Kjell Nilsson

Green structure and sustainability - developing a tool for local planning.

Abstract Local authorities face a great challenge in translating officially announced sustainability commitments into everyday management practices. With the objective of developing a tool for supporting such goal-to-practice translation processes, three primary tool criteria were formulated, and used to develop a guide on how to apply the tool. Subsequently, the tool was applied and evaluated in an interactive study involving the local authority of a Danish municipality. The first tool criterion concerns the organisation of the translation process. It states that in order to obtain a clear understanding of the unique local conditions, the tool shall be able to act as a bridge between different disciplines, and allow for direct collaboration between experts with context-independent knowledge and local administrators with context-dependent knowledge. The second criterion concerns the identification of sustainable management strategies. It states that the tool shall secure a thorough two-sided analysis of society’s claims on one side, and on the other side the ability of available resources to meet these claims in a sustainable way. The third criterion concerns the distribution of the results of the analysing phase. It states that in order to support dialogue and decision making across professional and societal boundaries, the identified claims and resources as well as the associated obstacles shall be presented in simple and preferably visual overviews. In testing the tool we focused on the ability of the municipality’s urban green structure (the resource) to contribute to sustainable management of organic waste, surface runoff and biodiversity (the claims). Based on the outcome of the test, and an interview survey with the participating local administrators, it is concluded that the tool criteria are sound. This is despite the fact that the test of the tool was not applied in full accordance with the tool guidelines. It is anticipated that the application of this tool can increase the speed and extent with which local authorities absorb and employ the concepts of sustainable development in their everyday management and planning tasks.

Peri-urban futures : scenarios and models for land use change in Europe

Presently, peri-urbanisation is one of the most pervasive processes of land use change in Europe with strong impacts on both the environment and quality of life. It is a matter of great urgency to determine strategies and tools in support of sustainable development. The book synthesizes the results of PLUREL, a large European Commission funded research project (2007-2010). Tools and strategies of PLUREL address main challenges of managing land use in peri-urban areas. These results are presented and illustrated by means of 7 case studies which are at the core of the book. This volume presents a novel, future oriented approach to the planning and management of peri-urban areas with a main focus on scenarios and sustainability impact analysis. The research is unique in that it focuses on the future by linking quantitative scenario modeling and sustainability impact analysis with qualitative and in-depth analysis of regional strategies, as well as including a study at European level with case study work also involving a Chinese case study.

Forests, Trees and Human Health and Well-being: Introduction

Traditional medical and public health approaches to illness and health are among the successes of modern science. However, society today is faced with the increasing incidence of various forms of poor health related to modern lifestyles. Contributing factors include an increasingly sedentary population, increasing levels of psychological stress related to urban living and contemporary work practices. In addition people with disabilities and chronic illness demand a transition from institutional care to care in society. These problems encourage thinking about alternative ways to prevent disease and promote health. Lack of physical activity and stress have led to increased occurrence of certain diseases where medication is perhaps only reducing the symptoms rather than combating the true cases of illness and reduced quality of life. Efforts to promote public health and well-being in Europe have thus become increasingly complex.

The Future of the Rural Urban Region

In the Introduction to the book the spectre of urban sprawl was introduced. In subsequent chapters we have presented a detailed analysis of the dynamics and pressures facing the peri-urban zone of rural–urban regions and have examined a number of case studies. These revealed a range of different political, economic, spatial and environmental contexts where different combinations of problems have been addressed using a range of different strategies, some more successful than others. Chapters 13 and 14 attempted to see what lessons could be learned by comparing these case studies and whether there were general aspects which could be extracted from these by way of forming recommendations for policy makers at a city region level (as opposed to a national or pan-European level).

RESEARCH NOTE: CO-ORDINATION OF EUROPEAN RESEARCH ON URBAN FORESTS AND TREES

Summary COST (European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research) is a framework for the co-ordination of national research, at the European level. The new Action is called ‘Urban Forests and Trees’ and has been formulated by the Danish Forest and Landscape Research Institute. This Action offers researchers from all over Europe a unique opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and experience, and to co-ordinate future research efforts on urban forests and urban trees.

Research on Urban Forests and Trees in Europe

Urban forestry is an emerging and still developing subject field, not only in North America where it is believed to have its roots (see Chap. 1), but also in Europe. The concept of urban forestry as encompassing the planning, design, establishment and management of trees and forest stands with amenity value situated in or near urban areas, has become more widely accepted (Randrup and Nilsson 1998). This notion is in line with many North American urban forestry approaches (e.g., Miller 1997; Helms 1998). Urban forestry is a new research field. Traditionally, studies on urban forests, including woodland, parks and trees seem to concern applied, small-scale research at the local (municipal) level (e.g., Hodge 1991; Konijnendijk 1999). This local focus for research, coupled with – until recently – a lack of suitable networks and institutions to facilitate coordination, means there is a high risk of duplication of effort. Now, when there is a mutual exchange of experiences and findings and subsequent joint efforts are undertaken, the efficiency and effectiveness of urban forestry research is expected to be improved. A second motive for improving urban forestry coordination in Europe results from the multidisciplinary character of the new research field. It involves a range of disciplines including horticulture, landscape architecture, urban planning, landscape ecology, social sciences, and forestry. The different perspectives and approaches can be an asset, as long as they are carefully coordinated under the common denominator of urban forestry.