OPTIGREEN
Optimal Planning with Tools that Integrate Green Regenerative Environments in Equitable Neighborhoods
OPTIGREEN is a research innovation project focused on development validation of a comprehensive, scientific, and replicable methodology for the design, planning, and management of urban green infrastructure with the aim of improving air quality and protecting public health.
The project advanced environmental modeling, multiscale spatial analysis, air data , and health evidence to optimize the quantity, location, and configuration of nature-based solutions such as urban trees, green roofs, and green facades adapted to the morphological, functional, and meteorological characteristics of the urban environment.
Using Pamplona as a pilot city representative of the European context, OPTIGREEN will generate an tool that connects science, urban planning, and evidence-based decision-making.
Objectives
Establish a baseline that comprehensively characterizes air quality, green infrastructure, and urban health indicators, identifying critical areas for intervention.
Design and simulate optimized green infrastructure scenarios to maximize environmental and health benefits.
Evaluate and validate the effectiveness of these solutions by combining simulations and data , allowing their extrapolation to other urban areas.
Develop an interactive geographic viewer that facilitates analysis, communication of results, and decision-making support in urban planning and public policy.
Principal Investigators
Team researcher
Duration:
May 1, 2025 - December 31, 2028
Funding:
341.898,72 €
European Union – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Location:
Pamplona (Navarre)
core topic
WHY IS THIS project NECESSARY?
This project necessary because there is currently a disconnect between scientific evidence on air pollution, public health, and green infrastructure and its effective application in urban planning. Although the significant impact of poor air quality on premature mortality and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases is well known, decisions on the design location of nature-based solutions are not usually based on integrated, quantitative methodologies adapted to the specific urban context. OPTIGREEN responds to this need by developing a scientific, validated, and replicable methodology that optimizes green infrastructure to maximize its environmental and health benefits, facilitating evidence-based decision-making, more efficient public investment, and the construction of healthier and more resilient cities.
WHAT SOLUTIONS IS THE project STUDYING?
The project and proposes solutions based on the strategic optimization of urban green infrastructure, including the implementation and redesign of urban trees, green roofs, green facades, and other nature-based solutions adapted to urban morphology and local weather conditions. Through advanced modeling and spatial analysis, OPTIGREEN will evaluate different configurations, densities, and locations for these interventions to maximize the reduction of pollutants such as PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, and NO₂, minimize possible adverse effects (such as alterations in urban ventilation), and improve public health indicators, generating comparative scenarios that allow for the selection of the most effective and efficient alternatives for sustainable urban planning.
how does this project affect society?
This project directly project society by contributing to reducing the exhibition to air pollutants associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, thereby improving public health and urban quality of life. By providing scientific tools to identify areas of greatest risk and optimize green infrastructure interventions, OPTIGREEN facilitates fairer and more efficient urban planning decisions, helping to reduce environmental inequalities between neighborhoods and better target public investment. In addition, it promotes cities that are more resilient to climate change and generates knowledge to other European cities, strengthening the transition to healthier, more sustainable urban environments based on scientific evidence.
Collaborating entities
