From September 16 to 18, 2021, the green associations will be guests at the federal congress “Resilient Urban Greenery” in the BUGA city of Erfurt.
A specialist congress from September 16 to 18, 2021 in Erfurt is dedicated to the increasingly important topic of resilient urban green spaces. The aim is to answer the question of how planners can design urban green spaces in such a way that they can cope with numerous requirements. The Federal Congress on Resilient Urban Greenery is being organized by the green trade associations and the German Conference of Gardening Officers.
The requirements for greenery in the urban environment are diverse. On the one hand, the plants, trees and shrubs used must be robust enough to withstand the growing number of visitors. The coronavirus pandemic has changed our social lives in the last two years in particular. In terms of urban greenery, the pandemic has meant that a relatively large number of people have spent much more time in parks and urban forests than before. This means, for example, that an extraordinary amount of garbage has ended up in urban green spaces. People were also barbecuing a lot more than before. There were also parties and raves in nature reserves and forests.
The crowds pose a completely new challenge for the green space authorities, planners and gardening and landscaping companies. There is also a second aspect that concerns the resilience of urban green spaces. This is because urban districts should also have a positive impact on the health of the people who live there. In times when sealed surfaces are spreading more and more, green open spaces are becoming increasingly important.
However, it is not only people who have a major influence on the well-being of urban greenery. Defying climate conditions is a far greater task for urban greenery. The climate is constantly changing and takes on different characteristics every year. The search for plants and trees that can cope well with the changing climate is becoming increasingly urgent.
For example, we need to find drought-resistant trees for our cities. The trend is towards hotter and drier climates in cities. Sealing and denser building development further promote heat build-up. Trees play a very important role here. One demand is for greater biodiversity. The aim is to ensure a healthy tree population.
In this context, a research project entitled “Urban Green 2021” is underway. The project manager is Dr. Susanne Böll. The Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry is funding the project, which is looking at and testing tree species that can cope with the problems of the future. These include aesthetic requirements, diseases caused by moths, for example, or the risk of breakage.
The experimental tree species include trees from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, North America and Asia. The selected tree species are planted in three representative climatic regions in Bavaria. They are being tested for their suitability as urban trees in a long-term trial. In addition to this project, ten other tree species have been part of the trial since 2015. They were also selected according to their climate resistance.
Green associations campaign for resilient urban greenery
This year’s national congress will take place in Erfurt from September 16 to 18. The participating green associations have jointly committed themselves to the topic of resilient urban greenery. The associations are: the Bundesverband beruflicher Naturschutz (BBN), the Bund deutscher Landschaftsarchitekten (bdla), the Bundesverband Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau (BGL), the Deutsche botanische Gesellschaft (DBG), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gartenkunst und Landschaftskultur (DGGL), the Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau (FLL) and the Vereinigung für Stadt-, Regional- und Landesplanung (SRL).
On behalf of the associations, the German Conference of Gardening Officers (GALK) invites you to the joint national congress. The conference will take place in the Carl-Zeiss-Saal in the Congress Center at Messe Erfurt. BUGA Erfurt is currently taking place in Erfurt. It has been running since April 23 and will end on October 10, 2021.
A view of the urban greenery from many perspectives
The first two days are reserved for the individual associations. On September 15 and 16, the respective members will have time to arrive. The corresponding program contents and conference schedules for the individual associations can be found in their communications.
The joint national congress will therefore start on September 17. The head of the Erfurt Garden and Cemetery Office will talk about how his office is making its way into the present and how it is changing to meet the challenges. This will be followed by a look at the city of Essen. This will focus on the importance of public green spaces in times of pandemic.
The location of the Federal Congress will be the subject of another presentation. The three locations of BUGA Erfurt, namely the Petersberg fortress, the egapark garden monument and the Geraaue, are given special mention and presented here.
The call for “More green for a healthy city!” follows. The planners will also discuss the question of whether completely different street trees are needed to meet the diverse requirements of modern and resilient urban greenery. On September 17, they will also discuss how nature conservation associations can get involved when it comes to designing public green spaces.
Concrete measures for action
Finally, the FLL will present its “Sustainable open spaces” guidelines. The guideline looks at the entire life cycle. The open space is viewed from different perspectives. The authors address important aspects of sustainable planning. It also deals with the construction, maintenance and development of such a sustainable open space. The guide also offers a collection of sustainability criteria. In this way, the degree of sustainability can be objectively assessed.
Two of the BUGA venues will be the destination of two excursions on the last day of the congress. The Geraaue and Petersberg invite you to take a final tour.
Would you like to find out about the special features of BUGA Erfurt 2021 before the Federal Congress? We accompanied the BUGA Erfurt opening and can give you our impressions.
