Past Program

The right to access nature and green open spaces has been catapulted into the mainstream conscious by the COVID-19 pandemic.  How will this dramatically increased valuation of green space present itself in urban design moving forward? What role will urban parks play in the city post-pandemic?

The continuation of the Urban Parks, Urban Futures series will center around a sequence of dialogues. Each dialogue will explore a key question about the future nature of our urban parks and the cities they are in. At a pivotal moment in the history of urban design and planning these conversations aim to expand thinking on urban design, facilitate the shift from discussion to action, and create valuable, international networks of individuals and organizations working towards better urban futures.  

The dialogues will continue beyond the initial online conversations via a series of blogs and video interviews in Cities with Nature BUZZ, an ICLEI publication. 

This interactive session will explore ways in which parks and open spaces can amplify the value of nature for social cohesion and utilize their impact for recovery, posing three questions on what major challenges exist; how those challenges create new ways of thinking and what opportunities exist for innovation in planning our future cities. This session is part of The Nature of Cities Festival. 

The Session will be facilitated by:

• Mark Camley, Executive Director of Park and Venues, London Legacy Development Corporation
• Jennifer Dunn, Program & Development Associate, Salzburg Global Seminar
• Bishop Ngobeli, President, Institute of Environment and Recreation Management & Southern Africa, World Urban Parks Board Member
• Dominic Regester, Program Director, Salzburg Global Seminar