HANDBOOK for Developing Urban Eco-Islands with Smart Solutions

The handbook outlines a 'Smart and Sustainable Island Development Model' based on experiences from Aegna and Vasikkasaari. It details a three-stage strategic planning process: setting a shared vision, conducting a sustainability assessment across environmental, economic, social, and cultural dimensions, and establishing goals and action plans. The guide emphasizes the use of 'smart solutions'—including IoT sensors for weather and air quality, Bluetooth and infrared visitor tracking, satellite imagery for vegetation decay, and drone-based bird nest counting—to reduce the need for physical maintenance visits and improve data collection. It also advocates for citizen science, such as using the iNaturalist app for biodiversity monitoring and student-led marine litter research, to engage the public and gather extensive datasets. Practical examples include the implementation of a centralized waste management station on Aegna and the development of nature trails and resting areas on Vasikkasaari.

• The Smart and Sustainable Island Development Model organizes island strategy around four core sustainability dimensions: environmental, economic, social, and cultural support systems.
• Strategic planning for urban eco-islands is divided into three stages: setting a long-term vision based on core values, assessing sustainability to identify gaps and needs, and defining strategic goals and action plans.
• Nature monitoring must be prioritized and performed before other development activities because island ecosystems are isolated and highly sensitive to human disturbance.
• Digital solutions for environmental and visitor monitoring can reduce the need for physical transport to remote islands and increase resource efficiency.
• Various digital tools have been tested for island management: infrared counters are highly suitable for point-specific counts, while Bluetooth tracking provides data on visitor routes but requires grid power and network access.
• Satellite imagery using the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) can be used to monitor nature decay and the impact of visitors on vegetation, as demonstrated on Vallisaari, Vasikkasaari, and Aegna.
• Drones can replace traditional fieldwork for bird nest counting, providing a non-intrusive method to monitor sensitive habitats, provided they are flown at 30 to 50 meters above ground.
• Citizen science, utilizing tools like the iNaturalist app for biodiversity or the Litterati app for marine litter, helps collect extensive datasets while raising environmental awareness among residents and visitors.
• Effective waste management on small islands requires a tailored approach; on Aegna, this involves a centralized waste management station and periodic transport of sorted waste to the mainland.

APA

Kuldna, P., Moora, H., Tuhkanen, H., Piirsalu, E., Harlio, A., Suomela, M., Airikkala, V., Reittu, N., & Laager, M. (2021). HANDBOOK for Developing Urban Eco-Islands with Smart Solutions. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/handbook-for-developing-urban-eco-islands-2.pdf

Chicago

Kuldna, Piret, Harri Moora, Heidi Tuhkanen, Evelin Piirsalu, Annika Harlio, Maria Suomela, Veli Airikkala, Noora Reittu, and Merilin Laager. HANDBOOK for Developing Urban Eco-Islands with Smart Solutions. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/handbook-for-developing-urban-eco-islands-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{kuldna2021handbook, author = {Kuldna, Piret and Moora, Harri and Tuhkanen, Heidi and Piirsalu, Evelin and Harlio, Annika and Suomela, Maria and Airikkala, Veli and Reittu, Noora and Laager, Merilin}, title = {{HANDBOOK for Developing Urban Eco-Islands with Smart Solutions}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/handbook-for-developing-urban-eco-islands-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }