The potential of using small scale greenery to improve urban resilience and attractiveness

Despite the well-documented benefits of urban greenery, cities continue to struggle to meet their greening targets. Urban greening efforts often focus on trees, which require significant space both above and below ground. However, the intense competition for limited urban space presents a major challenge. To take a more realistic approach to achieving greenery goals, trees must be complemented by small-scale green solutions such as green roofs, green walls, and plant beds. In our research, we collaborate with the city of Malmö, Sweden, to identify to identify plantable spots and practically feasible green solutions in areas that typically lack vegetation. We compare the potential for increasing greenery using trees alone versus a combination of trees and small-scale greenery. Additionally, we assess possibilities for further greening if current regulatory constraints are updated favourably. Furthermore, we conduct an in-depth evaluation of the developed greenery scenarios to quantify their impact on various ecosystem services, with a particular focus on enhancing thermal comfort, improving air quality, and shaping residents’ perceptions of the urban spaces. Our overarching goal is to identify which types of greenery are suitable in different types of environments, address relevant conflicts and synergies, and fill knowledge gaps to present a holistic analysis of the multifunctionality of each solution. Here, we present the designed scenarios, explore the potential of small-scale greening strategies to enhance urban greenery, and present preliminary quantification of how these solutions can improve the resilience and attractiveness of our cities.