Sustainable Urban Development in Vast Patagonia to Address Socio-Ecological Relationships and Climate Change: A Case Study of a Mixed Coastal Urbanization Project ^†

Abstract

As the population grows, the deteriorating quality of ecosystems and the increased area of urban environment are correlated affected by climate change and affecting public health. It becomes critical to reach a balance between demographics and the natural environment to reduce pressure on our ecosystems. Creating improved conditions for sustainable urbanization is vital for supplying greater protection of biodiversity and people. This semi-urban project development represents a possible scalable model of sustainable development in an arid coastal environment. It is aligned with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and country NDCs (National Determined Contributions) towards the reduction of emissions and mitigating climate change. It aims to support socio-ecological relationships and energy transitions towards low emissions and economic, ecological, resilient, and inclusive urbanizations. More than one hundred landfills, dune erosion, and their impacts on a coastal environment are some of the issues related to human behavior identified through observation in the project site. Viable solutions that were researched include landfill sanitation, landscape regeneration sustainability, and accessibility.

1. Background—Human Footprint

Climate change and its present and future impacts—including the spread of infectious diseases and pandemics—have direct consequences. Climate change as a result of continuous carbon emissions represents a serious risk to communities with irreversible consequences if mitigation measures are not implemented within a short timeframe [1]. The implementation of a climate risk finance management program provides an integrated framework allowing sustainable economic development [2]. Argentina has adhered to the Paris Agreement where compliance with emission reduction goals requires significant investments. However, access to finance programs is essential to achieve implementation and long-term recovery. In addition, recent pandemics have added a sanitary challenge highlighting the need for investments in green recovery, favoring coastal ecological systems and energy transitions [3]. the contribution of the private sector in cities is perceived to be beneficial in the implementation of mitigation actions to reach the country (NDCs) [4].

2. Introduction—Project Description

The location of the project is in the eastern Atlantic on the Patagonia coast, at latitude 45° south, in the province of Chubut, Argentina (Figure 1). It is a mixed urbanization based on pillars of innovation, sustainability, accessibility, integrating residential areas, landscape reserves, and areas intended for the public community. The urban masterplan contemplates the geomorphological characteristics of the terrain and the surrounding nature.

The long-term goal is to improve the quality of life of the Patagonian inhabitants in a context in which sustainability is paramount and respects the natural environment. The efficient use of energy with its own generation of renewable energy is prioritized in residential areas, along with waste and water management strategies. The concept of ecological urbanization is supported by bioclimatic architecture, designed to take advantage of the location of the sun, shadows at this latitude, and thermal insulation materials to maximize energy efficiency.

The proposal in the public area combines free and improved access to the beach, parking, and services such as a scientific research center, Patagonian sports club, and ecotourism, among others.

The combined approach is implemented in a natural and orderly environment available to the entire community. It is organized in an urban framework, where the neighbors assume commitments such as the use of renewable energies, the recycling of waste, among others, and respecting and valuing the surrounding ecosystems. The objective is to offer collective and inclusive solutions. To ensure the success of these initiatives, a team of specialists in each discipline provides support and guidance to residential users. The project aims to provide specific solutions to the following local and regional issues:

• Demographic and concentrated growth with its back to the sea.
• Poor environmental awareness related to coastal erosion.
• Negative effects of human misuse on coastal dunes, generating erosion and landfills.
• Housing shortage in a context of lack of appreciation of the sea and nature.
• Scarcity of drinking water resources in arid Patagonia.
• High dependence on fossil fuels in electricity generation.
• Low thermal efficiency in buildings resulting in higher energy consumption.
• Lack of policies to achieve sustainable development and climate mitigation actions.

The solutions proposed for overcoming these challenges are described below.

3. Demographic Growth and Sustainable Development

The Patagonian nearby coastal city has its origins in the early 1900s with the greatest demographic explosion attributed to the discovery of oil. Thousands of workers arrived seeking opportunities following great economic growth. Communities by then were organized in oil camps, which resulted in concentrated neighborhoods, often suffering from poor connectivity and long-term urban planning, with their backs to the sea and natural beauties [5]. The current urban proposal represents a low density of housing in a context of coastal nature, where urban order is organized in residential, landscape reserves and new public areas.

4. Urban Planning—Density and Connectivity

The project is developed in a peri-urban area, incorporating novel concepts in relation to the Patagonian landscape. The coastal land was subjected to decades of soil extraction from a former quarry and misuse by human action (Figure 2a,b), therefore, the masterplan was adapted to the existing geomorphology of the land highlighting the beauty of the place. The low-density neighborhood proposal focused on people and the ecology. The urban design proposes a low density of land occupation, where more than 70% is dedicated to landscape reserves, community, and service areas. In addition, urban parameters such as the SOA are only 25%, which is defined as the portion of land occupation in each terrain parcel. Combining these parameters, it means that only 10% of the total land is covered by construction, thus enhancing the natural landscape.

The design of common buildings includes bioclimatic construction, which incorporates factors relative to the latitude, such as the position of the sun, wind, and other constituent elements of the environment. Innovations in thermal insulating materials and the generation of renewable energies are favored, to support energy transitions. Other strategies to mimic houses to the environment include green roofs with vegetation. Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and smart city technologies for the administration of public services, control of energy generation, an onsite treatment of sewage. All these combined solutions are unknown in the region.

The proposal is aligned with the 15 of the 17 United Nations objectives of sustainable development, objectives, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17. With a special focus on objective 11 sustainable cities and communities.

There are incentives for the use of residential renewable energies with subsequent reinjection into the electricity grid supported by the new law for the Promotion of Distributed Generation of Renewable Energy Integrated to the Public Electricity Grid [6].

The urban plan design favors pedestrian and cycling mobility where all necessary requirements for life will be located within 10 min. In the future, dedicated parking areas with solar chargers for electric cars and scooters will be installed in favor of energy transitions.

Regeneration and Climate change mitigation proposal:

• Energy: distributed generation residential renewable energy, energy efficiency in buildings.
• Rewilding and ecological restoration of degraded environments.
• Circular economies.
• Mobility: urban planning to facilitate walking, cycling, and solar chargers for electric vehicles.

5. Regeneration Strategies

5.1. Ecological Reserve Donation

Motivated by constant aggression by hunters of the fauna, the founder of this project and owner of the adjacent land that hosts a colony of sea lions decided in the year 1985, to donate this part of the land for conservation of ecology. This allowed tourist development. The area was later converted into the Protected Natural Area Punta Marques, controlled by the government of the province.

The project contains a key component in regeneration and conservation, with related initiatives in this direction.

5.2. Dune Coastal Regeneration

Urban development is planned in harmony with the topography, to ensure the sustainability of the coastal systems, and establish ecological corridors. Otherwise, the coastal cities will risk climate consequences, such as flooding, heavy storms, loss of biodiversity and sea-level rise. Therefore, sustainable planning principles had to be implemented in the coastal cities to diminish the effects of the natural risks [7,8].

The adjoining coastal sector of Belvedere Beach was affected by human misuse for decades. The area was subject to solids exploitation and motorcycle tracks, causing the compaction of the sand and the destruction of native vegetation that was very sensitive and slow-growing. It was subject to vegetation fires and waste disposal. The presence of waste on the beach and high volumes of plastic that ended up in the sea is just one of the coastal environmental issues (Figure 3). Plastics in the ocean are of ecological concern worldwide, because in this environment they take hundreds of years to degrade and affect marine fauna [9].

The coastal erosion of the resulting dune system has a strong impact on this type of environment and is visualized with the retreat of the coastline and the decrease in the volume of sand on the beach.

To restore a similar level of protection, mitigation measures must be taken to regenerate and then preserve the coastal environment and ecosystem. These environments are very sensitive to erosion due to the poor structure of the soils exposed to wind and water erosion [10].

After researching several hard and soft mechanisms of coastal protection, a bioengineering solution was selected. The objective of this approach—never implemented on a Patagonian Atlantic beach—was the reestablishment of the dune system providing coastal protection (Figure 4). Once in place, this system will behave dynamically, with the action of the sea and predominant wind.

The sand material used for the regeneration of the dunes was sourced from the soil in the lagoon sector, so was totally compatible with local sand. This is considered of regional interest and a unique experience on the southeast Atlantic coast of Argentina. It serves as a restoration project providing positive environmental impacts.

Regeneration of sand dunes has the following main objectives:

• Secure the availability of sand for a dynamic coastal process by wind and marine action.
• Provide long-term protection, extending the berm and dry beach to aid against extreme weather and climate effects. It also recreates an additional section of dry beach for recreation purposes for the public beach during the summer (Figure 5).

The huge value that sand-dunes have, in terms of shoreline coastal protection, are extensively recognized as several countries have tackled the erosion problem by rebuilding and preserving dunes. This is a technical solution effort that blends natural landscape and environmental enhancement by using compatible local sand.

5.3. Revegetation

After recovering a decayed ecosystem, it is essential to prevent it being re-exposed to the same factors and human behavior. Therefore, once rewilded with native species, the coastal section will be assigned to a landscape and coastal reserve for future preservation.

Concerning vegetation, it is proposed to maintain the physiognomic-floristic attributes of the dominant plant communities [11]. Reimplantation of native species is a slow evolution process. However, it is reinforced by seedling natural regeneration, top-soil technique, and transportation of seeds by wind over time. Once the dune system has been regenerated and stabilized by native species, the plants need to be preserved, as they are responsible for the formation and maintenance of coastal dunes.

5.4. Coastal Reserves

Coastal dunes are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Patagonia, providing important ecosystem services to society. Yet, they are also one of the most threatened. Biodiversity loss is taking place at a high rate, which is a growing concern from the perspective of ecosystem functioning. Dune restoration in Bevedere beach could help prevent biodiversity loss while improving citizen wellbeing.

The objective centered in restoration is to promote the conservation of the coast, respect for the environment to combat climate change. The creation of a coastal bio-corridor that allows species to move, even in a semi-urban environment, with the role of conservation and preservation of coastal space, vegetation, birds, and other fauna. Implementation and control require a technical team for care through a management plan [12].

It highlights the ecological purpose the private sector is giving to restore nature in a coastline currently eroded by decades of human degradation.

The proposal:

• Restoration: dune environment and reforestation.
• Conservation—management program.
• Monitoring of the main groups of terrestrial species: vegetation, birds, reptiles, insects, and mammals.
• Monitoring of intertidal biodiversity and marine fauna.
• Fauna observation points and centers.

Other programs:

• Guided visits to raise awareness of the richness of coastal biodiversity.
• Visitor information center.
• Scientific research center and interpretation center.
• Environmental education programs.
• Beach certified program (access and mobility, visitor information, parking, recycled waste center, lifeguard space).

5.5. Beach Quality Certification

The project promotes a beach management program jointly with local authorities to bring the beach to acceptable public conditions for accessibility, sanitation, and safety. This will be achieved by implementing a beach certification program with the objective of connecting the public with nature and encouraging them to learn more about their environment.

For this purpose, environmental education activities are offered and promoted, as well as a permanent exhibition of information pertinent to the place with regards to biodiversity, ecosystems, and environmental phenomena. Adherence and compliance to the program require meeting educational, security, and accessibility criteria for approval at international level.

5.6. Nature of the Restoration and Reserve Management

As for the negative effects of human frequentation, they are resolved through management systems, beach access points, assigned scenic trails, elimination of vehicular traffic on the dunes, and educational signs. The information to the citizen contributes to the purpose of protection and recovery of this coastal area, creating awareness about dune preservation.

The subsequent elimination and prevention of garbage dumps in the coastal sector will produce an improvement in the quality of the terrestrial and marine environment. Therefore, the sanitation and regeneration of the dunes as a reserve will mean the landscape will be positively affected, improving the quality of ecosystems and life for citizens who visit the beach.

Conservation management actions are important, after the elimination or reduction of the causes that have produced the alteration of the dune system (extraction, human traffic, vehicular traffic, garbage dumps). This is the most feasible action to guarantee success avoiding the previous situation of degradation.

6. Circular Economies

Global society faces an unprecedented socio-ecosystem crisis. This is partly due to the current development model based on a linear thinking economy that extracts, transforms, consumes, and discards finite resources that often, cannot be reinserted into natural cycles, reducing the management and conservation of natural goods and services [13].

The sustainable urban initiative follows a triple impact motivation with related actions contributing to communities improving their social, economic, and environmental protection.

It promotes changing linear consumption habits, in which production, follows consumption and finally disposal, to circular and responsible consumption, migrating to “use and recycle”, where waste becomes a resource and returns to the value chain. The project coastal site is plagued with plastic, generated by recreational activities on the beach that could be reused and recycled. Regeneration of the resource helps organizations that surround these initiatives promote local economies, circularly generating business and activities, a model that is giving value to the entire chain of consumption.

New generations are more aware of the environment and decisions in the sustainability of products, traceability production and its practices. Implementation requires responsibility and commitment from all actors involved, especially residential users and temporary users of public areas. A clean beach certification program supports the recycling initiative with educational programs and dedicated differential waste separation in place.

7. Water Recycling

Water scarcity is the greatest challenge we face today in these arid regions and globally. The starting point is to put a proper value on water by recognizing that it is a precious resource that needs to be better managed, valued and preserved. One solution is to use water more efficiently by installing water meters, however, understanding and tackling water scarcity effectively requires other wide-ranging measures. The challenge is also making the water supply more resilient, reducing difficulties in access to water in arid zones by integrating water, sanitation with water resources, and waste management.

Across these areas, technology has a pivotal role to play in the home, or water distribution systems.

Water solutions in this urbanization project consider a biological sewage treatment system for using treated water for irrigation in boulevards for enhanced water efficiency. Biosystems are semi-closed systems that work in a decentralized and circular way, promoting energy autonomy, access to water and waste management of community spaces, thus strengthening their resilience.

On the potable water supply, being coastal urbanization, it is contemplated that a desalination plant at pilot scale will be needed for contributing once more to the sustainable development goals.

8. Environmental Education and Workshops

A series of workshops will be scheduled for community participation to transfer knowledge and skills to the local community on themes of sustainable urban development. Sessions on specialty themes with invitees from specialists, academia, and suppliers to accelerate the reduction of emissions on topics of coastal conservation, renewable energy, water management, recycling/circular economy, mobility, green heating, and IoT/smart city.

9. Replicability

This project can be partially or totally replicated as a model of sustainable development. It expresses the means to address population growth in Patagonia with a novel urban approach, in terrains of land compatible with urban use outside dense city conglomerations. It intends to reduce urban density, preserving the natural aspects of the land, and restoring it when it is damaged. It considers a specific urban plan design adapted to the geomorphology of the terrain with a bioclimatic strategy with architecture suited to the environmental elements such as weather, sun, and latitude.

This model allows the use of land to offer services to communities for human development, either ecological, residential, recreational, education, scientific, or a combination.

10. Local Ownership—Beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries are new residents that share the vision of sustainable urbanization in complete integration with the surrounding nature. Other beneficiaries are visitors and tourists who will enjoy access to the beach in proper conditions of hygiene, safety, and environmental balance in terms of a public good, in contrast to its current deteriorated conditions. Indirect beneficiaries are groups of communities that will access onsite facilities and be assigned infrastructure for research, sports, and education. The scientific community will access facilities to perform specific studies on topics of algae, microalgae, bivalves, and biodiversity. Additionally, local organizations will benefit by collecting recycled materials, to reinsert transformed goods into the economy.

11. Conclusions

This sustainable mixed urban development project addresses a small-scale topics of coastal restoration, clean energy, waste, and water management with a consequent positive impact on climate change mitigation. It allows replication and scalability and, therefore, the opportunity with a small contribution of generating a positive global impact. The project offers capacity building to support energy transitions towards low emissions, ecological, resilient, and inclusive communities.

It is essential to incorporate country finance programs to tackle climate risk mitigation, as ignoring today’s issues will exacerbate conditions for further deterioration of economies and people’s wellbeing.

As seen by a correlation between urban environment and health, the quality of ecosystems and urban environment impacts hygiene and public health. Ultimately, reaching a balance between demographics and the natural environment improves conditions of sustainable urbanizations and greater protection of biodiversity.

Regeneration of dunes with compatible sand was considered of high interest and a unique experience in the southeast Atlantic coastline of Argentina. Rewilding native species supports the creation of biodiversity corridors for an ecological reserve that favors the development of life. Besides biodiversity conservation, the impact of sand dune lies also in the provision of ecosystem services, related to recreation and ecological education. The role of ecosystem services and ecological restoration of eroded land provides significant positive conservational and wellbeing outcomes.