Integrating green infrastructure and cultural heritage for urban planning

Green infrastructure is a promising and increasingly recommended approach for delivering essential ecosystem services in cities. However, current planning approaches largely regard the urban landscape as a grey matrix, with marginal land considered suitable for green infrastructure. Most European cities contain cultural heritage assets subject to strict conservation regulations, which are often the most likely sites for green infrastructure elements. Green infrastructure elements, however, can alter environmental conditions, perceptions, and patterns of use that are crucial for the long-term conservation of heritage assets. We develop an interpretative matrix to address interactions between green infrastructure and cultural heritage through cross-analysis of four green infrastructure planning criteria and thirteen cultural heritage conservation principles. The analysis identifies conditions of synergy and trade-off between green infrastructure implementation and cultural heritage conservation, with interactions shaped by physical, chemical, perceptual and usage-related relationships. Our framework suggests that cultural heritage does not inherently restrict green infrastructure implementation but instead requires planning approaches based on conservation-oriented principles and contextual assessment. Planning green infrastructure in accordance with cultural heritage conservation principles not only enables coexistence but can also support cultural heritage values, social acceptability, and cultural ecosystem services associated with green infrastructure.