Joint organiser: the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning (MESP) of Slovenia.
Celebrating the recurrence of UN-Habitat’s Urban October and the proclamation by the European Parliament of 2022 as the European Year of Greener Cities, this Policy Lab will invite critical reflection on the fundamental role of urban green for the sustainable transformation of our societies.
It will address both the importance of increasing urban green spaces and the need to improve and maintain existing green infrastructure as strategic elements of sustainable urban development.
Compared to other cities in Europe and the rest of the urban world, Slovenian cities have low population density. While densification is promoted over expansion, policy guidelines and recommendations clearly define the mandate for ensuring sufficient green areas and public open spaces. In this sense, densification should not come at the expenses of the quality of the urban space. Denser cities should be greener, offering higher quality of life to their dwellers through enhancing the multirole functions of green public spaces.
The Policy Lab will touch upon critical aspects of enhancing urban green spaces and infrastructure, including: