Cities thinking like a forest

Ecological city garden (Lars Soerink - Vildaphoto)

Details

Realizing more and better urban nature requires a human-inclusive approach and adaptation to the local context. ‘Nature fabric planning’ (NFP) is a methodology and process that enables such an approach. Local coalitions tailor urban nature to their neighborhood through a process of envisioning, implementation and management. The aim is to increase biodiversity and the quality of life in urban spaces. The methodology applies a bottom-linked approach in which the government takes up a facilitating role to promote participative and democratic values. The decision-making and implementation happens through the local coalition, to create more local ownership for urban nature projects. The approach of NFP will be developed and tested through a combination of pilot projects and learning trajectories. The starting point of NFP is the large diversity in which (urban) nature can be valued. The local coalitions bring together different knowledge, expertise and perspectives. Through a co-creative process on neighborhood level, a vision is formed that is sensitive to the local context and receives support from the local community. Then, an action and management plan will be made to realize the vision on the ground. Nature fabric planning is an initiative of the Flemish Agency for Nature and Forest (ANB). In the first phase ANB and INBO worked together on a research design. In the second phase, INBO developed a monitoring strategy that enables the local coalitions to follow up on the impacts of their project and to monitor the planning and decision-making process in a participatory manner. The monitoring strategy will be tested and refined in the pilot projects of NFP. Read more about nature tissue planning and the various stages on the website of ANB (Dutch only): https://www.natuurenbos.be/dossiers/natuurweefselplanning-voor-meer-en-betere-stedelijke-natuur#toc-wat-is-natuurweefselplanning-