1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Genova
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Il muro verticale verde dell'INPS
Short description of the intervention
The green wall was built as a pilot project in cooperation between the national government, the University of Genova and the Ecosystemic Research Group with the aim to assess urban air pollution. The wall is being monitored to understand which plant species are the most ideal for carbon sequestration in cities (2 and 3).
Address

Ciro Menotti 44
16121 Genova
Italy

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
NBS area
170.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Residential
Building
Website of the intervention
http://www.ecosystemics.eu/?page_id=906&lang=en
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2014
End date of the intervention
2014
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
The project aims at the "evaluation of the positive effects of vertical greening systems for the improvement of environmental condition and energy performances of building envelope" (2). The focus was on understanding which plant species have the most effective carbon sequestration impact on the vertical garden (1 and 2).
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Ultrafine dusts (PM10, PM2.5) collecting capacity by leaves, under the same conditions (height/location, pollution exposition, weather) (1)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Climate change mitigation
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Build resilience
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Climate change mitigation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Sequester and store carbon
Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling
Implementation activities
The project was a partnership between the University of Genova and INPS. The implementation of the wall took a short time and the research was conducted by the university between 2014 and 2017. The research by Perini et al. (1) investigated the performances of four selected plant species used for vertical greening systems, comparing the fine and ultrafine dusts (PM10, PM2.5) collecting capacity by leaves, under the same conditions (height/location, pollution exposition, weather). The publication is available since January of 2020 (1).
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green walls or facades
Type of Green Wall
Climbing façades
Vegetation Type
Flower beds
Other
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Carbon storage/sequestration
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Researchers/University
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Researchers, university
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
This project was a partnership between the University of Genova and INPS (national government) (1 and 2). The Ecosystemic research group coordinates the monitoring activities of the performances of the INPS green facade. The research, is funded by National Institute of Social Insurance (INPS Genoa).
Key actors - initiating organization
National government
Land owners
Other
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
National government
Researchers/university
Land owners
Other
Please specify other land owner
building owned by INPS-Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (Italian public retirement system) (3)
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Unknown
Please specify other landowner
building owned by INPS-Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (Italian public retirement system) (3)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Yes
Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"
European Union Air Quality Directive 2008/50/EC (1).
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
Decree 155/2010 implementing the European Union Air Quality Directive 2008/50/EC (1).
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Environmental regulation
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Please specify other vegetation type
Approx. 5000 plants originally from Liguria (3)
vertical garden (1 and 2).
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The research by Perini et al. (1) investigated the performances of four selected plant species used for vertical greening systems, comparing the fine and ultrafine dusts (PM10, PM2.5) collecting capacity by leaves, under the same conditions (height/location, pollution exposition, weather). The argue that "The collecting capacity (aerosols/PM) of vegetation depends on several factors as the plants’ density, type and configuration (Lin et al., 2016; Tong et al., 2016; Tonneijck and Blom-Zandstra, 2002). These factors affect both deposition – influenced by the Leaf Area Index (LAI, i.e., leaf area/ground area) or the Leaf Area Density (LAD, i.e., leaf area/plant unit volume) – and dispersion (related to porosity) of particles (Janhäll, 2015). A publication by the University of Genova on the carbon sequestration impact of the green façade is available since January after a 3 year-long study (1 and 2).
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Public national budget
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Risk reduction model
Green health model
Green education model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Social
Cultural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
This is the first green wall ever built in Italy (3).
Please specify social innovation
It was used for research purposes to understand which plant species are the most ideal for carbon sequestration in cities (2 and 3).
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is completely new without connections to previous initiative(s)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
In italy this is the very first case (3).
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Enhanced carbon sequestration
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Description of environmental benefits
The results of implementing the NBS were presented in study from 2017 written by Kate Perini and entitled "Quantification of fine dust deposition on different plant species in a vertical greening system". The study identified the following environmental benefits: the effects of vertical greening systems on particulate matter concentration depends on the specific characteristics of plant species. All the species analysed were evergreen, thus provide similar benefits in terms of air quality improvement during the different seasons (Sæbø et al., 2012). However, other parameters to consider for the plant species choice include health, adaptation capacity and foliage density. Starting from the results of the study presented, it will be possible to further investigate the ability of plant species in terms of collecting capacity, based on the plant’s shape and surface (Leaf Area Index and Leaf Area Density). This study demonstrated that the selection of specific plant species highly influences the performances of vertical greening systems affecting the PM resuspension in the air." (1).
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Health and wellbeing
Improved physical health
Education
Increased support for education and scientific research
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Description of social and cultural benefits
It was used for research purposes to understand which plant species are the most ideal for carbon sequestration in cities (2 and 3).

The results of implementing the NBS were presented in study from 2017 written by Kate Perini and entitled "Quantification of fine dust deposition on different plant species in a vertical greening system". The study identified the following environmental benefits: the effects of vertical greening systems on particulate matter concentration depends on the specific characteristics of plant species. All the species analysed were evergreen, thus provide similar benefits in terms of air quality improvement during the different seasons (Sæbø et al., 2012). However, other parameters to consider for the plant species choice include health, adaptation capacity and foliage density. Starting from the results of the study presented, it will be possible to further investigate the ability of plant species in terms of collecting capacity, based on the plant’s shape and surface (Leaf Area Index and Leaf Area Density). This study demonstrated that the selection of specific plant species highly influences the performances of vertical greening systems affecting the PM resuspension in the air." (1).

Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
the effects of vertical greening systems on particulate matter concentration; health, adaptation capacity and foliage density. (1)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Environmental quality
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Positive distribution of NBS benefits
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of September 10, 2020.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
Conduct a baseline survey before and after NBS implementation
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Measurements of biophysical aspects of the NBS (e.g. temperature, water flow)
Observation (including virtual surveillance methods)
Where can this data be accessed? Please include a link to a report or web-page.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312385087_Quantification_of_fine_dust_…
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
Yes
Link to monitoring/evaluation reports
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Enrica_Roccotiello2/publication/312385087_…
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Particulate matter analysis contained in the leaves (1).
Link to the output of assessments
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312385087_Quantification_of_fine_dust_…
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Other
Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Publication on the NBS
Project webpage
Article on the NBS
List of references
1. Perini, K. et al. (2017). Quantification of fine dust deposition on different plant species in a vertical greening system. Ecological Engineering 100 (2017) 268–276, Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312385087_Quantification_of_fine_dust_deposition_on_different_plant_species_in_a_vertical_greening_system (Accessed 2-9-2020)

2. Ecosystemics (no date), Project webpage, Available a http://www.ecosystemics.eu/?page_id=906&lang=en (Accessed 2-9-2020)

3. Repubblica (2014), Sestri Ponente, così il giardino si arrampica sul palazzo, Available at http://genova.repubblica.it/cronaca/2014/11/03/news/sestri_ponente_cos_il_giardino_si_arrampica_sul_palazzo-99665354/ (Accessed 2-9-2020)
Comments and notes
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/inps_green_facade.jpg
Public Images
View of the green wall
http://www.ecosystemics.eu/?page_id=906&lang=en