Planning environmental projects and nature-based solutions, such as tree planting, often runs into a technological problem – they involve a multitude of different software tools that cannot easily exchange information with each other. This challenge is addressed by NBSINFRA toolkit and NBSAPI interface, which function as a universal digital bridge allowing different programs to communicate and share data using one common language.

Why is this tool important for communities?

This connection helps cities accurately measure the real-world benefits of green spaces, such as their ability to cool the air or absorb rainwater during severe storms. By provides clear data on scientific impacts and costs, helps local leaders make smarter decisions to build healthier, more resilient neighborhoods. The primary users who benefit from this unified system and can collaborate more effectively are: urban planners, environmental scientists and software developers.

How does the system work in practice?

NBSAPI serves as a driving force for urban resilience, while its first practical implementation is the Shadepoint application. Using these tools, planners and ordinary residents can plot natural solutions (e.g., rain gardens or urban forests) directly onto a digital map and visualize how they would fit into their neighborhood.

NBSAPI then acts as a scientific interoperability layer in the background, measuring the precise impact of these proposals, for example:

• how significantly reduce the local temperature,
• what quantity rainwater they can retain,
• how effectively they can filter pollutants from the environment.

Key technological elements:

• Performance and financial tracking: The system measures not only environmental impacts but also costs associated with construction.
• Standardized data exchange: Common geographic formats are used to precisely define the boundaries and shapes of green solutions.
• Comprehensive management: The tool can organize multiple sub-solutions into comprehensive projects so that overall goals can be tracked.

To ensure the professional quality of designs, the system includes a verification tool that checks that all data meets strict technical standards. Because the data uses a standardized digital language, these community plans can be directly exported to advanced engineering software for real-world construction needs.

This innovative project is funded by the European Union. The lead partner of the consortium is Geodesignhub and the technical partner is UCD. More information about the project is available on the official website. nbsinfra.eu. JRi&CO2AI