By 2040, more than 80% of the population of developed countries will live in cities. Strengthening cities’ resilience to the climate crisis is therefore an issue that is emerging around the world and, of course, in the European Union, shaping a new approach specifically to urban green.
The aim of these policies is to promote the development of a strategic urban green management planning plan based on the scientific knowledge produced in recent years at the level of urban forestry. At the same time to improve the health and resilience of urban green spaces, through the better selection of trees, the composition of species and increased vegetation.
And lead to the definition of guidelines and indicators for the integration of climate change in the management of urban green spaces. The programs of the Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems will pilot the condition of the existing green spaces in the municipalities of the cities, especially the trees that are “stable green infrastructures”. At the same time, a climate investigation will be carried out to see how much the climate in cities has changed in the last 30 years. The primary goal is for cities to identify their weaknesses and plan how urban green will evolve in their area by identifying new areas that could enhance green infrastructure.
The crucial element is the right choice of trees and species that will be planted in empty plots of cities. The effort should be focused on which species are healthier and adaptable to the conditions of the urban environment in order to make better choices in planting. Trees that do not have high water needs that do not need serious care and effort to survive.
The choices should be made with planting that works spatially and not decoratively. Until now, the emphasis was on lawns, flowering, etc. Now, especially in the EU and the US, this has changed completely. In Hyde Park, for example, when the lawn was destroyed by drought, no one even thought of installing an irrigation system to restore it.
The main tool of the experts are the trees, mainly the deciduous ones. In addition to enhancing biodiversity and intensifying seasonal changes, trees provide shade and coolness while promoting the development of an ecosystem. Regarding the sustainability of urban green, the three issues that should concern experts are soil quality, compost and biological control. Sustainable water management and modern drainage systems are now taken seriously in the design as a means of water retention. We find all this mainly in large private projects and it is certain that the green services of cities should be inspired by creative people and move in a new logic that concerns the public space.
