Abstract

This study establishes a baseline for green space management in Norwegian municipalities. The aim of a comprehensive survey sent to all Norwegian municipalities in 2017, was to describe green space management and compare municipal differences in terms of place-keeping. Place-keeping, the responsive long-term management of public spaces, is used as an analytical framework to characterise the factors that influence Norwegian municipal green space management. The survey assessed place-keeping in terms of policies and strategies, funding, evaluations, management and maintenance as well as partnerships. Although Norwegian green space managers expect budgets to remain stable, they foresee an increase in tasks, more green spaces to manage and more visitors. To maintain the quality of green spaces, managers face difficulties such as incalculable financial challenges and a lack of techniques for evaluating and measuring the quality of green space. Norwegian green space management seems to be largely operational in nature, with limited focus on a tactical level. This is reinforced by a lack of municipal strategies for managing green spaces, potentially based on tactical and operational expertise. Only one in three managers reported having a strategy to maintain green spaces, despite the fact that in the survey, the quality of green spaces was rated more highly when a strategy was in place. Strategic management is suggested as a possible way to ensure quality green space. Individual managers appear to play a key role in the initiation of green space strategies, in reaching out to the political-administrative interface for acquiring sufficient funding, and to facilitate long-term place-keeping partnerships.

Keywords

Place-keeping; Strategic green space management; Norwegian green space management

Published in

Urban Forestry and Urban Greening
2019, Volume: 44, article number: UNSP 126438

SLU Authors

• Randrup, Thomas

  • Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Wiström, Björn

  • Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable


UKÄ Subject classification

Landscape Architecture


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126438

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/101750