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River corridors, acknowledged as "blue-green infrastructure," have gained increasing attention due to their potential benefits on individual quality of life and social well-being in urban areas. However, there remains a lack of a comprehensive synthesis of evidence through a systematic literature review on the usage and associated constraints of ur...
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... In contrast, the western part of the study area reveals low-resistance zones, corresponding to rural landscapes. It is important to remember that the river and its tributaries represent low-resistance environments that extend throughout the study area, so we can say that these areas are highly beneficial for patch connectivity and play a crucial role in enhancing the stability and sustainability of urban ecosystems [56]. ...
Riverside cities are vulnerable to pluvial flooding due to multiple factors, such as landscape fragmentation caused by land-use changes, which weakens the ecosystem service of pluvial flood mitigation. This ecosystem service is essential because it reduces the impact of this climatic event through water infiltration into the soil. The metropolitan area of Arequipa, Peru, a riverside city, is currently fragmented by accelerated population growth, which has filled the river buffer zones and agricultural areas with concrete, resulting in a fragile flood control ecosystem service. This research assesses the pluvial flood mitigation ecosystem service in the metropolitan area of Arequipa using the InVEST software 3.12.1 to map an ecological corridor. The results show low runoff control in urban environments but significant retention in agricultural and non-agricultural vegetation areas. Zero-runoff patches were identified as ecological sources, and a resistance surface map and least-cost path model were created, yielding a 57 km ecological corridor connecting 18 ecological sources across 12 of Arequipa’s 19 metropolitan districts. This study highlights the importance of integrating ecosystem services into urban planning to support green infrastructure initiatives, which contribute to sustainable and resilient cities by mitigating fragmentation and enhancing natural flood defenses.
... However, urban rivers are also prone to pollution that is related to household and industrial waste, [9]. Restoration of river ecosystems, enhancement of cultural and recreational value, improvement of water quality, development of green infrastructure, and adaptation to climate change are among the key outcomes of these revitalization and restoration projects, [10]. Riverside revitalization and restoration can be traced back to the regeneration projects in Paris in the 19th century. ...
Throughout history, the role of rivers in urban areas has been vital and complex. Water elements have defined and embodied urban areas' structure, character, growth, economic relations, and social and environmental dynamics. Today, local authorities focus on restoration and revitalization projects in urban rivers as key urban elements for sustainable development. These efforts aim to enhance citizens' cultural memory and integrate rivers as essential elements of urban environments. The paper argues the importance of water elements in urban regeneration projects. It explores the possibilities for river restoration and revitalization through a case study of the Elassonitis River in the urban area of Elassona, Greece. We aim to identify the river's role in the community's life and the opportunities arising from its restoration. The methods used include surveys with the local community. The surveys detail the community's perceptions, needs, and expectations regarding river restoration. Lastly, it highlights the benefits of integrating water elements into urban regeneration, including environmental, social, and economic benefits. The case study of the Elassonitis River can influence similar projects in other regions, demonstrating the potential for rivers to become central elements of sustainable urban development.
In May 1999, about 30 people from Austria, Germany and Switzerland met in Basel (Switzerland) to found the German Chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE-D) to bring together Germanspeaking researchers, planners and other people interested in landscape ecology. Now, twenty-five years later, we take this milestone as an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of the topics that have shaped the landscape ecology discourse within the IALE-D community. In this editorial, we (1) present the history of the IALE-D conferences, (2) reflect on the topics addressed by the conference contributions and how they have developed, and (3) offer some initial indications of changes in relevance with regard to technological advances, thematic foci, transdisciplinarity, sustainability issues, and cultural dimensions that can be observed over time. Furthermore, we provide an overview of the articles published in 2024 in Landscape Online, which mainly reflect two emerging topics, which follow the lines of the thematic development of the IALE-D conferences, that is, a focus on urban environments as well as on pressing issues related to global change.
