I just learned today via province-level (‘voivodeships’- of which Poland has 16) place marketing that Szczecin, capital of the West Pomeranian Province (Zachodniopomorskie) has a total of 16 parks and 93 green areas.
I snapped the photo below on my 2nd visit to the city this past March, when all the nature areas seemed to be ‘coming alive’. No doubt this area, along with much of the city, is a rich verdant green right now….
I was very impressed with the level of nature I saw in the city. Issues of Biophilic Urbanism (integration of nature and biodiversity in urban fabric and built environment) are of deep interest to me, in fact, at the heart of my ‘academic interest’ in cities as well as personal preference (for green, nature-rich cities).
I am relocating to Szczecin next month, where I will also be activating the Pedestrian Space ‘Sustainable Urbanism & Planetary Health’ Curriculum with local pilots engaging school-age children and educators in issues of sustainable urban development and urban resilience.
While I look forward to activating this locally, Pedestrian Space is also open to international cooperation and collaborative research and projects on diverse topics. Issues of intensifying urban heat in cities across the world, the effect on quality of life and public health, as well as walkability, are of intense interest to me as an NGO founder as well as urban researcher. We are open to collaborations and proposals that examine these issues, explore and present solutions, as well as engage the public in communication about nature preservation and urban transformation related to resilience.
📮 Write to info@pedestrianspace.org if you would like to explore collaboration or a project proposal
~Annika
The graphic here highlights the ‘Nature’ element of the Pedestrian Space ‘Sustainable Urbanism & Planetary Health’ curriculum, but the reality, of course, is that Biophilic Urbanism connects to all of the other modules too. The curriculum will be based on an approach that also helps youth and educators understand the interconnectedness.
I have also been developing an approach with this curriculum that is very suitable for university-level workshops and studios, especially those that welcome students of different disciplines.