MaGICLandscapes

Managing Green Infrastructure in Central European Landscapes

MaGICLandscapes will provide decision and policy makers, land-mangers and communities with the tools and information they need to enhance the functions and benefits that green infrastructure provides. Partners from five central European countries are working together to improve the management of green infrastructure and enhance the benefits and services that it provides. Our project will deliver a series of strategies and action plan, training opportunities and tools for the enhanced management and protection of green infrastructure in our region. (project's e-pamphlet)

Outputs

MaGICLandscapes has a number of outputs in the form of strategies and action plans, tools developed for the protection and sustainable use of natural heritage resources, a series of pilot actions and training in the use of the tools developed.
All of the outputs are interconnected and feed into one another and are being developed using a case study basis and piloted in the nine case study regions.
The outputs are designed for implementation by a wide variety of end-users, ranging from regional and national policy makers to local communities wishing to improve their local environments. They are designed to enable decision-makers and stakeholders to understand the regional and local needs for green infrastructure enhancement and protection and importantly for targeted investment, ensuring the maximum public benefit from any such investment.

Strategies and Action Plans

A series of nine strategies and/or action plans will be developed for the nine case study areas. Each will consider the local circumstances such as needs and opportunities. Each of the strategies and/or action plans takes into account the wider spatial needs and functions of green infrastructure identified in earlier work packages. They will be in harmony with national, regional and local planning policies and strategies and will be developed in cooperation with a wide variety of local stakeholders and communities.
Of course, we hope the input of stakeholders will also contribute to the identification of issues relating to green infrastructure management and their own specific needs. The development and opportunity to contribute to the strategies will be open to all stakeholders. This aspect of the project will commence in July 2018.

Training

In order to make the most of the project outputs and tools we will be offering training in their use. The training will, in the same way the project is structured, be conducted at the three levels of green infrastructure assessment. Training events will be held in the five participating countries in May 2020.
For those unable to attend the training events and to allow the outputs to be transferred across the Central European area we will also be providing training webinars. They will be available from the project website in June 2020.

Tools

MaGICLandscapes will develop a series of six tools specifically aimed at protection and sustainable use of our natural heritage and resources. Three of the tools provide the background data for decision-making and strategy development. They are:

  1. The Handbook of Conceptual and Theoretical Background for GI Assessment, Terms and Definitions
  2. Regional maps of green infrastructure for each of the participating regions
  3. Maps and data illustrating the functionality and eco-system services provided by green infrastructure for the case study area

The remaining three tools provide the means to undertake assessment at the three spatial levels and would be best described as Decision-Support Tools, they are:

  1. The Manual of Transnational Green Infrastructure Assessment (identifying structure and spatial relationships)
  2. The Manual of Green Infrastructure Functionality Assessment (identifying functions of green infrastructure and where functions are limited or can be improved)
  3. The Manual for Creating Evidence-Based Strategies and Action Plans (using the information provided by the previous levels of assessment and specific local knowledge and needs of local communities to direct green infrastructure investment where it delivers the greatest benefit)

Case Study Areas

Each of the three levels of assessment and the development of the tools will be piloted in our case study area of the tri-border of Germany (Saxony), Poland (Lower Silesia) and Czech Republic (Bohemia). Outputs will be tested and refined based on the outcomes of these pilot actions.

The Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development is jointly funded by the federal government and the federal states.

FS Sachsen

This measure is co-financed by tax funds on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.