Robbert Snep, Wim Timmermans, Vincent Kuypers, Alterra - Wageningen UR, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Business park development and biodiversity conservation - exploring excess value for economy, people and nature by introducing landscape ecological principles (assigned to theme
As part of the Dutch BSIK research program a research project on the multifunctional use of business parks, particularly on the integration of biodiversity conservation into planning and design of business parks, started in 2004 as a cooperation of several departments of the Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR) for a 4-year period. At the 45th ERSA-conference we will present the first results of this BSIK research project (nr. 8.3). RESEACH OBJECTIVES: There are many opportunities to improve the ecological quality of existing and planned business parks and industrial areas. Important elements in the design are the choice of the location, the ecological characteristics and the opportunities that are offered for habitats for a variety of species. We hypothesize that a smart location combined with enough area and an appropriate design of the local green-blue network, a business park may contribute to the spatial cohesion of the regional green-blue network, and thereby increase the nature quality of the region. The objectives of the BSIK-research project 8.3 are as follows: 1. To develop options for the design of multifunctional business parks concepts that provide chances for biodiversity and to develop an instrument such as a systematical framework which could explore the (socio)economic and ecological conditions of those options. 2. To analyze the potential contribution to local and regional ecological networks of multifunctional business parks concepts that provide chances for biodiversity. RESULTS TO BE PRESENTED: In 2004 several pilot-studies were carried out: i) a state of the art study on the Dutch ‘green’ business parks, and ii) a review on the international research on plant and animal life at business parks. Besides, the first ideas on the integration of ecological values at business parks were elaborated into basic concepts and those concepts were applied in urban design scenarios for several case-studies.
 | Conference organized through conf-vienna
(copyright Gunther Maier) |