Contents
Working Group 1: Envisioning resilient urban peripheries: A children-oriented landscape approach
Working Group Lead
Jeroen de Vries (LE:NOTRE Institute), Mary Christensen (University of Maryland), Anastasia Christiaki (Commonspace), Zsófia Földi (MATE)
Our local design challenge
How might we enhance nature experience for all ages in Vác’s urban periphery?
Our group will delve into the dual role of Vác as part of the Budapest Metropolitan Area and as the center of the Vác district/micro-region, focusing specifically on how urban and suburban developments can be planned to enrich nature experience for residents, with a special emphasis on children. The group will investigate how to integrate natural elements effectively into the suburban landscape to promote environmental awareness and interaction among all age groups.
Local dynamics
Dual influence: The strategic location of Vác invites a complex layer of urbanisation affecting both its landscape and the nature experience available to its community. Our group will explore how Vác can manage its growth while enhancing its green spaces and natural environments.
Environmental challenges: As green infrastructure competes with urban expansion, there is an urgent need to design and preserve spaces that foster rich, immersive nature experiences, particularly for young residents. The group will focus on how these spaces can serve educational and recreational purposes, promoting a lifelong relationship with the natural world.
Nature experience: Prioritising nature experience in urban planning, this group will explore innovative ways to integrate nature into Vác’s suburban areas. This includes the creation of parks, nature trails, and interactive green spaces that are accessible and engaging for children and adults alike.
Community engagement: Engaging the local community in the design and use of these spaces is crucial. The group will look into participatory planning processes that involve residents, especially families and educational institutions, to ensure that these green spaces meet the needs and aspirations of those who use them.
Objectives:
- To identify strategies that preserve and enhance green infrastructure in suburban settings, providing safe and engaging nature experiences for children and the wider community.
- To use the suburban landscape of Vác as a canvas for innovative ecological and recreational planning that supports biodiversity and nature experience
- To foster community involvement and ownership over local green spaces, encouraging an active and sustainable relationship with the natural environment.
- To develop guidelines for integrating educational and recreational elements into suburban green spaces, ensuring they cater to the developmental needs of children and provide value to all community members.
Expected outcomes:
- A strategic framework for the children-oriented approach in Vác
- Ideas for local design interventions showing where and how the concepts can be applied
- Linking Vác to good practice cases and transfer of knowledge to the local community
- Some local interventions with prototypes of the design ideas in cooperation with cross-cutting group 6 on democratic landscape transformation