Background and objectives
If we think about nature conservation or increasing essential ecosystem services we usually think of protected areas, conserving valuable ecosystems such as forests and wetlands, or maintaining rural landscapes. But can cities also help achieve biodiversity goals and targets? This largely depends on the amount, the quality and management of urban green infrastructure. However, the potential of cities to help protect biodiversity and ecosystem services is likely underestimated.
This conference aims to deliver a set of key messages and principles on how cities can contribute to regional, national and European biodiversity policies, goals and targets.
The conference will address the following key questions:
Conference organisers
Participants
Date and Venue
The meeting starts at 09:00 in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 15th November Street 1, 1040 Sofia. During the lunchbreak we will move to the Hotel Metropolitan, bul. "Tsarigradsko Shose" 64, 1784 Mladost 1, Sofia. Transport will be provided.
Registration
Registration for this event is closed.
For questions contact: jrc-enroute-project@ec.europa.eu
Agenda
09.00 – 09.30 | Welcome and registration |
09.30 – 10:00 | Opening by the chair of the meeting (Joachim Maes, European Commission - Joint Research Centre) Welcome by:
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10.00 – 10.45
| Plenary session 1: The importance of urban biodiversity for nature and people (Session chair: Miglena Zhiyanski)
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10.45 – 11.15 | Coffee break |
11.15 – 12.30
| Plenary session 2: Policies to enhance biodiversity in cities (Session chair: Martijn Thijssen)
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12.30 – 13.30 | Lunch (provided at the venue) and transport to hotel Metropolitan (Departure at 13.30 pm by bus – meeting point: in front of BAS) |
14.00 – 16.00
| Afternoon parallel sessions
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16.00 – 16.30 | Coffee break |
16.30 – 17.00 | Final plenary session: Making urban nature: practical examples of nature inclusive design in European cities (Niels de Zwarte, Bureau Stadsnatuur, Rotterdam) |
Parallel sessions (14:00-16:00) in hotel Metropolitan
Session 1: Urban ecosystem services and the role of urban biodiversity (session chairs: Joachim Maes and Stoyan Nedkov)
14:00 – 14:05 | Opening of the session and objectives |
14:05 – 14:20 | Session keynote: Gene flows in and through cities: relevance for the management of urban biodiversity (Joscha Beninde - University of Trier) |
14:20 – 14:35 | Antwerp Greentool: finding priority locations to improve urban biodiversity and ecosystem services (Steven Broekx, Stijn Vranckx, Inge Liekens, Iris Gommers, Griet Lambrechts - VITO and City of Antwerp) |
14:35 – 14:50 | Revealing the spatial distribution of ecosystem services in cities based on the functional traits of urban trees (Chiara Cortinovis, Claudia Alzetta, F. Agostini, A. Miola, Davide Geneletti – University of Trento) |
14:50 – 15:05 | Functional biodiversity and air pollution removal potential of urban Green Infrastructure in 5 municipalities of the Latium Region (Federica Marando, Alessandro Sebastiani, Giulia Capotorti, Lina Fusaro, Elisabetta Salvatori, Carlo Blasi, Fausto Manes – La Sapienza University) |
15:05 – 16:00 | Common discussion and drafting of key messages:
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Session 2: Citizens and urban biodiversity (session chairs: Martijn Thijssen and Tsvetina Zaharlieva)
14:00 – 14:05 | Opening of the session and objectives |
14:05 – 14:20 | Understanding the science-policy interface in planning urban green infrastructure projects (Susann Günther, Grazia Zullian, Joachim Maes, Martijn Thijssen – JRC) |
14:20 – 14:35 | Public perception of invasive alien species as a threat to urban biodiversity (Rumen Tomov, Teodora Trichkova - University of Forestry) |
14:35 – 14:50 | Nature can do more work in our habitats (Dirk van Toledo - Nature for Life Foundation) |
14:50 – 15:05 | Niels De Zwarte – Bureau Stadsnatuur |
15:05 – 16:00 | Common discussion and drafting of key messages:
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Session 3: Green infrastructure and urban biodiversity (lead) (session chairs: Grazia Zulian and Miglena Zhiyanski)
14:00 – 14:05 | Opening of the session and objectives |
14:05 – 14: 20 | Ecosystem condition and services provided by urban Green Infrastructure of Karlovo within the local policy context (Miglena Zhiyanski, Stoyan Nedkov, Rositsa Yaneva – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) |
14:20 – 14:30 | Greenway network proposal in Limassol, Cyprus (Nerantzia Tzortzi-Julia Georgi, Alexis Ioannou - Neapolis University of Pafos) |
14:30 – 14:40 | Critical biodiversity features for urban GI planning: some evidence on the plant’s side (Giulia Capotorti, Riccardo Copiz, Laura Zavattero, Federica Marando, Alessandro Sebastiani, Fausto Manes, Carlo Blasi – La Sapienza University) |
14:40 – 14:50 | Monitoring of the urban green areas in the master plan of Sofia. Initial findings and new concepts for innovations in the framework instrument (Nikolay Naydenov, Angel Burov, Dimitar Trifonov - University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy) |
14:50 – 15:00 | Urban tree management in Padova (Claudia Alzetta – City of Padova) |
15:00 – 16:00 | Common discussion and drafting of key messages:
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Travelling and practical arrangements
Book your flights to the international airport of Sofia.
Hotel suggestions:
Attention! Bulgaria is not inside the Schengen area. You need a valid ID card or passport to travel to Bulgaria.
The local currency is Bulgarian Lev. 1 euro is about 2 lev
Local transport
From the airport to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and to Hotel Metropolitan/Dream Hotel:
From the Metropolitan hotel to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS):
A travel guide is available here: Urban Mobility Center Sofia