Meet the students

Students from the University of Antwerp and the University of Ghent started projects to investigate the effects of the seven Nature Smart Cities pilot projects.

Seven master students and sixteen bachelor students will write their theses and dissertations on different aspects of the pilots. They will help to analyse the ecosystem services provided by the pilots and work on methods to measure and monetize these benefits. Welcome to you all!

The students will research how to quantify water buffering, microclimate effects, biodiversity enhancement and carbon storage for the pilot projects. Here you see them taking soil samples and measure tree height and trunk diameter to calculate the current carbon stock. That will allow them to make an estimation of the carbon storage potential of different green infrastructure scenario’s. Other's work on quantifying cultural ecosystem services, such as the influence of green space on social cohesion or physical activity of residents in a green neighborhoud.