The cities of Lugano and Bolzano are collaborating on innovative strategies for the management of public green spaces through the Interreg VerdeVale project. One of the objectives is to identify the ecological value of trees, shrubs, flower meadows and green roofs and how they increase the quality of life. VerdeVale records and visualises data on these ecosystem services.
The collected data is the prerequisite for Bolzano and Lugano to be able to calculate the contribution that shrubs and hedges make to climate protection and clean air. The measurements made are concerned with photosynthesis: the more photosynthesis a bush does, the more CO2 it absorbs and thus the more it helps against climate change. In addition to their contribution to clean air and adaptation to climate change, each shrub also provides a habitat for birds, a food plant for insects and, of course, a value for the landscape. Therefore shrubs and hedges are very valuable for the climate and for the biodiversity and help to make a city more resilient.
The findings of Lugano and Bolzano can also be transferred to other municipalities with similar climatic conditions.
