C/O City - Green structures as active components in the urban environment

C/O City was a research and development project based on the challenges related to climate change and the deterioration of ecosystems due to urbanisation. The project was intended to develop knowledge about how Stockholm Royal Seaport’s green structures could support and develop ecosystems and biodiversity and maintain valuable ecosystem services.

Ecosystem services are a collective term for the benefits people receive from nature, such as water purification, oxygen, shade, reduced flood risk, improved acoustic environments, and flowering vegetation. By working to create an urban environment where people take care of nature, nature can take care of people and improve the quality of life for future generations of residents.

Purpose and goal

The C/O City project set out to:

• Develop and disseminate tools and methods to integrate ecosystem services in planning and construction.
• Highlight economic and ecological benefits of ecosystem services in cities.

Results and experiences

Measurements of moisture on green roofs in Stora Sjöfallet (NCC) in Stockholm Royal Seaport showed that such roofs do not negatively affect the underlying structure of buildings or contribute to mould growth.

Calculations of the benefits of sedum roofs at Hjorthagshallen (Real Estate Administration) in Stockholm Royal Seaport showed that sedum roofs reduce stormwater flow by 40 per cent. In addition, these roofs contribute positively to the sound environment, absorbing sound to reduce noise by 2dBA. Green roofs reflect light, which means that in the event of a heat wave these roofs reduce temperatures by five degrees Celsius.

Results from Stockholm Royal Seaport demonstrate the importance of including ecosystem perspectives and applying the (GSI) early in processes to influence planning and establish common goals. GSI also facilitates the communication of the importance of these issues.

The project developed methods and tools such as a Green Space Index for public spaces and a guide for incorporating ecosystem services in planning processes. The project resulted in putting the issue on the agenda for the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning.

Following the completion of the project, several of the actors involved in it formed an association to manage and further develop knowledge in the field of urban ecosystem services nationally and internationally. The ambition is to increase knowledge about urban ecosystem services among all parties in the public construction sector.

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