IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i16p6981-d1456524.html

Making Green Heritage Schools Work: Nature-Based Solutions and Historical Preservation When Infrastructure Fails

Author

Listed:
  • Juan Miguel Kanai

    (Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK)

  • Verónica Fabio

    (Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, University of Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina)

  • Marta Mirás

    (Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, University of Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina)

  • Lucas Gastiarena

    (Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK)

Abstract

Schools provide strategic resources for urban sustainability. An international, interdisciplinary research agenda documents the social and ecological benefits of living in green or re-naturalised schoolyards, a hybrid format of urban nature-based solutions. Focussing on low- and middle-income countries, where implementation lags, this paper addresses the challenges of replicating and scaling successful pilots. A better understanding of capacity building challenges is crucial, considering that schools face several concurrent challenges, including historical preservation of heritage buildings, universal access provision, and infrastructure failure in ageing facilities. This study presents primary evidence from action research to build and promote living schoolyards in Argentina, structured as a comparative case study of attempts to co-develop yards with two schools in Buenos Aires. One was an older school with historical preservation status; the other was a more modern, larger school with relative heritage value. Findings show contrastive outcomes. Our programme advanced only in the former. Historical preservation regulations posed relatively manageable contingencies, whereas insurmountable obstacles came from poor general maintenance and governmental risk aversion. Concluding remarks make suggestions on how to co-design projects with communities to synergise heritage schemes, creatively fix infrastructure deficits, and stir a mindset shift for decision-makers to understand and value urban re-greening.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Miguel Kanai & Verónica Fabio & Marta Mirás & Lucas Gastiarena, 2024. "Making Green Heritage Schools Work: Nature-Based Solutions and Historical Preservation When Infrastructure Fails," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:16:p:6981-:d:1456524
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/6981/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/6981/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Charlotte S. Pawlowski & Jenny Veitch & Henriette B. Andersen & Nicola D. Ridgers, 2019. "Designing Activating Schoolyards: Seen from the Girls’ Viewpoint," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-13, September.
    2. Liberalesso, Tiago & Oliveira Cruz, Carlos & Matos Silva, Cristina & Manso, Maria, 2020. "Green infrastructure and public policies: An international review of green roofs and green walls incentives," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hui Yang & Xiangda Xu, 2024. "Coupling and Coordination Analysis of Digital Economy and Green Agricultural Development: Evidence from Major Grain Producing Areas in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-29, May.
    2. Susca, T. & Zanghirella, F. & Colasuonno, L. & Del Fatto, V., 2022. "Effect of green wall installation on urban heat island and building energy use: A climate-informed systematic literature review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    3. Héctor Guadalupe Ramírez-Escamilla & María Concepción Martínez-Rodríguez & Diego Domínguez-Solís & Ana Laura Cervantes-Nájera & Lorena Elizabeth Campos-Villegas, 2025. "Identifying Circularity in Nature-Based Solutions: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-20, September.
    4. Xiaosan Zhang & Qingquan Jiang & Javier Cifuentes‐Faura & Xiaojie Hu & Yuyan Li, 2025. "Do tax incentives matter in promoting corporate ESG performance toward sustainable development?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 57-69, January.
    5. Goharshadi, Elaheh K. & Vojdani Saghir, Siavosh & Niazi, Zohreh & Shafaee, Masoomeh & Sajjadizadeh, Halimeh-Sadat & Karimi-Nazarabad, Mahdi & Peighambari-kalat, Saeid & Goharshadi, Kimiya & Nejati, Ma, 2025. "Functionalized wood sponges: Advanced biomass materials for renewable energies, freshwater production, energy storage, and environmental remediation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    6. Hanny Chandra Pratama & Theerawat Sinsiri & Aphai Chapirom, 2023. "Green Roof Development in ASEAN Countries: The Challenges and Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-26, May.
    7. Shehzad, Mehak & Younis, Adnan & Aziz, Sabir & Khizar, Muhammad & Ain, Noor ul & Shabbir, Asad, 2025. "Leveraging green roof technology: Stakeholder analysis of sustainable urban landscape in the developing regions of South Asia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    8. Otavio Medeiros Sobrinho & Anderson Paulo Rudke & Marcos Vinicius Bueno de Morais & Leila Droprinchinski Martins, 2023. "Meteorological Effects of Green Infrastructure on a Developing Medium Latin American City: A Numerical Modeling Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-19, January.
    9. Yuming Wu & Katsunori Furuya & Bowen Xiao & Ruochen Ma, 2025. "Optimizing Urban Green Roofs: An Integrated Framework for Suitability, Economic Viability, and Microclimate Regulation," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-33, August.
    10. Ran Zhang & Taoyi Chen & Fei Su & Yaohui Liu & Guoqiang Zheng, 2024. "Simulating the Impact of Urban Expansion on Ecological Security Pattern from a Multi-Scenario Perspective: A Case Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan Urban Agglomeration, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-20, October.
    11. Zavrl, Eva & Žižak, Tej & Poredoš, Primož & Arkar, Ciril, 2025. "Thermal modeling of living walls: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    12. Valeria Serrano-Núñez & Karolina Villagra-Mendoza & Natalia Gamboa-Alpízar & Miriam Miranda-Quirós & Fernando Watson-Hernández, 2024. "Evaluation of the Hydrological Response of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in Socio-Economically Vulnerable Tropical Urban Settlements: A Case Study in La Guapil, Costa Rica, Under Climate Change Scenarios," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-17, December.
    13. Chen Shiguang & Zeng Haoxin & Sun Hongwei & Liu Song & Yang Yongmin, 2024. "How to determine the cistern volume of rainwater harvesting system: an analytical solution based on roof areas and water demands," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 20413-20438, August.
    14. Charlotte Skau Pawlowski & Jonas Vestergaard Nielsen & Tanja Schmidt, 2021. "A Ban on Smartphone Usage during Recess Increased Children’s Physical Activity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-13, February.
    15. Nikolaos D. Proutsos & Alexandra D. Solomou & Stefanos P. Stefanidis, 2025. "From Bare Soil to Green Infrastructure: Micrometeorological Benefits from the Restoration of a Small Urban Park in a Mediterranean City," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-23, August.
    16. Manso, Maria & Teotónio, Inês & Silva, Cristina Matos & Cruz, Carlos Oliveira, 2021. "Green roof and green wall benefits and costs: A review of the quantitative evidence," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    17. Wang, Aijia & Wang, Junqi & Zhang, Ruijun & Cao, Shi-Jie, 2024. "Mitigating urban heat and air pollution considering green and transportation infrastructure," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    18. Ying Yan Tan & Rosmini Omar, 2022. "Green Practices and Innovations of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Industry in Singapore: Idea Worth Sharing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-38, September.
    19. Kopp, Jan & Hejduková, Pavlína & Hejduk, Tomáš, 2025. "Perception of new trends in rainwater management in Czech cities: Barriers and tools of implementation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    20. Aydin Teymourifar & Maria A. M. Trindade, 2023. "Using DEMATEL and ISM for Designing Green Public Policies Based on the System of Systems Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-18, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:16:p:6981-:d:1456524. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.