How green the European cities are?
The greenness of European cities has increased by 38% over the last 25 years, while globally it has grown by 12% over the same period.
According to WHO, a minimum amount of 9 square meters of green space correspond to each person. However, the national and local guidelines on the amount of public spaces are different from place to place. On average, the 40% of the surface area of European cities consists of urban green areas, with almost 18,2 square meters of public accessible green area per citizen. The 44% of Europe’s urban population lives within 300 meters of a public park.
The variety and quality of available space is important. It is also important how accessible they are for the citizens. Public spaces should be accessible and inclusive for everyone. They have to be safe and friendly for every person, including the vulnerable groups of people, such as people with disabilities and elderly.
The key to enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization is to use the land efficiently. There is a growing need to optimize the use of available space, as the inefficient use of land remains a problem.
All cities have to ensure that their citizens can use the full potential of the public green spaces. It is not enough only to provide sufficient areas, but they should take care about their maintenance and management. They have to concern about the quality of the public space, the safety, the accessibility to all people and the financial issues for their creation and maintenance.
Our project Co-Education in Green aims to empower adult educators in community education, giving emphasis on environmental and accessibility issues for people with disabilities. They will become leaders in their local communities and promote cooperative projects of transformation of shared spaces into greener and more accessible areas for all.
Socios
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Proj.no: 2020-1-LT01-KA204-077953
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