Date of label : 29/10/2024
A group of five people walking on a paved pathway in a green urban area.
Summary
Perugia (IT) boasts 8 732 401 m2 of public green spaces, including historic gardens, urban parks, neighbourhood green areas, sports fields, school gardens and wooded regions. To effectively manage this significant natural heritage, the City developed a new Urban Green Asset Strategy. This strategy is based on the collaborative planning and management of urban green and natural spaces by planners and citizens. By involving four identified target groups - urban planners, citizens, the younger generation, and business stakeholders - the model aims to enhance urban ecosystem resilience, maximise the climate mitigation potential of green spaces, and provide biodiversity and nature conservation benefits, to ultimately improve public safety, health, and wellbeing.
The solutions offered by the Good Practice
Perugia has developed and implemented an "Urban Green Asset Strategy" to improve living conditions in urban areas. This involves the planting of appropriate tree species in medium-sized cities, based on the shared planning and management of urban green spaces by urban planners and citizens.
The Strategy, designed with an ecosystem approach, has:
- Improved the climate adaptation capacity of urban ecosystems.
- Maximised the climate mitigation potential of urban green resources.
- Provided benefits for biodiversity and nature conservation, enhancing people's safety, health, and wellbeing.
It promotes co-decision planning between urban planners and local stakeholders. It involves citizens in awareness-raising activities on the role of urban green spaces in improving wellbeing, health, and safety, and on the best available techniques to maximise the benefits of green areas.
This initiative educated citizens on the climatic and ecosystem services provided by urban green areas, through popular thematic walks. These transformed citizens into active observers, helping them understand the role of urban green spaces in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and fostering a deeper awareness of green spaces.
Building on the sustainable and integrated urban approach
The integrated approach of the Urban Forest Optimisation practice tackles the different dimensions of city life.
Environmental: Climate change mitigation provided by cooling due to tree growth and shading, reducing the urban eat Iiland effect and improving local microclimates. By promoting diverse plant species, the practice enhances urban biodiversity and ecological balance. Trees also filter pollutants from the air, reducing smog and improving air quality, and aid in stormwater management by absorbing rainfall, reducing runoff and preventing flooding.
Economic: Green spaces and well-maintained urban forests can increase property values, making neighbourhoods more attractive and desirable for residents and businesses. Trees provide shade and wind protection, reducing the need for air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter, thereby lowering household and business energy costs.
Social: Access to green spaces promotes physical activity, reduces stress and enhances mental health. Urban forests and green spaces provide areas for recreation, relaxation and social interaction, contributing to overall community wellbeing. They serve as communal areas where people from diverse backgrounds can gather, fostering social interactions and strengthening community ties. Urban forests also provide educational opportunities for schools and the community.
By adopting such a comprehensive strategy, cities can create sustainable, resilient and vibrant urban environments that benefit everyone.
Based on participatory approach
Urban Forest Optimisation actions target four main groups:
Urban planners and professionals: The Urban Green Asset Strategy introduces a new approach to the management of green spaces, taking into account mitigation and adaptation to climate change
Citizens: Thematic walks increased awareness and knowledge of urban green spaces, and their role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. To participate in monitoring, citizens were trained in green surveys, recording data using the City Digital Twin tools. Citizens can also “adopt” specific green areas.
Students: New curricula were designed to increase knowlwegde of urban green spaces and the ecosystem services they provide, and on how to adopt climate and environmental responsible behaviours.
- Businesses: Engaged via workshops in the co-design and application of a new regulatory and incentive framework pursuing environmental and climate responsible business policy and practices.
What difference has it made?
The Urban Forest Optimisation project focused on enhancing the municipal urban regulatory framework for urban green space planning and management. Supported by researchers and professionals, municipality technicians revised the regulatory process to include the concept of ecosystem services, emphasising climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Another key concept is shared management of urban green assets among all the different actors of the local community. In this new model, the municipality signs “Public-private management plan” agreements with citizen associations, entrusting them with the management of urban green areas in line with the Urban Green Assets Strategy. Citizens also contribute through a citizen science approach, helping monitor and survey the urban green spaces, providing valuable data for urban planners.
The business sector is engaged via a new incentive scheme. Companies joining this agree to monitor their greenhouse gas emissions, and implement action for emission reductions, compensating through investments in new trees and shrubs in urban area.
Why this Good Practice should be transferred to other cities
The Urban Forest Optimisation project supports a range of policy frameworks common across Europe:
- UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), SDG 13 (Climate action), and SDG 15 (Life on land), by enhancing urban resilience, quality-of-life, climate change mitigation and adaptation capacity, and biodiversity.
- The Urban Agenda for the EU: By helping cities to create greener, more livable spaces and green infrastructure.
- EU Territorial Agenda 2030: By balancing development with green spaces that enhance urban-rural linkages.
To contribute to national law, the municipality manages urban green spaces through the Green Census, and the Green Regulations and Plan, the latter adopted in 2022 thanks to the Urban Green Asset Strategy.
Implementing Urban Forest Optimisation practices ensures that urban green spaces are managed sustainably, preserving natural resources for future generations. Access to green spaces also improves mental and physical health, reduces stress, and encourages physical exercise.
The project’s tools are easily replicable in other urban contexts, and can be tailored to meet the unique needs and challenges. The practice can be recalibrated, for example, depending on the climatic conditions, soil, topography, available economic resources, community needs, regulatory framework, and the tools of smart cities.
An effective transfer requires:
- Comprehensive planning.
- Stakeholder engagement.
- Supportive policies.
- Capacity building.
- Adequate funding.
- Monitoring and the use of technology and innovation.
The Urban Green Asset Strategy offers a transferable and highly adaptable model for managing urban spaces. During the project, four transfer cities were identified and they benefitted from exchanges with peers and experts. Perugia’s expertise, for example, was instrumental in transferring the model to the city of Narni.