Green Visions: Greenspace Planning and Design in Nordic Cities

Selected authors and acclaimed landscape architects from around the Nordic Region came together to critically discuss the role of planning and design of public greenspace, both for today and for the future of Nordic sustainable cities. Nordic cities are renowned for promoting accessibility to greenspace, both in terms of preserving natural landscapes as well as establishing green public space within highly developed areas. At the same time, multiple pressures threaten our access to urban green and recreative spaces. Increasing liberal planning approaches are further commodifying land, and even lasting good practices are under development pressure. Ethnic and economic segregation has also led to significant intra-urban spatial disparities in terms of access to high quality green and recreation space. Green Visons explores and evaluates the historical pathways, contemporary development, and future outlook for planning, design, and policy-making of green and recreational cities in the Nordic Region. Landscape architects, planners, policymakers, and active citizens will learn from practitioners who share decades of knowledge regarding the aesthetics, functionality, and significance of urban greenspaces throughout Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Readers within the Nordic Region and abroad will find an in-depth exploration of urban greenspace that will inspire and incite curiosity over the future of urban greenspaces. As cities navigate contemporary urban challenges and prepare for uncertain futures with regards to climate change, urban densification, and social inequities, the insights from the book act as review and vision for sustainable urban planning and design.