Spatial accessibility to urban green spaces in Brussels Capital Region and its surroundings

Blog, Nature-based solutions, Urban forests

Spatial accessibility to urban green spaces in Brussels Capital Region and its surroundings

29 June 20210

The benefits of urban green spaces (UGS) are significant for increasing the rate of physical activities, general improvement of health and ensuring an improved socialization culture in a society. The associated benefits are also essential for quality of life and wellbeing improvement. However, in many cases, UGS and therefore the benefits they provide are unevenly distributed in cities, which raises issues of environmental justice.

Blog, Nature-based solutions, Urban forests

Leisure or motorised traffic in Brussels Central Park? Who wants what

15 June 20210

About a year ago, I introduced in this blog Brussels’s Bois de la Cambre and the contention that was taking place to maintain or not motorised traffic through the park. In the post’s conclusion I was reflecting on the fact that, despite an apparent consensus on the importance of urban forests, in scarce urban land choices need to be made to arbitrate between mismatching priorities, ranging from providing space for leisure and the possibility to enjoy nature, to granting privileges to a country’s elites, or develop motorized mobility infrastructure.

Blog, Nature-based solutions

The meaning of CLEARING HOUSE

24 May 20210

In a world with an increasing population and urbanisation, forests and urban green spaces are critical elements for making cities more sustainable, greener and healthier places to live. During this interview you will learn about citizens perceptions and usage patterns of forests and urban green spaces through different geographical contexts.

Blog

Nature at the heart of the new normal: interview with Ukkel’s deputy mayor

4 November 20200

Photo: Ev-Atsug Kopé-Yanss, Comité Parc Raspail

This blogpost is based on an interview conducted by CLEARING HOUSE researcher Nicola da Schio with Maëlle De Brouwer, deputy mayor of the city of Ukkel in charge of Green Spaces, in the Brussels Capital Region. Just after the first project workshop, Mme De Brouwer spoke about what the city did with its green spaces in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and about her vision for the future of Ukkel.

Blog

Why not hold more classes outdoors?

17 June 20200

This article is an English translation of the original version in Catalan.

The European project CLEARING HOUSE has launched a survey of primary and secondary school teachers throughout Catalonia to discover whether or not they hold classes outdoors, what they feel the drawbacks or obstacles are to doing so, and in what subject areas they bring up urban green spaces.