Green spaces for climate-resilient neighbourhoods: what does Scotland need for fair and equitable resilience?
December 1, 2022, 14.00 – 15.00
Online, Zoom
One year on from COP26 in Glasgow and a month after COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Dr Leslie Mabon from The Open University will outline some recent research into green spaces and climate change resilience in Scotland, and offer suggestions for how local governments, third sector organisations and industry can support fair and effective climate resilience via urban greening in Scotland.
Given the role of green spaces in promoting healthy and resilient neighbourhoods, the session will also touch on the role that sports – especially football – can play in Scotland’s climate resilience challenge.
The extreme heat events faced across Scotland in the summer of 2022 showed that Scotland’s towns and cities require urgent adaptation to the effects of climate change. Urban green spaces such as trees, parks and sports fields have been proposed as one strategy which can enhance the resilience of neighbourhoods to climate-related weather extremes such as heat and flooding. However, it is crucial that these benefits do not only accrue to the wealthiest neighbourhoods, and are designed with residents in mind.
Dr Leslie Mabon is a Lecturer in Environmental Systems in the School of Engineering at The Open University. Leslie is especially interested in justice within resilience and adaptation to climate change, and in understanding how to plan and implement climate responses that are fair.
