Plans for urban green infrastructure in Scandinavia

Abstract

Scandinavian countries are often mentioned as forerunners in sustainable urban development; here, green infrastructure (GI) planning has played an important role. However, little is known about the status of GI planning at a municipal level—this paper aims to provide such knowledge. In an analysis of GI plans or municipal master plans from 24 municipalities in Scandinavia, we explored the scope of the plans, the focus of the goals/strategies, the terminology, and the measures for access to green spaces. The results show that all the municipalities had strategies for GI, but only 60% had a GI plan or a similar “greenspace” document. Social values were the main focus of the plans, particularly recreation and access. GI was a concept more commonly used in practice compared with ecosystem services. The findings confirm a common Scandinavian approach to urban GI planning, which provides a relevant general frame for future globally strategic GI planning.