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Having completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Geography with a specialization in Geographic Information Science, I joined the Cartography and GIS research group in January 2019 and became a part of the CO-NATURE team. CO-NATURE is a 4-year research collaboration between the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. The project pursues three principal objectives: (1) to create a comprehensive inventory, classification, and suitability mapping of nature-based solutions for urban regeneration, (2) to gain an understanding of urban green space use and valuation from the perspective of cultural ecosystem services, and (3) to co-produce alternative nature-based urban regeneration scenarios through participatory research-by-design workshops for developing nature-based urban design and policy guidelines My PhD research assesses the cultural ecosystem services provided by urban green spaces in the Brussels Capital Region and the potential for implementation of nature-based solutions in the city to provide a more equitable spread of urban green and the ecosystem services they provide. My research interests include urban greening and environmental justice.
Project Goal: Co-producting nature-based solutions for urban regeneration
Current Stage: The project is now in its third year. We are now constructing a survey to better understand people's perceptions of nature-based solutions. We are also preparing for our second Living Lab, in which stakeholders will engage with case studies to discuss radical nature-based solution redesign scenarios.
The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted our society, producing drastic changes in people’s routines and daily mobility, and putting public spaces under a new light. This paper starts with the premise that the use of urban forests and green spaces - where and for who they were available and accessible - increased, when social restrictions were most stringent. It takes an explorative approach to examine changes in attitude towards urban forests and urban green spaces in terms of attraction (i.e., as the actual use behaviour), intended use (i.e., intention of going to green spaces), and civic engagement in relation to green spaces. In particular, it analyses the responses to a survey of 1,987 respondents in Belgium and statistically examines the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, urbanisation characteristics, actual and intended green space use, and changes in attitudes towards green spaces and civic engagement. The findings show that highly educated citizens experienced an increase in actual and intended use of green spaces during the pandemic, but that this increase differs among sociodemographic profiles such as impact of age or access to private green, and depends on their local built environment characteristics. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted citizens’ attitudes, as well as (intended) behaviour and civil engagement with respect to the green spaces in their area.
Nicola da Schio; Amy Phillips; Koos Fransen; Manuel Wolff; Dagmar Haase; Silvija Krajter Ostoić; Ivana Živojinović; Dijana Vuletić; Jakob Derks; Clive Davies; Raffaele Lafortezza; Dennis Roitsch; Georg Winkel; Rik De Vreese. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of and attitudes towards urban forests and green spaces: exploring the instigators of change in Belgium. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 2021, 127305 .
AMA StyleNicola da Schio, Amy Phillips, Koos Fransen, Manuel Wolff, Dagmar Haase, Silvija Krajter Ostoić, Ivana Živojinović, Dijana Vuletić, Jakob Derks, Clive Davies, Raffaele Lafortezza, Dennis Roitsch, Georg Winkel, Rik De Vreese. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of and attitudes towards urban forests and green spaces: exploring the instigators of change in Belgium. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2021; ():127305.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNicola da Schio; Amy Phillips; Koos Fransen; Manuel Wolff; Dagmar Haase; Silvija Krajter Ostoić; Ivana Živojinović; Dijana Vuletić; Jakob Derks; Clive Davies; Raffaele Lafortezza; Dennis Roitsch; Georg Winkel; Rik De Vreese. 2021. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of and attitudes towards urban forests and green spaces: exploring the instigators of change in Belgium." Urban Forestry & Urban Greening , no. : 127305.
This paper explores use-related and socio-demographic variations in the valuation of urban green space (UGS) characteristics in the Brussels Capital Region (BCR), lending insights into the valuation of the cultural ecosystem services provided by UGS. Mismatches in the supply of and demand for UGS characteristics are also identified. Knowledge on the ways in which valuation of UGS characteristics vary and on an inadequate supply of UGS characteristics should guide and inspire planning and management of UGS to ensure that UGS provision meets the unique needs of communities. Online surveys were conducted in the BCR to determine how people use UGS, how they experience these spaces, and whether these spaces fulfil their needs for urban green Our findings indicate that socio-demographic characteristics (namely age and household composition) correspond with distinct patterns of use and valuation. Two subgroupings of users are identified: nature-oriented users and social users. Our accessibility analysis shows that, compared to social users, nature-oriented users tend to travel farther to reach their most frequently used UGS but are more often satisfied with the supply of UGS characteristics. Our findings point to an inadequate supply of nature and overcrowding of UGS in the city centre of Brussels. We recommend that planners not only consider size and distance in UGS standards but also consider the demand for UGS characteristics as well.
Amy Phillips; Ahmed Khan; Frank Canters. Use-Related and Socio-Demographic Variations in Urban Green Space Preferences. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3461 .
AMA StyleAmy Phillips, Ahmed Khan, Frank Canters. Use-Related and Socio-Demographic Variations in Urban Green Space Preferences. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (6):3461.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAmy Phillips; Ahmed Khan; Frank Canters. 2021. "Use-Related and Socio-Demographic Variations in Urban Green Space Preferences." Sustainability 13, no. 6: 3461.