The Socio-Economic Viability of Urban-Fluvial Parks in the Urban Environment: A Case Study of Maricá, Rio de Janeiro
Abstract
Open spaces are fundamental in mitigating flooding. This research proposes a practical framework encompassing a business model that discuss the socio-economic viability of implementing urban fluvial parks, while considering expropriation and subsequent compensation for landowners. The method consists of two steps: the first assesses urban flood impacts at the watershed scale and compares to the implementation costs of blue-green infrastructure, which is defined by interconnected natural and human-made elements such as water bodies and vegetated areas. If this relation is positive, the second step addresses local scale issues, integrating urban-fluvial parks and new urban subdivisions in a win-win business model. Results showed that, over a 50-year horizon, the proposed interventions outweighed their implementation and maintenance costs. Locally, the assessment revealed an increase in total land value by approximately 40% compared to its original valuation. The study validates the framework, highlighting the importance of establishing a blue-green open space functional system.