The Centre of Vocational Excellence - Green Cities 2030+ (hereinafter referred to as CoVE) at the Agricultural College and Secondary Agricultural School Benešov (hereinafter referred to as VOŠ and SZeŠ Benešov) prepared and carried out a survey within the framework of the international project European Platform for Urban Greening (hereinafter referred to as EPLUG), in which the school represents the Czech Republic, by which the environmental departments of municipalities with extended competence (hereinafter referred to as municipalities) in the Central Bohemian Region were addressed.
The aim of the survey was to map how urban greenery is cared for at the level of individual municipatilities, to share their examples of good practice, to assess the importance of urban greenery and to identify the educational priorities of municipalities in the area of establishing, maintaining and developing urban greenery.
The survey was carried out and evaluated between May and June 2024 and a total of ten municipalities participated.
The results of the survey will be presented within the EPLUG project and will be used to set CoVE’s educational objectives and priorities in the next period from 2025 onwards.
Summary of the survey results and its contribution
The survey, in which a total of ten municipalities with extended powers in the Central Bohemia Region participated, confirmed the assumption that the majority of s are committed to the development of urban greenery and not just its maintenance. Several examples of good practice were given and in three cases there was also a willingness to share the implemented projects. For the purpose of setting methodological recommendations and next steps in the EPLUG project and the CoVE – Green Cities 2030+ activities, it appears to be extremely valuable to confirm in particular the priorities in the area of further professional training of staff participating in or directly carrying out activities in the field of establishment, maintenance and development of urban green spaces. These priorities coincide with the priorities set by the CoVE at the Benešov College and School of Higher Education and all the foreign partners involved in the EPLUG project. The results confirmed the assumption of a majority consensus of the municipalities on the importance of urban greenery, such as climate protection and improvement, improving the aesthetic appearance of cities and towns and biodiversity conservation.
The professional training needs of urban green practitioners were also confirmed in the priority themes, where the theme “water management” clearly dominated, followed by “sustainable urban and municipal development”, “biodiversity conservation” and “climate protection”. In their comments, some municipalities also indicated problems that municipalities have to face, such as the lack of professional and motivated staff in the field of urban greenery.
The individual examples of good practice given by the local authorities in the survey are undoubtedly inspiring, especially those which the local authorities have shown a willingness to share with other local authorities and organisations within the region, the country and internationally. The presentation of successful projects of some municipalities can be a good impulse and motivation for others that did not participate in this survey and many of which have certainly implemented various projects in the field of urban greenery, which would also deserve to be mapped and shared by the professional and lay public and would be a good presentation of individual municipalities and the results of their care for urban greenery and efforts to improve the quality of life of their citizens. One of CoVE’s objectives in the next period from 2025 will therefore be to further develop communication with municipalities and their environmental departments in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Agriculture of the Central Bohemian Region.
The survey and its results will be presented in the framework of the EPLUG project and provided to the partner organisations in the project, and will also be made available to all municipalities in the Central Bohemian Region and to the Department of Environment and Agriculture of the Central Bohemian Region for possible use.
Detailed results of the survey are presented in the attached documents in Czech and English versions:
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