Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: E010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.E010
Published online: 22 April 2026
Quantifying spatial context variations of Nature-Based Solutions Interventions across diverse urban settings
Andrew Ikingura* and Barbara Sowińska-Świerkosz
Department of Hydrobiology and Ecosystems Protection, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 37 Dobrzańskiego St., 20-262 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: andrew.ikingura@up.edu.pl
Nature‑Based Solutions (NBS) are increasingly implemented to enhance urban resilience, yet their effectiveness is strongly influenced by the spatial environments in which they operate. This study examines how the surrounding urban context shapes the ecological functioning potential of three NBS interventions: Linderud Garden in Oslo, Giardino Nascosto garden in Milan, and the Lucavsala Community Garden in Riga. Using Sentinel‑2 multispectral imagery acquired during the peak summer period of July, 2025; three spectral indices of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), and Normalized Difference Built‑up Index (NDBI) were computed within 100 m, 300 m, and 500 m buffers around each intervention to quantify vegetation greenness, moisture availability, and built‑up intensity. Mean values reveal clear contextual contrasts. The surroundings of the Riga NBS intervention show the most supportive landscape, with NDVI ranging from 0.48 to 0.37, NDMI from 0.23 to 0.17, and strongly negative NDBI ranging from −0.23 to −0.17, indicating abundant vegetation and minimal urban pressure. The Oslo intervention is embedded in a moderately favourable context, with NDVI decreasing from 0.43 to 0.28 and NDMI from 0.20 to 0.12, while NDBI becomes less negative with distance. The Milan intervention exhibits the most constrained conditions, with NDVI remaining low (0.19 to 0.12), NDMI declining to negative values (0.05 to −0.01), and NDBI turning positive (−0.05 to 0.01). These findings demonstrate that NBS potential is co‑determined by broader spatial structure rather than site characteristics alone, which underscores the importance of integrating spatial diagnostics into context‑sensitive urban resilience planning.
This research was funded by Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership, in the context of the [NatureScape] project under the 2023-2024 BiodivNBS joint call. It was co-funded by the European Commission (GA No. 101052342) and the following funding organisations: RCN – Research Council of Norway, Norway; SNSF – Swiss National Science Foundation, Switzerland; EPA – Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland; NCN – National Science Centre, Poland, No. 2024/06/Y/ST10/00129; FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., Portugal; LCS – Latvian Council of Science, Latvia; MUR – Ministry of Universities and Research, Italy.
Keywords: nature-based solutions; spatial contexts; spectral indices (NDVI, NDMI, NDBI); urban resilience
How to cite
Ikingura A., Sowińska-Świerkosz B., 2026. Quantifying spatial context variations of Nature-Based Solutions Interventions across diverse urban settings. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.E010