Building Cities from the Ground Up: How Soil Shapes Urban Life
When we think of cities, we tend to picture streets, buildings and parks, but we often forget about the ground beneath our feet. Yet it is precisely this that determines how green, viable and resilient our cities are. Soil is much more than just a substrate; it stores water, provides nutrients and supports plant growth, as well as making a decisive contribution to climate adaptation.
As part of the SPADES project, pilots across Europe are demonstrating how soil knowledge can be incorporated directly into urban planning. Before any construction project or the creation of new green spaces, soil analysis provide crucial information: How stable is it? Where is there a risk of subsidence or erosion? Which plant species can thrive here? Early soil analysis reduces costs, prevents damage, and establishes the basis for sustainable urban infrastructure.
Healthy soils are the backbone of green infrastructure. Parks, roadside greenery and roof gardens can only function if the soil stores water, provides nutrients and supports plants. Soils also act like natural sponges, buffering heavy rainfall, delaying runoff and helping to prevent flooding. In particular, more and more cities are adopting urban agriculture not only to improve their food security and resilience, but also to mitigate soil degradation, by using composted urban waste as natural fertilizer. Furthermore, horticultural practices like reduced tillage and mulching can improve soil structure. In this way, urban areas can become green, productive and resilient at the same time.
Soil also plays a key role when developing construction projects. Knowledge of soil texture, structure and profile prevents damage to roads, buildings and parks. SPADES pilots are investigating how even small adjustments, such as soil protection during the construction phase or targeted substrate layers, could influence long-term stability and ecological quality.
What makes SPADES special is the integration of soil knowledge into the entire planning process. Planners, local practitioners and decision-makers work together to make soil visible as a strategic resource. As a result, it is no longer understood as a background condition, but as an active partner in urban design.
Another example from Europe is the SoilTribes project, which connects knowledge and practice around soil health within local communities. Science, local actors and community initiatives work together to regenerate soils and highlight their importance for food security, biodiversity and climate adaptation.
Soil is therefore not a side issue. Those who consciously integrate it into planning and design create more natural, resilient and liveable cities.
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