Lecture on the future of green spaces

The economic value of trees is a powerful tool in many contexts, whether it is protecting trees in construction projects, assessing damages in cases of illegal felling, or communicating the benefits of trees to decision-makers and the public.

Climate change and biodiversity loss are placing new demands on how we manage and plan our parks and green spaces. This lecture provides inspiration and concrete examples of how park management can become more sustainable, resilient and nature-friendly, without compromising on function or aesthetics.

Course content

We present solutions that can be adapted to different resources and levels of ambition, with a focus on:

• Biological diversity

• Climate change adaptation

• Long-term care

Three levels of work effort

To make the content easy to put into practice, the solutions are divided by scope:

• Small interventions - e.g. changing mowing regimes or choosing perennials

• Medium-scale operations - e.g. creation of a meadow or pond

• Major interventions - e.g. redesigning entire park environments

The lecture also includes examples from different environments and geographical contexts, giving a broad picture of what is possible, regardless of the site conditions.