Café Scientifique

A Café Scientifique is a forum, where for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can participate in the discussion of current scientific issues in the relaxing, informal setup of a Café!

The Cafés Scientifiques are organized by Dr. Sahar El Khoury and Life Science Zurich. They take place in general once a month in Zürich.

How does it work?

• A Café Scientifique starts with conversations in small groups about the topic to break the ice, fill the glasses, and concretize our knowledge about the subject.
• Afterwards, there is a short talk (usually about 15/20 min) by an expert speaker.
• This is followed by approximately half an hour of questions and answers and general discussion.

What subjects will be discussed ? Any scientific subject that is of interest to the general public.

Who are the invited speakers? The speakers are researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zürich.

Monday, 11 December 2023, 19:00  at Coworking Lounge Tessinerplatz

Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI), such as trees, green roofs, bioretention basins, or constructed wetlands, has been researched for decades, yet the holistic and multifunctional implementation of BGI in the built environment remains elusive. BGI are often implemented for a single purpose, such as stormwater management or biodiversity conservation, with the remaining ecosystem services (or objectives) assumed to passively occur. In turn, synergies within BGI elements and implementation efforts are overlooked. From the literature, we compiled a suite of “objectives” that can be intentionally and holistically considered in the planning and design process, as well as, a list of 15 overarching types of BGI elements that should be considered across these objectives. Using a systematic literature review for each BGI element and objective, we found glaring gaps. Research related to BGI elements is consistently siloed among objectives and vice versa. To address this, continued coordination and holistic thinking is needed; however, we caution that evaluating too many options before implementation may impede decision-making and lead to a paradox of choice. In her talk, Dr. Cook will discuss solutions and challenges on how to move forward to implement multifunctional BGI in cities.

Lauren Cook is a tenure-track group leader in the Department of Urban Water Management at Eawag.

Register here