Scenarios

Reference scenario: Representing the current situation

Green scenario: Additional trees and parks are implemented within the city

Grey scenario: Trees and parks are largely removed from the city

Benefits

Heat mitigation: Nature-based solutions have the potential to reduce the urban heat island effect (UHI; additional heat stress in the city when compared to areas surrounding the city) by providing shade, increasing cooling through evapotranspiration, and modifying the thermal properties of the urban fabric (albedo effect). The map shows the average heat mitigation potential (0-1) per city under a specific scenario, as well as the average heat mitigation and corresponding cooling potential (in °C) during a typical hot day in summer across the 775 European cities. Select a city from the table below, and download a map showing the potential of nature-based solutions to reduce heat (i.e. heat mitigation per grid cell, average heat mitigation and cooling potential) within your city of interest under the three scenarios.

Carbon storage: Nature-based solutions have the potential to store carbon in living biomass, dead wood, litter and soil, which contributes to reducing atmospheric carbon concentrations and global warming. The map shows the average carbon storage (kton C/km2) per city, as well as the average carbon storage (kton C/km2) and total amount of carbon (Gton C) currently stored in European cities under a specific scenario. Select a city from the table below, and download a map showing the potential of nature-based solutions to store carbon (i.e. per grid cell, average and total ton carbon stored) within your city of interest under the three scenarios.