São Paulo, like other global metropolises, faces serious challenges in managing its water resources—including urban water pollution and flooding—resulting from an accelerated urbanization process that often overlooks the potential of the biophysical foundations of its natural landscapes.
It is within this context that Green Infrastructure (GI) emerges as a method for landscape planning and design, capable of linking nature conservation with urban development by creating a network of multifunctional landscapes that provide space for human activities without compromising natural processes. In GI, design is conceived based on the potential and limitations of landscapes, adapting structures to the hydrological cycle through nature-based solutions.
Among the benefits of GI plans and projects are:
– Protection of water resources in urban areas;
– Treatment of urban water with reduced flood risk;
– Increase in permeable, green areas and spaces for leisure and contact with nature;
– Beautification and enhancement of open spaces;
– Creation of habitats and increased faunal and floral biodiversity in cities;
– Nutrient storage and recycling, soil conservation;
– Improvement of air quality;
– Reduction of urban heat islands;
– Reduction of environmental effects caused by global climate change.
