CONTRIBUTION OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TO

ENHANCE URBAN RESILIENCE

ARUNIMA RANE
A70059019015
BATCH: 2019-21

SCHOOL OF CONSTRUCTION/ SCHOOL OF REAL ESTATE AND

URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE

RICS SCHOOL OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT,

AMITY UNIVERSITY MUMBAI

Dec 2020
CONTRIBUTION OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TO
ENHANCE URBAN RESILIENCE

By

ARUNIMA RANE

A70059019015

Batch: 2019-21

School of Construction

Submitted

In fulfilment of the requirement of the degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

to the

RICS SCHOOL OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT,

AMITY UNIVERSITY MUMBAI

DEC 2020
 DECLARATION BY THE STUDENT

I declare that this project report titled “Contribution of Green Infrastructure To

Enhance Urban Resilience” is my own work and has not been submitted in any
form for another degree or diploma at any university or other institutions of tertiary
education. Information derived from the published work of others has been
acknowledged in the text and a list of references is given. I am fully aware of the
University’s policy on plagiarism, and that the penalty for submission of plagiarized
report could be a ‘fail’ in Technical Project / Dissertation. I have submitted a copy of
this full report in electronic form to my supervisor.

Signature: - Date: - 02-12-

2020
Name: - Arunima Rane
Enrolment Number: - A70059019015
___________________________________________________________________

CERTIFICATE BY THE SUPERVISOR

The partial project report / dissertation titled Contribution of Green Infrastructure

to Enhance Urban Resilience is the bonafide work of Ms. Arunima Rane, carried
out under my supervision. I certify that the work presented in the project report /
dissertation is carried out by her, and that he / she has achieved the set objectives of
the project / dissertation. Information derived from the published work of others has
been acknowledged in the text and a list of references is given at the end of the
report. I have personally checked this final report for originality / plagiarism through
the Turnitin website and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, satisfied that the
report is free from plagiarism.

Signature: - Date: - 02-12-2020

Name:- Arunima Rane

i
Countersigned by Project Coordinator Countersigned by HoD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am using this opportunity to express my gratitude to my faculties and parents for

providing me this opportunity to execute this project report / dissertation titled
Contribution of Green Infrastructure to Enhance Urban Resilience, as it helped
me a lot to accomplish its culmination, which carried out at the RICS School of Built
Environment ,Amity University, Mumbai.

I am thankful for their aspiring guidance, invaluably constructive criticism and friendly
advice during the internship. I am sincerely grateful to them for sharing their truthful
and illuminating views on several issues related to this assignment. I express my
warm gratitude to my Capstone guide Mr. Shekhar Nagargoje for their guidance
throughout the completion of the tasks and for procuring us with suggestions and
sharing appropriate and clear information about the submission and deadlines, which
played an essential for the completion of this research project.

ii
 ABSTRACT

Amid the challenges presented by climate change and rising urbanization processes,
the idea of ecological resilience is evolving. The dynamic and unpredictable
ecological resilience of urban sprawl is linked to the socio-ecosystem since it
requires the interaction of social psychological, physical, structural, infrastructure,
natural, environmental and other resilient structures to build up and influence each
other on the resilient growth of the community.

Urban green spaces and facilities offer economic social and environmental benefits
such as climate change mitigation and the impact of heat islands, pollutant reduction
and absorption, the protection of natural resources and landscapes, the
enhancement of the attractiveness and beauty of urban landscapes, the connection
between nature and sense of place, the improvement of quality of life, etc. Green
infrastructures and spaces provide advantages that overcome several barriers in
order to become economically sustainable for properly understood and quantified
urban beneficiaries. Well-functioning and balanced community services in the
environment contribute to the city's resilience. It is important to ensure that urban
ecosystem services are robust and contribute to the growth of urban sustainability at
the same time. To do this, resilient urban natural spaces need to be built in order to
increase quantity, quality and diversity and to increase the usage of natural spaces
and urban green infrastructure.

In combination with built infrastructure, urban natural and green areas and green
infrastructure are cost-effective in providing environmental benefits such as
enhancing air quality, mitigating soil degradation, compensating for the impact of
urban heat islands, helping to maintain water quality, providing physical and mental
benefits, etc.

Key Words: Green Infrastructure; GI Planning and Strategies; Sustainability;

Sustainable Development; Urban; Urban Development;

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION BY THE STUDENT................................................................................................i

CERTIFICATE BY THE SUPERVISOR...........................................................................................i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT....................................................................................................................ii
ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................................iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS....................................................................................................................iv
LIST OF FIGURES.............................................................................................................................v
ABBREVIATIONS..............................................................................................................................v
1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................1
1. GENERAL.................................................................................................................1
1.1. Green Infrastructure - a green or grey concept?...................................................1
1.2. What is Urban Resilience..........................................................................................4
2. NEED FOR THE STUDY.........................................................................................5
2.1. Research Benefits to Urban Life..............................................................................5
3. OBJECTIVE..............................................................................................................5
4. SCOPE OF WORK...................................................................................................6
5. LITERATURE REVIEW.............................................................................................................7
5.1. GENERAL.................................................................................................................7
5.2. LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................7
5.2.1. Urban green infrastructure as a tool for controlling the resilience of urban
sprawl.....................................................................................................................................7
5.2.2. Green Infrastructure: concepts and planning........................................................8
5.2.3. Green Infrastructure: Smart Conservation for the 21st Century........................8
5.2.4. Spatial planning for multifunctional green infrastructure: Growing resilience
in Detroit................................................................................................................................9
5.2.5. Green infrastructure: planning for sustainable and resilient urban
environment........................................................................................................................10
6. METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................................11
6.1. GENERAL...............................................................................................................11
6.2. METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................11
7. FUTURE SCOPE......................................................................................................................13
7.1. RESEARCH SCHEDULE......................................................................................13
7.2. CONCLUSIONS......................................................................................................14

iv
REFERENCES..................................................................................................................................15

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Types of Green Infrastructure..................................................................................................2

Figure 2 Benefits of Green Infrastructure..............................................................................................3
Figure 3 Working Diagram of Benefits of GI Planning............................................................................3
Figure 4 Benefits of Green Infrastructure Practices...............................................................................4
Figure 5 Effect of urbanization on natural water resources..................................................................5

v
 ABBREVIATIONS

RICS : Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

SBE : School of Built Environment

CPM : Construction Project Management

AMRUT: Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation

CBO: Community-based organization

CGWB: Central Ground Water Board

CPCB: Central Pollution Control Board

CPHEEO: Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization

CRZ: Coastal regulation zone

CWC: Central Water Commission

DPR: Detailed project report

GI: Green infrastructure

MoEF&CC: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change

MoHUA: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affair

TCPO: Town and Country Planning Organisation

ULB: Urban local body

URDPFI: Urban and regional development plan formulation and implementation

WSUDP: Waster sensitive urban design and planning

vi
 CHAPTER 1

1INTRODUCTION
1. GENERAL

1.1. Green Infrastructure - a green or grey concept?

"Green" infrastructure is originally defined in and around cities with parks, forests,
wetlands, greenbelts, or floods that provide enhanced quality of life or "ecosystem
services" such as water filtration and flood control. Green infrastructure is now more
frequently connected to environmental or sustainability priorities that cities are
seeking to accomplish through a combination of natural approaches.

It is an essential component of living that gives people and places in both urban and
rural landscapes significant benefits.

The term “Green Infrastructure” defines the network of natural landscape assets
that underpin our cities and towns' economic, socio-cultural and environmental
functionality, i.e. green spaces and water systems that converge, link and provide
essential life support within our urban areas for humans and other organisms.

These philosophies are the core ideas in the GI literature that concentrate on the
premise that green infrastructure can and does encourage landscape functionality;
concepts of connectivity between people, places and services, accessibility to the
landscape and the provision of a variety of advantages within an integrated approach
to urban landscape growth.

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1.1.1. Types of Green Infrastructure

Green Forms Green Spaces Green Corridors

Figure 1 Types of Green Infrastructure

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1.1.2. Benefits of Green Infrastructure

Figure 2 Benefits of Green Infrastructure

The below diagram shows a clear perspective GI Planning benefits into various
aspects of environment:

Figure 3 Working Diagram of Benefits of GI Planning

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1.1.3. Green Infrastructure Practices

Figure 4 Benefits of Green Infrastructure Practices

1.2. What is Urban Resilience

Urban resilience is the “ability to survive, adapt, and grow within a city of individuals,
communities, institutions, businesses, and systems, regardless of what kinds of
chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience."

• With 70 percent of the world's population likely to live in cities by 2050, and
with climate change making the distribution of weather and natural resources
more uncertain, building resilience is essential to the protection of life and
property in our increasingly densely populated urban environments.
• The effects of climate change are affecting urban infrastructure in cities
through multiple internal and external hazards (e.g. environmental, social,
technical and economic hazards), so improving the resilience of systems,
institutions and communities is a priority.

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2. NEED FOR THE STUDY

Figure 5 Effect of urbanization on natural water resources

• In an array of physical, economic, social, political and cultural resources, cities

are an important habitat. A big concern is the question of the environmental
issues facing cities.
• Unrestrained urbanization and climate change. Problems such as biodiversity
and natural habitat destruction, air pollution that exceeds safe limits, and
urban flooding are faced by the urban population.
• Traditional challenges such as fast population growth, growing demand for
housing space, the need for infrastructure support (especially transport and
sanitation).

2.1. Research Benefits to Urban Life

• Innovative green infrastructure construction, which not only ensures

sustainability but also includes benefits for the environment and well-being, is
the response to these challenges, such as exponential urban growth.
• To bring about an efficient and productive transition to a sustainable urban
type that further increases urban resilience to various social, economic and
environmental stressors.
• Also, compared to grey infrastructure, to offer cost-saving benefits.

3. OBJECTIVE

• The main aim is to assist professionals involved in public infrastructure and to

make different choices to help them contribute to a safer and healthier
environment.

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4. SCOPE OF WORK

• This study aims to change the approach to resilience in implementation for

vital infrastructure sectors in the Resilience Shift initiative.
• Identifying the effect on three dimensions of sustainable, socio-economic and
environmental growth
• To find out the main challenges of GI planning and how to address the
challenges that are found in the urban context.

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 CHAPTER 2

5. LITERATURE REVIEW

5.1. GENERAL

The Green Infrastructure (GI) philosophy and implementation is increasingly

becoming the world's conservation and planning agenda at various levels of national
growth. The current challenges facing our cities and towns are a holistic approach to
building sustainable urban growth by resolving current urbanization, demographic
pressures and urban GI resource problems.

• The main objective of this literature review is therefore to examine the current
experience of GI planning and development activities worldwide. There are
numerous reports and articles addressing GI's planning and growth strategy
at various levels.
• Study papers are also carried out to classify the current state of GI information
through a systematic quantitative literature review of peer-reviewed
publications.
• Reviewing numerous research papers will also help to analyses various GI
planning strategies and development processes at micro and macro scales
that can be used as baseline knowledge for different urban planners in the
future.

5.2. LITERATURE REVIEW

5.2.1. Urban green infrastructure as a tool for controlling the resilience of

urban sprawl[ CITATION Jos20 \l 1033 ].
Author - José G. Vargas-Hernández & Justyna Zdunek-Wielgołaska
Published on 31st January 2020

Abstract:
• The aim of this paper was to analyses existing relationships and control
functions on the resilience of urban sprawl among urban green infrastructures.
• The analysis begins to question whether after achieving urban support
through urban green infrastructure, urban sprawl can be controlled by
sustainable growth.
• Resilience is a useful concept for understanding and managing urban
settlements as dynamic, complex and adaptive systems, resilience is the
ability of social, economic and environmental systems to cope with dangerous
events, trends and disruptions, and to respond and reorganize to maintain
their essential role, identity and structure while maintaining the capacity for
adaptation, learning and rehabilitation.
• Urban settlements should be encouraged to use green development methods
to fix urban green and open public space programmed management to
minimize greenhouse gas emissions, absorption of stormwater, water

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 pollution control, transformation of empty lots, impermeable roofs and streets
into urban green spaces and biodiversity ecosystems.

Conclusion:
• The study indicates that by addressing a wider range of ecosystem disorders
and disasters, a holistic approach is needed to construct urban resilience
based on green infrastructure.

5.2.2. Green Infrastructure: concepts and planning[ CITATION Ian08 \l 1033 ].

Author - Ian C. Mell from Newcastle University
Published in 2008

Abstract:
• Since it was first discussed in the late 1990s, green infrastructure planning
has risen in popularity. The number of various advantages of green
infrastructure in different urban and urban fringe environments has been
discussed as enabling planners to build multifunctional, creative and
sustainable places.
• The goal of this paper was to explore many different areas of research that
have attributed importance to the ideas underpinning the planning of green
infrastructure. Green infrastructure will be addressed as a multi-faceted
planning approach to continuously evolving landscapes, using the themes of
urban regeneration and health and climate change.
• Presently green infrastructure research can be divided into two categories:
conceptual research and functional implementation.
• Climate change, community renewal and better construction are only three
areas that have been proposed that green infrastructure plans will enable
better ways to work and live and can be used by developers to meet their
growth goals.

Conclusion:
• Finally, this paper finishes by proposing that a more mainstream profile can
be established with more funding and growth for green infrastructure planning
and a set of requirements can be developed to include planning strategies for
health, climate change, regeneration or environmental sustainability.

5.2.3. Green Infrastructure: Smart Conservation for the 21st

Century[ CITATION Mar02 \l 1033 ]
Author - Mark A. Benedict and Edward T. McMahon
Published in 2002

Abstract:
• Green infrastructure is an integrated green space network that protects the
principles and functions of the natural environment and provides human
communities with associated benefits.

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 • Planning using green infrastructure differs from traditional open space
planning because in concert with land creation, growth management and built
infrastructure planning, it aims at environmental values.
• This paper describes green infrastructure as a conceptual solution to the
protection of land that addresses the ecological and social impacts of sprawl
and increased open land use and fragmentation.
• The definition and importance of green infrastructure are identified and seven
principles for effective green infrastructure initiatives are discussed.

Conclusion:
• Each state and local government has a proposal for long-range transport.
Detailed proposals for upgrading their airports, sewage treatment plants,
telecommunications facilities and other public amenities are also accessible to
growing communities. Much like these cities need to update and expand their
grey infrastructure, their green infrastructure requires plans to upgrade and
expand.
• It is also more cost-effective to invest in green infrastructure than to build
traditional public works projects.

5.2.4. Spatial planning for multifunctional green infrastructure: Growing

resilience in Detroit
Author - Sara Meerow and Joshua P. Newell
Published in March 2017

Abstract:
• Cities are expanding green infrastructure to boost sustainability and services
for the environment.
• For its multifunctionality, green infrastructure is promoted, projects are usually
located based on a single benefit, such as stormwater mitigation, rather than
a suite of socio-economic and environmental benefits.
• Detroit's green infrastructure is not being put in place to optimize ecosystem
services. Detroit is designing and implementing a Green Infrastructure Spatial
Planning (GISP) model.
• In order to optimize ecosystem services, the model offers an integrated,
stakeholder-driven approach.

Conclusion:
• A GIS-based multi-criteria solution that incorporates six advantages: 1)
stormwater management; 2) social vulnerability; 3) open space; 4) air quality;
5) urban heat island improvement; and 6) landscape connectivity. The Green
Infrastructure Spatial Planning (GISP) model
• More generally, it represents an approach to urban planning to determine
conflicting and complementary ecosystem service goals for a landscape.

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5.2.5. Green infrastructure: planning for sustainable and resilient urban
environment
Author- Shikha Ranjha, DLGS-IOER-TU Dresden, Germany
Published in 2016

Abstract:
• For an array of physical, economic, social, political and cultural resources,
cities are a significant habitat. Climate change is inextricably linked to the
urbanization process, where conventional issues such as rapid population
growth, growing demand for housing space, the need for infrastructure
support
• Innovative green infrastructure construction is a response to these challenges,
such as unprecedented urban growth.
• GI varies from other landscape planning methods because it addresses
ecological and social principles in tandem with other changes in land use.
• The issue mentioned in the paper is that rising levels of urbanization build a
network of obstacles in an urban context that leads to a patchwork of land
uses and isolated open space areas. Natural habitats are therefore spread
across the landscape and replaced by new changes in land use.

Conclusion:
• Green infrastructure planning here refers to policies and planning activities
affecting urban GI through land use and management processes and the
creation of natural areas and components.
• Urban sustainability can be accomplished by managing change or
transformation that guides growth where sustainable development acts as a
strategic instrument that brings together a variety of stakeholders and
interests in the planning and development process.

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 6. METHODOLOGY

6.1. GENERAL
Due to the contemporary nature of green infrastructure study, a variety of analytical
approaches had to be used in the key areas of investigation in this research in order
to establish a strong evidence base for each of them. A crucial role in evaluating the
core principles of GI planning would be the Literature Review.

6.2. METHODOLOGY
To achieve the outlined key of the Research:

6.2.1. Documentary Analysis

• Various sorts of publications, including research papers, journals, case
studies, online books on green infrastructure and sustainable development,
will be referenced.
• To evaluate the use of green infrastructure, its focus, its delivery or
development focus, and the process outlined to enhance the resource base of
green infrastructure, a range of documents will be reviewed.
• The study of different Indian City research work and case studies that have
already implemented GI planning demonstrates that GI solutions can be
planned based on generic and GI potential urban area analysis.

6.2.2. A Multi-Method Approach

• The data collected and analyzed for this research paper endorsed the use of
a complementary multi-method approach using a variety of approaches based
on a variety of sources for strategy, practice and participants. A multi-method
approach offered this study many options for data collection.
• Each of the three techniques (interviews, documentary analysis, and a visual
preference survey) used in this research to collect data are described in the
following three parts.
• To explain its emphasis and the analysis process, each approach will be
analyzed in order to demonstrate how data collected from each one supports
our understanding of green infrastructure and its growth.

6.2.3. Interview Methodology

• The analysis of industry interviews leads people to address existing situations
and possible plans for green infrastructure.
• The interview technique of GI practitioners is the most effective approach to
data collection compared to questionnaires or focus group discussions, as it
will enable a range of respondents to be questioned using a number of
grounded principles and concepts based on the latest findings and
assumptions in research into green infrastructure.
• In this review, the emphasis of each interview explored four primary areas.
These areas were (a) the discussion of concepts of green infrastructure; (b)
its development; (c) it uses and (d) the future of processes.

6.2.4. Questionnaire and Survey Findings

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 • Identification of the challenges and targets of direct dependency on urban life
affecting the environment through questionnaire surveys.

6.2.5. Visual Preference Survey

• The main purpose of this approach was to provide a body of knowledge for
this research, to examine the attitudes and to consider the various user
groups and individuals in relation to green spaces or green infrastructure.
• This preferential survey has been used to illustrate the possible physical,
psychological and social factors that can influence landscape policy or
creation with a deeper understanding of how perceptions are shaped, and the
influences respondents identify in their evaluations of landscape images.
• The aim of this process was to understand how our view of the landscape is
shaped by the physical elements of the landscape and the psychological and
social influences individuals impose on them.

6.2.6. Conclusions, Results and Analysis

• The results will analyses data and view it through visual representations;
graphs, pie-charts, images.

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 7. FUTURE SCOPE

7.1. RESEARCH SCHEDULE

In the following chapters, the issues will be discussed in greater depth to explore the
breadth of literature and research being developed with a green infrastructure focus.

The following strategies illustrates the research schedule of how green infrastructure
can enhance sustainable communities and build resilient cities. It approaches and
help achieve a wide range of goals which are:
• Preserving and Restoring Open Space, Natural Beauty, and Critical
Environmental Areas.
• Designing Sustainable Parks, Community Gardens, and Other Public Green
Spaces.
• To Direct Development Toward Existing Communities.
• Creating Compact, Mixed-Use Development.
• Building Neighborhood Streets and Trails That Encourage Walking and
Biking.
• Cultivating Communities with a Strong Sense of Place.
• Encouraging Community and Stakeholder Collaboration in Development
Decisions.
• Promoting Green Building Practices.

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7.2. CONCLUSIONS

• Green infrastructure, as opposed to grey infrastructure provides other

advantages, including improving the quality of air and water, improving the
quality of life and creating resources for public education.
• Green infrastructure uses natural processes to enhance water quality and
water quantity management by restoring the urban landscape's hydrological
role, controlling stormwater at its source and in many cases, reducing the
need for additional grey infrastructure.
• GI is a successfully validated instrument for natural solutions to provide
ecological, economic and social benefits. It allows us to recognise the
importance to human society of the benefits that nature offers and to mobilise
investments to preserve and improve them.
• The Green Infrastructure land-use strategy is also more cost-effective, more
resilient and more capable of meeting the 21st century's social, environmental
and economic demands.
• Urban green spaces are a significant contributor to both environmental
sustainability and human well-being, which is why GI offers a new idea that is
emerging as a 'smart tool for natural protection and urban planning.

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REFERENCES

Baro, J. P. a. M. E. Z. d., 6 June 2019. Green Infrastructure in the Urban Environment: A Systematic
Quantitative Review, Australia: School of Design and the Build Environment, Curtin University, Perth.

Environment, C. f. S. a., 2017. Green Infrastructure: A Practitioner’s Guide, New Delhi: Centre for
Science and Environment.

José G. Vargas-Hernández, J. Z.-W., 2020. Urban green infrastructure as a tool for controlling the
resilience of urban sprawl, s.l.: Business.

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