Culture&Territories#3

Neighbourhood & City
and nature concerns in Germany, many people disapprove succession areas and
spontaneous vegetation (Jessel & Tobias, 2002) as their sense of cleanliness might be
disturbed (DUH 2014; 8). Regarding the plant species, in urban environment a
numerous non-native species can be found, species that are well adapted to the urban
conditions and therefore may be considered as appropriate. Many of these species
are also valued by the inhabitants because of their decorative effect. Among
these plants, there are also species that due to pollen or nectar production serve as
food source for less specialized insect species. From conservation viewpoint, the
ecological value of such species might be not very high and unacceptable in open
landscape, but in the city, they can make a valuable contribution. Urban areas count
on a variety of existing and possible greenspaces, from gardens to parks, from roadside
greenery to large roofs of office buildings and from representative institutional
gardens to trendy vertical gardens, to name few. Besides these public areas, there is
a bunch of private and semi-private open spaces, such as private gardens, community
and allotments gardens, corporate gardens, parking lots or club grounds, which, if
properly prepared and maintained, could be meaningfully incorporated into the green
infrastructure, thus enhancing urban biodiversity. Not all types of green can be
redesigned towards more biodiversity but in a balanced mix, even a proportion of
rather “sterile” green will not be critical. To achieve such balance, specifications can
be made in the context of land use planning, as prescribing the implementation of
trees or of green roof surfaces. The focus should not be placed on specific species
but on measures to be applied more broadly, encouraging citizens to convert
backyards or unused spaces into “wilder” areas. Therefore, every single project
requires an intensive consideration of the respective situation on site and the
general biodiversity goals. Fostering biodiversity richness in downtown areas raises
various questions. However, they offer various opportunities for improvement.
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Social Aspects & Neighbourhoods
The social context requires an intensive interaction with the inhabitants. Rising
awareness and integrating people into the efforts to foster biodiversity is seen as
a way of urban development to move forward into more sustainability, collaborative
approach and greater connectivity. A collaborative approach can be achieved more
easily at a neighbourhood level, as the neighbourhood is the first point of contact
with the city and changes can be experienced immediately and at a very personal
scale. It is at this level that liveability and cohesiveness become apparent, as well
as (perceived) deterioration and (in)security. The proximity of inhabitants and urban
fabric calls for drawing attention to the importance of place-specific factors, which
may also be effective in promoting biodiversity, as the inhabitants know their
neighbourhood best, and local context has a strong link to physical fabric. Even
though community actions at this level need to be in general conformity with the
core strategies of higher-tier plans, here the local knowledge can be put into
practice. When engagement works out well, if inhabitants find changes in their