LILa green infrastructure sensor network - wall placement

To investigate the performance of the green walls, we are using two types of sensors connected to solar powered ZL6 dataloggers. These are soil moisture and temperature sensors, and air temperature and humidity sensors. 

The first is the Teros 54 which measures soil moisture and temperature at 15, 30, 45, and 60 cm depths. This is placed along the walls of each of the 4 locations at the BMC building, including the control area which does not have a green wall. 

The second is the ATMOS 14 - which measures the temperature, humidity, and air pressure, also at each of the four locations. 

Given that the building has only 1 floor, it is estimated the sensor cables of 5 meter length can suffice to reach the top of the wall and thereby be connected to the sensors on the green roof, each per location. The image below shows the locations of the green wall sensors in blue.

 

Examples of green infrastructure: Utrecht

I had the chance to visit around the central train station of Utrecht to examine what types of green infrastructure are developed. Much of the inner city does give a natureless appearance. Then again, it is not in favor of a tree itself to be placed in such an environment.

The train station platforms are actually outfitted with solar panels. Utrecht has an ambitious green policy, and even has a list of protected species. This includes 10 mushrooms, 3 fish, 6 bees, many plants, and 5 birds among which the blackbird. The three main policy goals are to have more green around the city, to reach the outside quicker by means of green connected zones, and to have better green in the city, though it is not clear what qualifies as better. 

  

There are several areas where minor adjustments have made a difference. These include patches of green or trees in walkways, that simultaneously help promote the traffic flow of people passing each other. Other examples are hedges and green walls in parking lots, and mobile green walls around cafes.

 

Where more space is available, larger adjustments have been implemented, including parks, wadis, and of course the entire restoration of the canal which had been made into a 12 lane road and is now far thinner. A nice touch is that the canal is made to appear to continue to run through the shopping center.

 

 

Book published on solutions for urban green spaces

Finally the book in which Joanne and I have a chapter is now physically published. You can find the order details here and read not just our chapter but also other solutions for urban green spaces:

FINAL BOOK TITLE & ISBN: "Urban Green Spaces – Insights Into Different Solutions to Increase Urban Resilience," 978-0-85014-085-9, visit the book page for details here: http://www.intechopen.com/books/urban-green-spaces-insights-into-different-solutions-to-increase-urban-resilience

The permanent web address of the chapter “The impacts of urban green infrastructure on water and energy resources: Lessons from and the need for integrated studies ” is: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/88723