Local activism for greening
How scientific data and community engagement can be brought together is of paramount importance in affecting real change. A community greening forum was established to ensure any greening plans are locally relevant, respond appropriately to local need and are driven by the community.
During our community launch event, everyone was invited to participate in setting up a locally-based greening forum. Thirty-five people initially expressed interest, with 12 becoming actively engaged. Despite the pandemic restrictions, the Forum maintained engagement and collaboration through email and the communication platform SLACK, set up by the project team for that specific purpose and used to steer and encourage the group. To support the group in translating their ideas into practice, an urban prototyping workshop was designed and run in August 2020.
The goal was to develop the projects and leverage relationships with other stakeholders to convert them into action. The full process is explained in our urban proto-typing toolkit which also includes practical tips for those wishing to set up and run similar workshops in their own communities. Please feel free to use it!
Urban prototyping involved the framing, brainstorming, drawing out, designing, testing and refining of ideas related to the local greening projects. Members of the forum developed greening ideas anew or further developed and refined pre-existing ideas and projects with support from landscape architects, architects, an ecologist and a city planner, facilitated by the MGD team.
Thanks to everyone who supported the process and particular thanks to MGD partner and locally-based arts organisation, Common Ground, who will provide support for the forum into the future.
Mapping Green Dublin 