A Green Infrastructure Vision for the Alpine Space

EUSALP is the macro-regional strategy for the Alpine Space. It provides opportunities to improve cross-border cooperation in the Alpine States and to tackle common challegens effectively. Nine transnational Action Groups are dealing with these challenges. Action Group 7 (AG 7) focuses on developing ecological connectivity and thus to strengthen, improve and restore biodiversity, as well as ecosystem services. Its implementation will increase the degree of connection between natural and semi-natural landscapes in the entire EUSALP territory.With its broad representation of members from Alpine countries and regions as well as advisors with different institutional and sectoral backgrounds, AG 7 builds on a dialogue including stakeholders from all relevant sectors. It aims at setting up a comprehensive macro-regional scheme by applying the EU Strategy for Green Infrastructure to regional scales and making the Alps an outstanding candidate for Green Infrastructure in Europe. AG 7 provides the framework for developing a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas, including features in rural and urban areas, which together – functionally interconnected – ensure diverse advantages for nature, as well as social benefits and economic prosperity for humans.

After three years of cooperation, AG 7 seeks to develop a common vision for Green Infrastructure in the Alpine Space and for its future work. Furthermore, the members have to set up a work program for the phase 2020+. PLANVAL was mandated to support AG 7 in the frame of two Design Thinking workshops. With a bundle of methods from innovation management and co-creation, the contents for a vision were iterated in several cycles, and a range of ideas for for future action was generated and refined towards a measure plan. The workshops took place in Zurich and Salzburg.

More information on EUSALP Action Group 7 can be found here.