B.Green brings more green infrastructure to cities

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Green infrastructure solutions are essential factors in climate change adaptation and reaching carbon neutrality goals in cities. If planned well, they ensure the quality and biodiversity of urban ecosystems and promote residents’ wellbeing. B.Green project (2020-2022) aims to create an innovative data-driven and participatory model to support urban planning and implement green infrastructure solutions widely.

With a foundation in agile piloting in Kalasatama district in Helsinki and Augmented Urbans project in Tallinn, B.Green has grown from previous pilots into a wider implementation in new areas in the Baltic Sea Region. The project is funded by Interreg Central Baltic and is coordinated by Forum Virium Helsinki. The project partners are the City of Tallinn and Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre (SEI Tallinn). Project activities are carried out in a close collaboration with local urban planning teams within the cities of Helsinki and Tallinn.

Challenging the usually long timespan of large infrastructure projects, B.Green will test and develop new approaches for planning and implementing multifunctional green infrastructure solutions through piloting and agile experimentation. Solutions developed during the project include e.g. smart & clean tramway environments, natural stormwater management, pollinator highways, urban meadows and climate resilient vegetation.

With the help of digital and virtual tools, the multiple benefits of green infrastructure solutions are communicated to all levels of stakeholders in Helsinki and Tallinn, and experts from different fields are brought together around the same table with residents and academia to co-create ideas and visions for greener cities. Through these activities, cities and municipalities are provided with new tools and approaches for implementing green infrastructure solutions within the urban planning context. The project results in a joint B.Green model for planning green infrastructure, published in a handbook at the end of the project.

B.Green – Baltic Green Urban Infrastructure Planning is co-funded by Interreg Central Baltic Programme 01.02.2020 – 31.12.2022.