The Importance of Bridging Disciplines
In recent decades, different research domains have focused on the use of green resources to address liveability, sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban areas. The concepts of urban forests, ecosystem services (ESs), green infrastructures and nature-based solutions (NBSs) have gained popularity and evolved, aligning with the understanding that natural elements play a crucial role in addressing societal challenges.
The theoretical framework of this work is influenced by contemporary philosophy, political ecology and ecofeminist theories. It assumes the end of the old dichotomy between nature and society, considering a complex collective of human and non-human entities, “other-than-human critters” and “more-than-human” geographies. This aligns with the “one-health” holistic approach, which encourages the interdependence, coexistence, and evolution of living beings and their environment.
To effectively implement NBS, it is recommended to adopt a learning-by-doing approach based on collaborative efforts across different disciplines and social practices. This implies that scientists may need to take on new roles, including developing frameworks and methods that facilitate cooperation and co-creation across diverse sectors, disciplines, and social practices. Recent articles have explored the incorporation of co-creation and participatory processes, along with the infusion of social and cultural activities, into the framework of NBS design to enhance their overall effectiveness. However, these processes have not yet explored the potential integration of contemporary art practices.
The use of artistic language can foster a more emotional interpretation of NBS, leading to the development of fresh perspectives in people’s minds and an enhanced connection with other species and non-human entities. Integrating art and science can contribute to shifting from an anthropocentric to an ecocentric perspective, which is crucial to curb the anthropic extractivist approach that causes most environmental challenges.
This manuscript aims to contribute to the multidisciplinary research between environmental sciences, art, and social sciences, exploring the “Aula Verde” concept as a means to convey the scientific message of NBS and promote the processes of environmental co-creation and education.
The Aula Verde Concept
Aula Verde, or “tree room” in English, is an innovative NBS that combines ecology and ecosystem services with public health, social, and artistic visions. It represents a particular way of designing green infrastructures that includes artistic, social, and ecological behaviors.
Aula Verde is made up of concentric circles of trees, with plant species selected according to the specific ecological conditions and criticalities of the site. A circular space is left in the middle of the Aula Verde, becoming a common space accessible to all. The design is inspired by the pattern created by the vegetative propagation of poplars under natural conditions, where the parent tree produces root suckers following a radial scheme.
The first Aula Verde, named “Aula Verde Aniene”, was realized within the Flumen Project and designed by Andreco Studio. It was created on April 17th, 2021, in the Aniene Nature Reserve in Rome (41° 55′ 54″ N, 12° 32′ 51″ E), following a long participatory process that involved scientific researchers, activists, and citizens of all ages through workshops, performances, and debates.
The Aula Verde Aniene represents a pilot study; based on the same scheme, other similar projects of Aula Verde have been realized in Italy, following a site-specific design, depending on the environmental, climatic, and social contexts.
Ecosystem Services Assessment
Regulating ecosystem services were assessed through participatory data collection on the trees that comprise Aula Verde Aniene. Survey questionnaires and interviews were used to monitor cultural ecosystem services, highlighting people’s preferences and perceptions.
The i-Tree Eco software, version 6, was used to assess a set of regulating ES related to the presence of the trees composing the Aula Verde Aniene. This model uses tree measurements together with weather and pollution as input data to estimate ecosystem services and structural characteristics of the urban forest.
Based on the properties of each tree species and the morphological characteristics recorded for each specimen, i-Tree equations estimated the whole tree dry weight biomass and carbon storage. The forecast function of the i-Tree model was used to estimate the evolution of the accounted ecosystem services over the next 50 years.
The i-Tree model calculated avoided runoff based on rainfall interception as the difference between annual runoff with and without vegetation, considering the precipitation intercepted by leaf/bark area and the amount of water that evaporates and transpires from trees.
Pollution removal has been calculated for ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter less than 2.5 μm, the most impactful fraction in relation to human health. It has been estimated that Aula Verde trees remove 53.21 g of these pollutants the first year, reaching 11,000 g after 50 years.
Community Engagement and Impact
Throughout the activities performed during the Flumen project, citizens participated with enthusiasm. People attending workshops and debates were informed about scientific and artistic aspects, specifically about NBSs and the interconnections between the environment and human health. Art played a crucial role in the process of building common awareness of green topics.
People were also actively involved in monitoring and planting. The participating planting in April 2021 represented the most engaging moment, where citizens had the opportunity to touch the plants, the soil, and the tools, experiencing the pleasure and satisfaction of realizing a work of art in relationship with nature.
Based on the information collected during the participative planting, we found that the participants, gender-balanced, were unaware of most of the benefits associated with the presence of trees, especially among the younger generations. Maintenance has been the most critical aspect of the Aula Verde Aniene project, during which 8 trees out of 20 were replaced following drought and grazing events.
The Aula Verde, CAP, and Flumen projects have been presented through art magazines, newspapers, and Italian national television. Workshops and other in-person events had an attendance of approximately 30-40 persons each, for a total of almost 700 people involved. The engagement on social networks (Facebook and Instagram) was very active, with almost 300,000 interactions.
The survey proposed through Insieme per l’Aniene e La Torre contacts received 121 replies. The responses showed that the category most represented in the perceived benefits of Aula Verde was cultural ecosystem services, followed by regulating services. Mental health relief and aesthetic values were the most cited benefits among CES, while “clean air” and “cool shade” were the most recognized regulating ES.
Beyond Numerical Descriptions
The ESs assessed through the i-Tree model and social investigations represent just the tip of the iceberg in the complex interactions between plants and humans. Such complexity is hardly describable only in numerical terms, and to communicate to citizens all the processes and dynamics involved in this interaction would be even more difficult.
Experiencing direct contact with trees, such as inside the Aula Verde, can probably communicate this concept more effectively than any other means. Humans have enjoyed green spaces for ages because of the quiet atmosphere, beautiful scenery, mild climate, pleasant aromas, and fresh, clean air. Researchers in Japan have proposed the concept of “shinrin-yoku”, or “forest bathing”, which encourages people to immerse themselves in the forest atmosphere and connect with nature through their senses.
Forest bathing/shinrin-yoku has been demonstrated to boost immune function, reduce blood pressure and heart rate, and reduce stress hormones and mental stress, suggesting that urban forests provide potential preventive effects on lifestyle-related diseases. It is crucial to recover the contact between citizens and trees, educating urban communities about human-plant interactions and introducing them to the one-health concept.
Conclusion and Policy Recommendations
The Aula Verde is an innovation in the field of urban forestry because it combines ecology and ecosystem services with human health, social, and artistic visions. The dialogue among different fields of expertise is often hampered by the use of different visions and vocabulary, and the challenge is to communicate within a common project.
The realization of the first Aula Verde Aniene represents concrete experience, a living key study, to test and experience the transdisciplinarity and the interspecies design. This research confirms the statement of Aula Verde, which is at the same time an artwork (land art, more-than-human art piece, science-informed art piece, social sculpture), a NBS (realized with co-creation and active participation), a common place accessible to all, and a forest medicine with emotional well-being.
Policy recommendations can be drawn from this study. Firstly, a solid scientific foundation yields favorable outcomes when planning NBS and disseminating associated scientific concepts. Involving research centers and universities in NBS management can aid in facilitating the effective implementation of these strategies. Furthermore, NBS projects should be inspired by an artistic vision, responding to needs beyond functionality. To achieve this, NBS planning, management, and monitoring should involve architects, artists, and environmental scientists working together.
Finally, art can be considered a best practice to bring citizens closer to natural ecosystems and build environmental awareness. The practice of art stimulates curiosity and emotions and, in certain contests, can be more efficient in conveying scientific ideas than using words or numbers.