SUR Lab announced the research focus for 2023

SUR Lab, directed by Professor Edoardo Croci, and operating through an interdisciplinary research team, was created in 2021 to develop and spread knowledge, methods, and best practices about Sustainable Urban Regeneration processes and the ways in which they generate value for the private sector and society in general. This means, specifically, to assess the main drivers of sustainable urban regeneration projects, considering their impact on the environment, economy and society. These three dimensions in today’s world must be considered together because, far from being in conflict, they reinforce each other.

This year the SUR Lab has chosen the management of urban green areas as its research focus for this year. Green spaces in cities play a key role for quality of life and urban sustainability, as they generate several ecosystem services such as improvement in air quality, mitigation of urban heat island effects, provision of recreational opportunities, aesthetic value enhancement, and others. In order to improve the fruition of urban green spaces, management models should adopt an integrated approach, going beyond issues like maintenance and safety. New management models could foresee the creation of multi-functional and recreational green spaces, suitable for different stakeholders. Several governance, business and financing models can be adopted to support an integrated management of green spaces: these range from fully-public models, to public-private collaborations, to fully-private models. Different types of entities can be set-up to manage and animate urban green areas with an integrated approach. This annual research of SUR lab will explore different business and management models for urban public green spaces, also considering their relation with urban regeneration projects.

Here to read the article.