities face a number of environmental challenges which affect the everyday lives of millions of citizens and as the Paris summit (2015) highlighted, thus contributing to produce "unsustainability". 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) . Therefore, how cities develop, manage their impact on the environment, improve citizens' livability are core actions which in synergy with the mitigation of the increasing energy consumption, the preservation of vegetation, biodiversity and local ecosystems, contribute to have citizens more committed in creating more livable communities. 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. "Green" has become the symbol of a new urban approach and the cities adhering to the "green philosophy" are promoting useful "green actions". The "green concept", as demonstrated by the following examples, can be declined in policies (social, urban, economic), planning activities, actions that can be implemented at different scales. Copenhagen (European Green Capital 2014), the London Green Grid, the initiative to make Brussels greener, the Végétalisons Paris strategy as well as several European well-known neighbourhoods/districts such as Hammarby Sjöstad (Stockholm),Hafen City (Hamburg), Rieselfeld and Vauban (Freiburg) and Bo01 (Malmö), all share a common vision based on the following main pillars: -developing active citizenship and place-caring; -transforming neighbourhoods into sustainable environment; -developing open space green networks; -rethinking mobility by favoring walking and cycling; -improving citizens' health and well-being within an eco-systemic approach. These are the same key strategies adopted by the OASIS approach, by promoting green regeneration of urban spaces to increase biodiversity, urban quality, social interaction, citizen's health and well-being through innovative and nature based solutions (cfr. Incredible Edible Todmorden: a network of edible gardens scattered throughout the city created and mantained by citizens). Social innovation is also addressed by involving citizens in co-created and co-implemented activities (cfr. Paris platform "Végétalisons Paris"). Habitat III New Urban Agenda concepts are OASIS underpinning elements, by promoting the active participation of civil society, deploying green and innovative actions from the schools (cfr. "Mi-Coltivo-Orto a scuola" Milan; "Un vérger dans mon école" Paris) through the neighbourhoods and supporting the implementation of GI and nature based solutions in a participatory process in line with the Urban Agenda . Methodology The general objectives of the research are: enhance resilience and reduce the environmental footprint of the city; steer the regeneration process at neighbourhood level involving school children and families and a mix-stakeholder partnership; deliver sustainable, inclusive and high quality open spaces within a green infrastructure concept; support a creative face-to-face and digital participation within the regeneration process. The project is based on three levels: Municipality, Neighbourhood and School. The Municipality represents the framework, neighbourhoods and schools are where the strategies are put into action. The methodology adopted is divided in 4 steps. 1. Build the participatory process In order to maximize the local actors’ commitment, the OASIS strategy intends to involve school children and their families along with local stakeholders in information, communication, design, realisation, maintenance and security activities as volunteers to improve a “do-it-yourself culture” of the city (cfr. Berlin). In this regard Oasis plans to test new techniques and media as tools to involve the community and specific groups of users in the creation, design and management of public space (cfr. Aarhus Convention 2016; EU ‘eParticipation’ projects for citizen involvement in urban planning; Chance2Sustain.eu). New tools will be experimented to involve children and families in order to stimulate creative practices and making children part of the process (cfr. Sassari- San Donato project first prize at the 2013 Biennial of European Towns and Town Planners). To support the process OASIS proposes a multi-stakeholder partnership involving Sapienza University; CNR; renowned association involved in school garden activities as "Zappata Romana"; green and smart startup as "Boomforest"; Rome Municipality to assure the dissemination of the experimentations. 2. Implement an “Eco-diagnosis” The Eco-diagnosis is aimed at composing the image of the current state of the school and the neighbourhood and will be carried out by the research team with the participation of school children, families and associations. The Eco-diagnosis will be processed taking into account three levels: a.Municipality: Green Networks - GN (google earth and land use); Grey Network - GYN: sealed surfaces and heat islands (urban thermography and land use); Sustainability (Biotope Area Factor -cfr. Berlin Urban Plan). b.Neighborhood: GN: quality and appreciation (indicators, social media, interviews); GY: Everyday spaces map and Children daily paths network (indicators, social media, interviews); individual and social well-being (indicators - cfr.POMS2, CABE, UN-Habitat). Pollution will be measured through mobile control units and biodiversity through a citizen’s science application. c.School: ecological footprint (cfr. FEE World Days of Action website www.eco-schools.org/wda); sustainability within schoolyards (BAF). 3. Develop Green strategies and actions Oasis will take into account the Municipality Eco-diagnosis and propose at the local level the improvement of a Neighbourhood Green Plan (NGP). NGP intends to deliver nature-based solutions concerning “green network”, "everyday spaces" and “daily paths network” (the tree topics will be overlapped in the NGP implementation) aimed at reducing the negative impacts depicted in the "Eco-diagnosis" step. The NGP can be interpreted as a "green acupuncture" involving the neighbourhood ordinary places and therefore enhancing the citizen's everyday life. Open spaces and schoolyards will be reshaped as a mix of nature-based prototypes created and monitored in a learning-from-doing participatory process including schoolchildren, families and stakeholders. OASIS proposes the means of crowdfunding to deliver, step by step, the designed actions. 4. Monitoring and evaluation This step is designed to assess the quality of the process and its ability to raise the awareness on such a sustainable approach among actors involved (cfr. Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (2001/42/EC) (SEA) for public plans and programmes, Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (85/337/EC) (EIA) for public and private projects). The evaluation of Green Neighbourhood Plans and Actions is processed through measure their ability to act positively on the urban environment, to reduce climate impacts, to increase biodiversity, well-being and inclusion. The monitoring actions envisaged allow to follow the process and steps to detect problems, fix objectives and actions adapted to local contexts and stakeholders. Similarly, it will be possible to follow the evolution of the project and its capacity to produce new actions and be reproduced in other contexts. In line with all of the above, OASIS suggests some interesting innovations concerning planning tools, public spaces design, e-participation, monitoring and evaluation tools. OASIS proposes an innovative regeneration vision rooted in the cultural heritage which identifies the European cities. Therefore trees, gardens and squares have the task of increasing the quality and resilience of the dense city improving the current state and perception of micro-climatic and environmental citizens' well-being. Moreover, citizens need a network of quality spaces, safe and attractive, aimed at resuming the collective dimension of urban life. The vision proposed is the "city for people" outlined by Jan Gehl, implemented with the "landscape city" model described by Lucien Kroll. In line with all of the above, OASIS suggests some interesting innovations concerning planning tools, public spaces design, e-participation, monitoring and evaluation tools. 1. A " from school to neighborhood" green regeneration The school is linked to the neighbourhood and the school network can become a sort of "green relay" at the local level . Thus, OASIS integrates school and territory experimentation and design through "green actions" taking into account sustainability, quality and well-being. The school is the laboratory where the "green actions" are designed, tested, developed considering the concept of nature-based solutions. In this perspective, the school is able to participate in the improvement of the neighbourhood quality of life, the enhancement of nature within public realm, the reduction of environmental negative impacts, the development of a psychophysical environment leading to well-being, learning and building sociality. In this sense, Oasis represents an opportunity for the sustainable regeneration of the urban environment and the improvement of the well-being of citizens (children and adults) at school and in neighbourhoods. 2. Green and flexible planning tools The planning process is conceived as a work-in-progress process. The Neighbourhood Green Plan (NGP) is a tool in evolution according to surveys and monitoring out-puts, the participation process . Therefore, the nature and the contents of the plan are no more blueprints, as in traditional planning practice, but in-progress visions evolving in real-time . The NGP meets to the need to find out "room for nature" to regenerate the dense city, proposing the small scale and caring approach experimented by Renzo Piano for the redevelopment of the suburbs. Through NGP OASIS intends to spread green components and nature-based solutions within the public realm, including façades and roofs to deploy a "3D sustainable regeneration" within the dense city. Innovation reveals a general lack of focus in the issue of ordinary spaces therefore OASIS intends to develop the "3R strategy" starting from neighbourhoods, improving a step-by-step green acupuncture associated with a crowdfunding process. 3. A design-and-test process Green, accessibility and multi-functionality are the key components of the nature-based innovative reshaping programme conceived within a green infrastructure concept. Tree planting is the "resilience first aid tool" to reduce air pollution, heat island phenomena and enhance comfort and quality. Therefore OASIS will test innovative ways to accommodate trees in the city able to reduce the delivering time and urban constraints (cfr. San LorenzoTemporary Forest, Rome). To regenerate open spaces OASIS will create and test nature-based prototypes such as hydroponic farms, bio-edible gardens, mobile gardens, green façade structures and experiment plant species able to thrive within green roof and façades. Besides the Oasis Social Profile will stimulate the creative participation of the community to propose green action designed, created and maintained by local actors (cfr. "Végétalisons Paris" programme). The nature-based prototypes are inventoried and described as in Alexander's "Pattern Language" taxonomy, to define a digital nature-based solutions archive implemented by digital users. This innovative output will gather contributions from other cities and countries upgrading the OASIS results. 4. E-participation to support green actions In order to nurture an e-community the "Oasis Social Profile" will allow school children, families, neighbours, stakeholders to share goals, processes, data, actions, results and to contribute actively to the decision-making process through social networks tools. The "Oasis Social Profile" will be organized according to different themes: good practices information; toolbox for the implementation of the Oasis project (diagnostics, action plans, animation, ...); what's-going on (references); call for tenders for local green actions; reception of requests for local green actions; local green actions information (how-to-do; how-it's-going on); exchanges concerning time, skills and seeds; crowdfunding; evaluation and monitoring of the project. In order to develop e-participation OASIS will use a Citizens Science application aimed at valuing the biodiversity in public spaces.