Strategic Planning for Urban Nature

The main objective of the course is to provide a theoretical introduction to the governance (planning, management, and steering of decision making processes) of public urban green spaces from an adaptive and community-based planning perspective. These course objectives are supported through case-based group work resulting in a written urban green space governance plan at the end of the block. In this course we work with "real-world" cases often engaging directly with a municipality, community groups, and parks organizations thus we aim to move from theory to praxis within the course.

The course is integrated in the Master program in Landscape Architecture, yet is also highly relevant for students studying Nature Management, Sustainable Urban Development, Climate Resiliency, and or other topics relating to urban sustainability.

After completing the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge:

- Describe and challenge relevant theories related to the combination of urban governance, landscape urbanism, green space management, and urban green infrastructure planning and how they relate to real-world practice.
-Describe and challenge, using relevant models, the actors and aspects involved in urban green space planning and governance within a basic democratic system.
- Reflect upon the different user groups, their wishes and needs, and possible conflicts between different user groups.
-Summarize and complicate the various benefits of urban green spaces.
-List relevant methods of resident engagement and co-creation and reflect upon their suitability in different situations.
- Describe in detail how an adaptive green space governance plan may be structured, and developed over time.

Skills:

- Read and analyze peer-reviewed scientific publications
- Make oral presentations of preformed analyses, developed visions and planned actions
- Structure reports and presentations in a professional manner
- Select and asses relevant information for the course project
- Discuss central tools, their scope and values in relation to green space governance.
- Obtain new methodological insights into the collection of urban green space data
- Develop a green space governance plan, including both short and long term visions and related means to fulfill the plan.

Competences:

-Work independently
-Cooperate effectively in a multidisciplinary and multicultural group with a common project
-Apply the course theory to related subjects and/or to different work situations, e.g. in other countries