Q8a. How do we encourage local residents and citizens to be involved in the planning and realization of inclusive and sustainable cities?

-         Develop a “kids-only” table, engage the youngest

-         Support organisations that enable communities to take care of their own spaces

-         Public partnerships with local groups

-         Engage communities in design, co-create!

-         Provide funding for lower income groups to participate

8.How can communities and civic-led initiatives play a part in creating sustainable and inclusive cities and green spaces?

-         Creating awareness

-         Advocating

-         Excelling at outreach

-         They can play a part when enabled and listened

7.Beyond governments, how can other large organizations contribute to planning and implementing green infrastructure and green spaces in cities?

-         Offering space for dialogue, creating inclusive conversations and co-learning

-         Mobilizing funding to support the execution of solutions

-         Non-for-profits can engage communities locally and form public-private partnerships

-         Being advocates, promoting new policy and designs

-         Supporting research

-         Becoming role models

-     Creating space for communities to lead projects

-         Funding green infrastructure projects

-         Bringing innovation forward

Q6a. How can we avoid the gentrification effect of greenspace investments in low moderate income communities?

-         Park development projects to be twinned with affordable housing development

-         Apply the “just-green-enough approach”

-         Incorporate green solutions to existing spaces

-         Ensure all neighborhoods have greenspace investments

-         Incorporate green designs into every urban planning

6.How can cities overcome access issues in order to offer safe, inclusive and accessible green spaces for all?

-         Listening to people who live and work in the community and take note of their priorities

-         Addressing the needs of the most vulnerable

-         Bringing inclusiveness into the design of the green spaces

-         Involving communities in the planning and design of green spaces, and their management

-         Having diverse leadership at the elected official level

-         Developing partnerships between urban professionals and city government

-         Engaging with as many stakeholders as possible

-         Making green spaces close to residential areas

-         Designing great public transport to access them

-         Avoiding entrance fees to green spaces

-         Designing green spaces that offer activities for all different groups of people

5.How can we effectively measure and value the impact of green spaces in urban places?

-         Need to define what we are measuring the impact of

-         Need to define why we are measuring it

-         Look at who uses it, but also who does not to evaluate accessibility

-         Look at who has access to it

-         Look at who designed it

-         Look at land value adjacent to green spaces

-         Look at crime statistics

-         Look at health outcomes (mental health, obesity…)

-         Look at air filtration, water filtration, flood protection, cooling effects

-         Partner with local organizations and universities to access the data needed

-         Think of metrics and valuation of nature, not only economic ones

-         Third-party measurement and analysis by economists and academics

-         An example from a water perspective, “swimmable, drinkable, fishable”, shows the importance of relatable indicators

4.What kind of funding or financing structures could be effective for implementing green, resilient infrastructure in cities?

-         Tax revenue, e.g. carbon tax

-         Private investment

-         Green bonds

-         Partnerships across multiple orders of government

-         Philanthropy, although not alone

-         Bottom-up crowdfunding

-         Long-term capital investment vs. short-term outlooks

Q3a. What are the most pressing issues and challenges that cities are facing today?

-         Climate change

-         Sustainably meeting the needs of a growing urban population

-         Misalignment of interests

-         Land being a finite resource

-         Old-fashioned regulation favoring traditional grey infrastructure

-         Gentrification

-         Lack of public transportation

3.What are the barriers to planning for and/or implementing green infrastructure initiatives in cities?

-         Lack of funding and investment

-         Perceived as costly

-         Lack of cross-sector coordinated governance

-         Political disengagement and lack of an organized community voice

-         Perceived as less effective vs. traditional

-         Its return on investment is still not well understood

-         Fear and risk aversion

-         Expectations placed on public agencies only

-         Rapidly growing cities

-         Need for innovation to keep pace

-         Need for commitment to maintenance

-         High value of land in urban areas

-         Short term outlook

-         Lack of awareness and public apathy: need to change current mindsets, educate

2.What are some of the best ways that green infrastructure can protect cities from future climate risks and improve their resiliency?

-         Need to both protect cities from climate change, but also protect climate from cities

-         Green walls, roofs, parks – clean the air, provide flood mitigation, habitat for life, reduce urban heat island effects.

-         Involving schools and the school landscape as a venue for community based action with respect to climate change projects

-         Parks are a major area to address water quality, air quality, cooling temperatures and storm water capture

-         Building green infrastructure

-         Building energy neutral public housing

-         Need to enable people in the communities to contribute meaningfully to build uniqueness and identity

-         Working towards sustainable food sources and designing sustainable waste management

1.What kind of city would you want to see in the future? What makes a livable city?

-         A green, inclusive, diverse, prosperous, secure, environmentally designed, vibrant city

-         A city where sustainability is at the heart of its design

-         A city where green infrastructure contributes to equity, livability, mental health and resilience

-         A city that is affordable and equitable: with affordable housing, employment opportunities, sustainable transport infrastructure, education and medical resources, arts and culture

-         Great parks! They improve health, social cohesion and mitigate climate change among other environmental problems

-         A city with innovative green spaces and recreation facilities:

-         A city “rooted in food, family and future”

-         A city that involves its residence in decision-making processes

-         A walkable city