Expected impacts

Problems include threat of air pollution, heat island effect, flooding, heavy traffic and loss of natural areas. Solutions proposed include the following:

1. Re-naturing urbanization: green route, arboreal interventions, and resting areas & carbon capture
2. Water interventions: SUDs, flood actions, and green pavements
3. Singular GI solutions: biochar, pollinators, vertical GI, horizontal GI, and urban farming
4. Non-technical interventions: educational activities, engagement, city coaching, and support activity

Thus, with these solutions, the following impacts will be expected:

1. Renaturing urbanization
   1. Green route: By installing a new urban green cycle route within the new green route, an estimated number of 700000 citizens will be able to visit the green corridor including riverside restoration towards the Natural Life Park. 500000 more citizens are expected to benefit from this intervention using the BISIM public bike rental system.
   2. Arboreal interventions: It is expected to reduce the CO₂ level to 46 tons of CO₂ equivalent per year and reduce the influenced area’s ambient temperature by 3 to 5°C during summer.
   3. Resting areas: It is expected to provide shadow area in selected locations.
   4. Carbon capture and storage: It is expected to capture CO2 and to sequester an estimated amount of 36 tons of CO₂ equivalent per year. It is also expected to increase biodiversity to the region.
2. Water interventions
   1. Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDs): It is expected to capture 165 tons of water per year.
   2. Flood actions: It is expected to prevent flash floods and to increase water retention capacity. Moreover, the concrete walls of the riverbank will be replaced by eco-friendly permeable materials. These are expected to add 300000 new urban dwellers per year.
   3. Green pavements: They are expected to reduce the ambient temperature by 2 to 4°during summer.
3. Singular Green Infrastructures
   1. Biochar implementations: It is expected to reduce 1.05 tons of CO₂ equivalent and 0.4 tons of NO₂ equivalent level per year. Furthermore, it is expected to reduce the heat island effect by 1.5°C.
   2. Pollinators: They are expected to enhance the biodiversity within the area and are to be used for educational purposes. Pollinator activity is expected to increase by 45% thus, increasing the number of native plant communities.
   3. Vertical Green Infrastructure: They are expected to serve as a security against heavy rain falls and hence reduce the risk of flooding.
   4. Horizontal Green Infrastructure: A green covering shelter to be installed in the selected car parking areas is expected to provide water for plants, shade for citizens, and capture CO₂. Moreover, pavements with a high albedo (solar reflectance) will be installed within the said parking area and are expected to reduce heat absorption and retention. The singular GIs(such as the covered shelter and shady structures) are expected to enhance the green cover by 75% and to reduce the ambient temperature by 2 to 4°C, and to reduce the organic gas evaporative emissions and NOx emissions by 2% and by less than 1% respectively. On the other hand, the pavements are expected to reduce by the heat of the surface by 10°C. An estimated number of 230000 people will benefit from the green shelter and the rest of the GI implementations.
   5. Urban farming: The expected impact includes producing 7.5 tons of water per year due to the water-resistant plants to be placed in the greenhouses.
4. Non-technical interventions
   1. Educational activity: Different GIs are expected to improve the well-being of around 90000 citizens as well as their sensory qualities. Furthermore, an educational path to be installed in the Bio-boulevard are expected to attract over 150000 citizens and educate them on urban biodiversity, climate change, etc. In addition, a special educative and communication program will be taught as an open-air “laboratory of the future” to demonstrate the consequences of climate change. 840000 people are expected to visit the “Laboratory of the Future”. Lastly, a strong producer presence will be administered via producer stalls, women cooperatives, and aid from the local government. An estimated number of 420000 urban dwellers will be visiting these market stalls.
   2. Engagement: Knowledge transfer, supporting farmers’ welfare, encouraging women cooperatives, and organizing bio-blitz events at Izmir, are expected to allow a direct engagement between the citizens with the respective numbers: 50000 for the portal, 300000 for municipality-enabled urban farming, 85000 for the women cooperatives, and 100000 for the bio-blitz and open platform.
   3. City coaching:  Awareness activities and mobile applications are expected to reach 500000 recipients with regards to ecological reasoning and intelligence
   4. Support activities: A new platform that facilitates monitoring of NBS solutions in the city and provides citizen support, as well as a city mentoring strategy will be made to allow an estimated number of 60000 recipients to engage in the project.