LimattalEcologising Infrastructures: New Habitats for an Urban LandscapeFlorian Hofmann, Markus Nyfeler, and Jonas Schmid
Infrastructures are artificial constructs. They are made to connect and bring humans and their goods from one place to another. But they also divide landscapes, fragmenting nature into small patches, which results in the loss of habitats for non-human species. These fragments often have a rich diversity of plants and animals, but due to its isolation they are vulnerable to environmental changes. The Limmat Valley is a prime example for this phenomenon. A highway, train tracks, and a marshalling yard have been built in the 1970s and 1980s and cut the landscape substantially. By expanding the linking quality of infrastructure upon ecology, a hybrid infrastructure with the ability to connect different fragmented biotopes can emerge. Resilience will be improved and with it biodiversity.