Title of the symposium:
Implementing the Green Infrastructure Approach in Central Europe and beyond
Detail of organizer(s):
Responsible
| Name: | Marco |
| Surname: | Neubert |
| m.neubert@ioer.de | |
| Organisation/Affiliation: | Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development |
| Telephone: | +49 351 4679-274 |
| Country: | Germany |
| Address: | Weberplatz 1, 01217 Dresden |
Co-organizer(s)
Co-organizer
| Name: | Thomas |
| Surname: | Wrbka |
| Email: | thomas.wrbka@univie.ac.at |
| Organisation/Affiliation: | University Vienna – Division for Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology |
| Address: | Rennweg 14, A-1030 Vienna |
| Country: | Austria |
Co-organizer
| Name: | Hana |
| Surname: | Skokanova |
| Email: | hanka@skokan.net |
| Organisation/Affiliation: | Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Department of Landscape Ecology |
| Address: | Lidicka 25/27, 602 00 Brno |
| Country: | Czech Republic |
Co-organizer
| Name: | Henriette |
| Surname: | John |
| Email: | h.john@ioer.de |
| Organisation/Affiliation: | Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development |
| Address: | Weberplatz 1, 01217 Dresden |
| Country: | Germany |
Symposium abstract
The concept of Green (and Blue) Infrastructure raises more and more attention as an alternative draft of the often technical infrastructure-oriented planning system. The concept follows the ecosystem services approach and incorporates the multiple social, economic and environmental benefits provided by green infrastructure. It underpins human well-being and quality of life. The concept has been widely used in the urban environment. With the EU Strategy on Green Infrastructure that was implemented in 2013 this concept has spread also to the wider landscape to cope with the major future challenges like halting the biodiversity loss, sustainable growth or climate change mitigation and adaptation. Several European countries adopted own strategies, programmes or action plans to promote and implement the concept of Green Infrastructure, e.g. France (2011), Poland (2014), Lower Austria (2015) and Germany (2017). The most developed implementation approach can be found in United Kingdom, where Green Infrastructure is part of the National Planning Policy Framework since 2012. In other countries its implementation is somewhat lacking. One of the causes may be quite a lot of existing understandings or definitions explaining what Green (and Blue) Infrastructure is and also a lack of guidelines how to map it and analyse its functions. In addition, transferable practical implementation strategies are missing currently. The inter-link of the green infrastructure concept with other existing concepts like ecological networks (e.g. territorial system of ecological stability in the CZ and SK) may help to force this process.
Therefore, recent challenges are to develop unified, easy-to-use methods for mapping, evaluating and assessing green infrastructure, its functions, and public benefits. Furthermore, methods how to identify the specific local needs for green infrastructure and its benefits are necessary. Finally, strategies and action plans for the practical implementation of green infrastructure and where to best invest into green infrastructure need to be developed.
How your symposia will improve landscape ecology science?
Ecosystem functions and services, green spaces quality or migration corridors – to mention just a few – are main integrative landscape parts of landscape ecology science. The symposium will contribute to and stimulate the discussion of the Green Infrastructure concept by capitalising on experiences from ongoing research projects (eg. MaGICLandscapes – Managing Green Infrastructure in Central European Landscapes) and will improve its understanding. A focus will be on its implementation in the wider (not only urban) landscape, necessary data and mapping activities as well as tools to evaluate services or benefits. Several good practice examples from different regions will be presented during the symposium. Unified, easy-to-use methods to map and assess GI and functionality at different scales will be shown/demonstrated.
Broad thematic areas
Broad thematic areas 1st choice: Green and blue infrastructures
Broad thematic areas 2nd choice: Landscape ecosystem functions and services
Free Keywords
Green infrastructure mapping, green infrastructure assessment, green infrastructure benefits, green infrastructure implementation
Outcomes of symposium
Special issue in a scientific journal (to be negotiated)
