Berlin forefront of urban green

As one of the cities represented in the Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services project (URBES), coordinated by Stockholm Resilience Centre, Berlin has much to show when it comes to development, policy and strategies for enhancing green areas.

Green initiatives across the city are enabling people from all walks of life to get involved, and through for example local gardening and education projects adults and children alike are connecting to nature and creating spaces of development and prerequisites for social equality.

Berlin is expected to grow by a quarter of a million people in the next 15 years.

The video Berlin – A thriving city embraces its green spaces shows that insightful decision making and actions from city administration, preserving urban biodiversity and giving unrestricted access to urban green and blue space in Berlin, is of great importance for the city’s sustainable future.

A multi-city project Researchers at the Centre are coordinating the URBES-project and are also conducting studies in Stockholm, as one of the cities connected to the project.

"Together with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), we are developing a professional communication and training programme, and will actively link to important policy mechanisms and contribute to global partnership," says Thomas Elmqvist, researcher and project coordinator.