Impact of access to nature-positive environments in promoting social cohesion and reducing inequalities in urban and peri-urban settings

Apie kvietimą

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Policymakers and civil society organisations will have robust evidence on whether inclusive management of (peri-)urban environmental commons fosters climate and societal resilience, social inclusion, wellbeing and community participation, and whether lack of access to biodiverse green and/or blue spaces exacerbates existing social inequalities (e.g. poverty, marginalisation, and low community wellbeing among vulnerable groups) and people’s sense of inequality and insecurity. Development of strategies and innovative solutions to quantify and integrate the distributional aspects of access to quality green and/or blue spaces into integrated spatial planning, accounting for non-market values when making decisions about long-term land use and (peri-) urban development with the aim of supporting nature restoration/preservation in the face of competing pressures and on-going change both in Europe and outside, while achieving a fair and equitable relationship between social groups and the environment. Scope: Proposals should focus on exploring and better understanding the relationships between access to quality green and/or blue spaces in the pursuit of social and environmental justice, community cohesion and overall social fabric. Proposals may also look at how to support fair transitions to climate-resilient communities from a climate adaptation and biodiversity perspective, ensuring a link to cohesion and social resilience. Targets, notably for urban ecosystem restoration, under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation[1] should be taken into account. Synergies with the EU Urban Agenda may also be considered. Research to date has largely focused on the benefits of nature on individuals (e.g., improved health, reduced stress), while more and up-to-date knowledge is needed on their effects at a societal level and across cultural, geographical and socioeconomic contexts as well as the range of functional needs of different groups. This topic aims to bridge the knowledge gaps surrounding a fair and equitable relationship between social groups and the environment, in particular the link between nature-as a public good and its role in fostering civic engagement that cultivates social cohesion, community wellbeing, shared identity and sense of belonging and place-making. Studies show that disadvantaged communities have fewer and lower-quality green and/or blue spaces, but less is known about the mechanisms through which access to nature-positive spaces strengthens cultural identities (at the individual and group levels), cohesion and resilience, particularly in lower-income communities and across generations. Proposals may explore: The community-level impacts of initiatives aiming to introduce green and/or blue spaces and an understanding of how intentional design and planning can help improve societal outcomes throughout the community, with special attention to how socially…