VALUE – Valuation and strengthening of urban green spaces in landscape planning in cities

The main objective of the project VALUE is the strengthening of the green structure in densely built cities. This will promote the cities’ ability to prepare for and adapt to climate change.

The project is about developing a regional green factor that can be used as a tool in land use planning. The tool is being developed to assess the quantity and quality of both ecosystem services and biodiversity. By utilising the tool, the preservation and development of the green structure can be taken increasingly better into account in land use planning.

The tool created by the project VALUE is being developed for the land use planning of areas wider than individual blocks. The tool will be piloted in Espoo in places such as Kalajärvi. Espoo also uses a block-specific green factor that guides the more detailed planning of yards.

In Espoo, the project VALUE is part of the Nature-wise Espoo project, with which we secure and increase biodiversity even better than before. We want to take care of nature as Espoo grows. This requires sustained effort. In the Nature-wise Espoo work, we compile Espoo’s goals and development measures into a roadmap that will be published during 2024. We will generate more data, specify plans and develop operating methods until 2035.

The project VALUE is a joint project between the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo as well as Aalto University and Green Building Council Finland. The implementation period for the project is from 1 October 2023 to 31 December 2025.

The project also includes Jyväskylä, Järvenpää, Lahti, Oulu, Porvoo, Tampere and Turku. The project receives funding from the European Regional Development Fund.

Read more about the project VALUE(external link, opens in a new window), the current state of the green structure, and the piloting and introduction of the tool.