Nordic cities are renowned for accessibility to greenspace, in terms of preserved natural landscapes, maintained green corridors within cities, and green public spaces with multifunctional recreational opportunities. Yet, Nordic cities cannot rest on their previous successes – new experiences, technologies and proven good practices are evolving, and they will influence how we interact in cities and inspire future projects that are needed to improve the urban greenspace accessibility for city dwellers. At the same time, Nordic cities are under multiple pressures that threatens access to urban green and recreative spaces: pressure to densify with new housing, increasingly liberal planning approaches that further commodifies land, and ethnic and economic segregation.
The aim of this project is to bring forward new planning and design visions for the green and recreative city, and thereby contribute to the development of sustainable Nordic cities. This project will analyze, discuss and develop new visionary knowledge on the preservation and design of public green spaces and recreational spaces for Nordic cities. It will include national expert reviews of current planning and design practices as well as workshops both scrutinizing the current situation and developing future visions of the green and recreational city.