Project
Nature in Cities – a European Exploration
GREEN SURGE is a project funded by the EU exploring possibilities for better integrating green spaces into cities. Two of its key concepts are green infrastructure and biocultural diversity.
Biodiversity and cities are not natural partners. Or are they? At least they should be partners, particularly in view of the rapid growth of cities across the globe. The project GREEN SURGE explores how a diversity of natures and a diversity of cultures are interlinked in a range of European Cities. An important question is about the governance of urban green spaces. Who are involved? What are the roles of the different involved actors? What do they do? And have there been changes? Who pull the strings and how? What are the outcomes?
The GREEN SURGE program has three interlinked overall objectives that our focus on governance and biocultural diversity is part of:
- To identify and conceptualise innovative governance arrangements in which a variety of stakeholders engage in the governance of UGI and BCD decision-making.
- To investigate which governance arrangements are most successful in terms of delivering: BD conservation, ESS, community empowerment, connecting people to urban green spaces as well as contributing to the green economy and promoting climate change adaptation
- To develop guidelines on effective participatory governance arrangements for UGI planning and management in different contexts and for different purposes