A água e a sustentabilidade em espaços verdes. O Jardim Botânico de Coimbra

Mestrado em Arquitectura Paisagista - Instituto Superior de AgronomiaThe method of development that cities have been following is pointed as one of the responsible for the environmental crisis that threatens the planet. The main challenge is to create more sustainable cities, in which urban green spaces play a fundamental role. This thesis aims to contribute to demonstrate the importance of urban green spaces in reaching more sustainable cities, particularly regarding the rebalancing of the hydrological cycle, themselves being an example of sustainability. Therefore, strategies are presented to guide urban waters to the hydrological cycle and promote the sustainable use of water in green spaces. The implementation of these strategies to the Botanical Garden of Coimbra pointed to a very significant outcome, both from the economic and environmental point of view, making it selfsufficient and enabling the reduction of water consumption and the return of twice the water spent in irrigation in the garden to its natural cycle. The adoption of such strategies results in economic and environmental benefits, reflected not only in urban areas but also in the environment, representing a very important contribution in the reduction of cities ecological footprint. The landscape architect plays a key role in the integration of the sustainability aspect in urban green spaces, as well as in the insertion of the water cycle in the city