Green infrastructure in strategic spatial plans: conceptualization and representation

Green infrastructure (GI) has been described as a hybridized, umbrella, or most often, holistic concept (Mell et al., 2017; Wright, 2011). Not only increasingly popular, but also evolving at a fast pace, many scholars emphasize the dynamic and multi-layered understanding of GI as evolving from backgrounds of the people engaged in GI research and planning (Lennon, 2015).
Although a grounded set of principles, such as multi-functionality, multi-scaling, diversity of green objects, connectivity of green areas, are recognized as providing basis for the holistic approach (Hansen and Pauleit, 2014; Rouse and Bunster-Ossa, 2013), there is a variance of how the principles are addressed at different planning levels and among planning systems.
The aim of the research is to reveal if and how conceptualizations and representations of the GI concept converge to reflect the normative holistic approach. By focusing on strategic spatial plans of European urban regions, the study`s objectives are to: 1) determine how GI is conceptualized in the plans, and 2) analyse how elements of GI are visually represented. To fulfil the objectives, we gather empirical evidence on strategic GI planning in 14 European urban regions. Spanning form the Nordic countries to the Mediterranean, the case studies are representative for different European planning systems.
A content analysis of the strategic plans is carried out according to a protocol which contains five pre-defined items. Conceptualization aspects are analysed through items which address how GI is: 1) defined; 2) integrated within the overall planning strategy, and 3) conceived to cover multiple functions and scales. Representation aspects relate to: 4) complexity and abstraction of maps which display the GI, and 5) depicted GI elements. Additionally, supplementary documentation on strategic GI planning (e.g. assessment reports, implementation guidelines) and existing scientific literature are consulted to better understand the planning context in each case study. We focus on urban region planning because it is described as the planning level for which GI planning has been strongly advocated, and where GI can be most successfully implemented.
Our study goes beyond local assessments and theoretical interpretations of GI and provides an European comparison for the urban region level. The results are expected to shed more light on diversity of interpretations of GI in the European context. Preliminary results highlight different conceptualizations as linked to established (e.g. green areas for built-up containment) or emerging (e.g. climate change) policies relevant at urban region level. Visual representations of the GI network focus on core areas, such as parks or other large scale green elements, while corridors and stepping stones are less often displayed. Findings could provide insights into best practices for incorporating GI into strategic spatial plans.