1st Meeting: April 30th, 2022
Group Leads: Alvaro Contente & Annika Lundkvist
Present: Dr. Salma Samaha, Annika Lundkvist, Nicole Roberts & Desiree Azul
Some of the topics established as core themes for the group:
- Urban heat islands
- How nature-based solutions can be a critical part of the equation for developing healthy cities & communities
- The role of green spaces for climate-resilient urbanism
- How the pandemic exposed great inequity in access to green space in many cities
- Equity in tree coverage & shaded paths
At the meeting, Nicole shared about the ‘Straza’ project that Car Free St Pete (the campaign she is working with), with some renderings and a group chat about what types of green spaces they are envisioning developing there.
ACTION ITEM!
FIND A LOCAL ALLY IN THE MUNICIPALITY & ADVOCACY COMMUNITY
For those who are interested in participating, an action item to engage with prior to next month’s meeting: find a local ally in the municipality engaged with issues related to this group. Reach out to the municipal agency involved with public parks and green spaces to see who you can field concerns to about existing issues in your community. (If you already have established allies please feel free to share about the cultivation of that relationship at next meeting).
Also, check out what advocacy groups are working with these issues in your community and region. They could be local community groups developing (or advocating for) more community gardens, school gardens, petitioning for increased green space and parks in the city and related actions.
Visit main Working Groups page here