KontraVital

Short Description

The benefits of urban green infrastructure, also known as ecosystem services, have been studied over the last decades and are now also taken into account in urban open space planning. Much less is known about the potential impacts of urban green infrastructure that may be perceived as harmful, unpleasant or undesirable, the so-called ecosystem disservices. For sustainable planning of urban green infrastructure, it is crucial to consider both positive ecosystem services and ecosystem disservices. The goal of the KontraVital project is to close the existing knowledge gaps on ecosystem disservices of urban green infrastructure biodiversity. The potential adverse health effects of biodiversity on

• physical health (pollen allergies and zoonoses) and 
• mental health (well-being, stress, etc.) 

of the urban population.

The KontraVital project will be conducted in the city of Magdeburg, which represents a medium-sized urban metropolis in Germany with an area of around 200 km² and a population of around 236,000. The proportion of public green spaces in the urban area is above average in Magdeburg, which gives the project setting a practical background.

Phase 1

The following activities are planned in phase 1 of the project:

• the problem analysis and scientific / organisational conception of the overall project,
   
• the elaboration of epidemiological/experimental study designs and the communication strategy,
   
• the development of the specification of the GIS platform, and
   
• the publication of at least one peer-reviewed article.