SLU speech about green cities at regional commission of UN

Earlier this week professor Thomas Randrup made a presentation at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Regional Forum on Sustainable Development.
 
Thomas talked about how certain management paradigms shapes cities today and how it has led to an operational focus on green spaces and urban trees. In recent years a new paradigm has emerged, - New Public Governance - now also focusing on how to tackle the many complex societal problems including climate change, biodiversity loss, human health and well-being etc. However, city organizations tend to organize themselves in silos, which is contradicting the new movements. Therefore, there is a need, Thomas argues, for a long-sighted, strategic management approach in setting up cities for an inclusive green future.
 
To do so, a new and more holistic approach to management is required. A system approach in which the trees, the managing organizations, and the users plays an equal part. Cities need to move from primarily asking the question of How to deliver services for the users, to also ask Why such services should be delivered – and thus make sure that engagement and involvement of users is added to the future combined governance and management approach.
 

See the presentation (PDF)