Urban Nature Plans+
Enhancing Urban Nature Plans to Mainstream Biodiversity in SocietyThe EU Biodiversity Strategy calls on all European cities and towns above 20,000 inhabitants to develop an "Urban Nature Plan", including measures to create biodiverse and accessible urban green space (including urban forests, parks, treelined streets …).
Urban Nature Plans+ (UNPplus) aims to support the cities and towns to develop and implement these plans, mainstreaming and strengthening biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural capital in urban policies, urban communities and urban economics. Together with 11 academic partners and 5 European cities (Barcelona, Paris, Burgas, Mannheim, Belgrade), UNPplus is exploring innovations and barriers related to Urban Nature Plans.
The aim is to create a multi-scale framework that helps local authorities to integrate existing policies, measures and strategies related to urban greening across multiple scales (urban, peri-urban, landscape) and mainstream biodiverse urban nature as a priority across municipal departments and sectors (e.g., housing, mobility, utilities, and public health). UNP+ will take learning from this process to bridge gaps, foster collaboration, and propel a next-generation strategy for urban ecosystem transformation, aligning with the EU's Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the Nature Restoration Law.
EFI will contribute to developing the scientific foundation for the new generation of Urban Nature plans, will develop a human-ecological connectivity model for trading off developments in grey versus green infrastructure, and will evaluate the impact of Urban Nature Plans on the involvement of citizens in participatory planning, management and governance. EFI will also be developing and running the UNPplus Capacity Building Programme.
You can follow the project on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unpplus-eu/ and on X https://x.com/UNPplus
UNPplus is funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement No. 101135386). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) solely and do not necessarily reflect hose of the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Urban Nature Plans+ publications
Short brief on participatory planning and governance
Participatory planning and governance helps ensure Urban Nature Plans are locally relevant and socially just, but needs robust monitoring.
- Inclusive governance
Short brief on justice and well-being for urban nature plans
A short brief for city planners and decision-makers on integrating justice and well-being into urban nature planning.
- Inclusive governance
Co-creating nature-based solutions with commonly excluded stakeholders
Barriers, practical measures, and eight guiding principles for co-creating nature-based solutions with commonly excluded stakeholders.
- Co-created solutions
Handbook of tools for informing and monitoring urban greening strategies and nature plans
A handbook of 59 digital tools to help urban planners and policymakers inform and monitor urban greening strategies and nature plans.
- Cities
Short brief on assessment and monitoring for urban nature plans
How to select indicators, metrics, and data plans for urban nature plans, with citizens as key partners in data collection and monitoring.
- Inclusive governance
Enabling new informational landscapes for resolving nature-based solutions literacy and planning in Barcelona Metropolitan Area
A participatory process in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area mapping knowledge gaps and opportunities to support nature-based solutions planning.
- Cities
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