New research “Public participation in green urban policy: two strategies compared”

Citation

(2011), "New research “Public participation in green urban policy: two strategies compared”", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 22 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/meq.2011.08322aag.001

New research “Public participation in green urban policy: two strategies compared”

Article Type: News from the net From: Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1

The success of policy to maintain urban green areas depends on an adequate level of public participation, according to new research. The study compared two twinned European cities, Warsaw and The Hague, with different styles of green space management and found that public involvement may help maintain urban biodiversity.

The loss of green areas in many European cities is a growing concern. Urban green spaces are important for biodiversity and for citizens to “keep in touch” with nature. The study identified three ways in which governments can maintain biodiversity in urban green areas:

1. 1.

   spatial planning;

2. 2.

   planning of processes or management; and

3. 3.

   communication between scientists, planners, managers and citizens.

Whilst The Hague has an “open green policy” enabling citizens to participate in decision-making processes for urban green spaces, Warsaw city council and districts take complete responsibility for spatial planning. No ecological networks are integrated into the planning or urban projects and ecologists are not involved. The researchers have made a number of recommendations to encourage public participation: local government planning should be pro-active for the next 50-100 years to ensure continuity; management plans for individual green areas should involve citizens; a monitoring plan to evaluate the effects of management and a communication plan that includes the establishment of information desks and publications should be made.

Further details on the study are available at: www.informaworld.com/smpp/content∼content=a913285093?db=all&tab=references