Maria Paula CANON BERMUDEZ, Marianne Egeborg ALBØGE, Emma VIBE, Twisttmann JØRGENSEN, Lise LOWENSTEEN, Julie NIELSEN, Steven SINGH and Nóra TOMBOR

Institution: University of Copenhagen – Denmark

Contact: maria.cpb@hotmail.com, gsd270@alumni.ku.dk, rvc563@alumni.ku.dk, gcw477@alumni.ku.dk, kfp917@alumni.ku.dk, rsw879@alumni.ku.dk, wrj701@alumni.ku.dk

Keywords: Urban Forest, Green Spaces, Biocultural Diversity, Cultural Landscapes, Co-designed Forest

This study focuses on how urban green areas support social and ecological resilience in the social housing area of Urbanplanen in Copenhagen, Denmark. Urbanplanen is home to diverse cultural groups sharing the same green space and therefore the quality and accessibility of the green infrastructure is relevant and in focus. Based on spatial analysis and semi-structured interviews with residents and a survey, the current social-ecological interactions in Urbanplanen have been analyzed. Results of the study reveal that green spaces have become a tool to encourage social and ecological resilience in Urbanplanen. Communal activities within green space as well as incentives for active citizenship aim to preserve and encourage past and new cultural interactions between social groups and nature. However, most of these activities are designed for communal use of specific groups in Urbanplanen, which has led to the marginalization of young people who do not get involved in the active management and care for green space. These results highlight a need for increased focus on environmental justice, specifically procedural and representative aspects of green equity.

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