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1. The Greenscom project:
Challenges and Lessons Learned
Vanya Simeonova & Carmen Aalbers
Alterra-Wageningen University and Research Centre

2. GREENSCOM: Communicating Urban Growth and
Green Cities of Tomorrow
EU FP5
Five Research Institutes across Europe:
-Alterra (NL),
-Helsinki University of Technology (Finland);
-Building and Urban Research (Denmark);
-School of architecture, Chalmers University of
Technology (Sweden)
-FORS Social Research (France)
Seven North West European Cities:
Aarhus, Cergy Pontoise,
Gothenburg, Helsinki, Houten, Tampere, Utrecht
Fourteen case studies
,

3. Greenscom Goal
Develop and improve planning
instruments that strengthen the
integration of urban green space in
urban development of medium sized
cities in North West Europe including:
Governance of the balance
between green open spaces and
built up areas and
Ways of communication and
participation in decision making for
developing green spaces

4. Greenscom Objectives
Governance Level: Develop
Assessment Criteria for the effect
of different policy instruments on
the quality of urban green areas
and make recommendations to
improve these
Communication issues : To
analyze and evaluate the
effectiveness of communication
between professionals, politicians
and stakeholders in urban growth

5. Methodological framework
Theoretical views based on existing
knowledge about urban governance,
communication and policy instruments
Case studies
Comparative framework
Interactive workshops for joint policy
makers/researchers’ assessment of case
studies
Development of toolkit for urban planers

6. Research-Practice interface
Theory Practice
Concepts Case-studies
Themes:
-green planning and densification,
-development of urban fringe and green
-management of existing green spaces

7. Considerations for researchers and
practitioners
Balancing urban growth with green space preservation is a
problem across Europe
Use of planning instruments vary, based on cultural and
contextual differences between countries
“Green” may have various meanings in different countries
depending on land use patterns, availability of space, social
needs and cultural preferences.
Reviewing best practices underlining the specific local context
is illustrative and can be useful across Europe.

8. Main Products
Tools developed Tools applied Approach
Internet toolkit: Research tools: Collaborative
compilation of assessment approach for
planning criteria for local researchers and
instruments governmental planners to assess
based on practices, the case studies and
theoretical and communication identify the
empirical concepts, governance and
knowledge communication tools
developed by methods for needed for
researchers and green structure development and
practitioners planning in cities preservation green
together spaces

9. Framework of the toolkit
Assessment Instruments Policy scale
criteria
Socially Structural: National context
sustainable Green structure
plans, planning
Communicatively designs, impact
sustainable Local context
assessments
Interactive:
Ecologically Policy networks of
sustainable Participatory agencies, individual
planning, actors
management
contracts, PPP

10. How the work was carried out: The project as a
platform for learning?
Local authorities and research organizations
involved from the beginning to the end of the project
Sharing cultural differences regarding basic concepts
and understandings served as platform for learning
Different ways of learning were identified trough the
project for planners and researchers:
trough experiences in planning practice
trough concepts to look at relations between
planning elements and extract these from one
situation to another

11. How the work was carried out: Challenges and
barriers for collaboration with local policy makers?
Learning was confronted by the differences between the
countries as each policy maker must first draw lessons for his
local context;
Local policy makers prefer to see more situation learning and
examples (“cooking book”) in contrary to generally prescribed
tools;
Planners in the local authorities need freedom to judge which
tools to use that are relevant to certain context in their urban
area
Planners may have critical views on research but need to
undertake more initiative and articulate opinions on possible
solutions during research

12. How the work was carried out: Lessons learned by
different partners?
“We believe that the Greenscom project overall has been worth while, but
also that the theoretic-oriented part of it has been too dominating. The
researcher-angle has not, as we see it, sufficiently respected the needs of the
practitioners. (Ole Skou Rasmussen and Troels Back, November 2003)
“Research-practice cooperation is a difficult task for many reasons. Are
the outcomes destined to the practitioners or not? Do the researchers or do the
practitioners define the cases, issues, questions…? The researchers don’t
always all agree, but do the practitioners all agree?” (Elizabeth Auclair,
December 2003)”
”The ideal outcome of research-practice cooperation should have both
scientific and practical relevance. Research and practice have different aims,
making knowledge explicit and solving problems, respectively. New knowledge
may support planning practice if applied but not necessarily fully solve the
actual planning problems.” (Björn Malbert, December 2003)”

13. Towards a collaborative approach in urban planning
in Europe: Looking at the future
Intermediary phase to transfer research products into
understandable, usable product to practice-oriented stakeholders
(problem oriented)
Involving policy makers, practitioners and researchers to look at
concepts and models of communication, build knowledge forums
along the research process
Build a network of competence and trust in sustainable
relationships that last beyond the project timeframe
Maintain the communication throughout the project
The final products (toolkit) are jointly developed

14. Conclusions
The project allowed local authorities to make a self-
assessment of their current practice in planning urban green
spaces and the effectiveness of policy instruments
Comparing different practices of European cities is essential
for drawing lessons in specific context but also serves as a
platform for learning among policy makers and researchers
The project approach allowed to reflect upon existing and
theoretical concepts on governance and communication in
urban green structure planning and translate these into
planning tools

15. Thank you!
www.greenscom.com