Training School: Stakeholder Involvement in Urban Forestry – Second call for participants
Are you passionate about urban forest management, stakeholder engagement in urban forestry projects, sustainable cities and communication and engagement tools? Join our four-day training school at campus Alnarp.
Start date: 19 May 2026 09:00
End date: 22 May 2026 16:00
Venue: Stora Sessionssalen, Slottet
Language: English
Participation fee: Free of charge
Last day of registration: 17 April 2026
Organiser: COST Action CA23148
Co-organiser: SILVA Research School & SLU Urban Futures
Location: Alnarp
The training school is open to PhD candidates and postdocs working within the Urban Forestry scientific field. You will get unique and hands-on training dedicated to different aspects of Stakeholder Involvement in Urban Forestry.
This training school aims to develop an understanding of stakeholder dynamics and communication in urban forestry while providing practical knowledge about public participation in urban forestry projects. Participants will also gain insight into various communication and engagement tools used in this field. In addition, the program offers the opportunity to work alongside leading and passionate early-career researchers in an interactive and supportive environment. It encourages open exchange and discussion between students and trainers, creating a rich space for learning and shared insight.
We welcome applicants with interests or expertise in:
- Green infrastructure /urban forest management and planning
- Urban forest ecosystem services
- Geography and landscape planning
- Community engagement
If the number of applicants is greater than the number of available spots a selection will be made by the organising committee based on how well the applicant's background and research work match the goals of the program or organization.
About COST Action CA23148
Program
DAY 1 (19 May 2026)
Stakeholder engagement; foundations for participatory governance
9:00-9:30 Introduction to the Training School
9:30-10:30 The connoisseur method, for stakeholder engagment (Helena Mellqvist, SLU)
10:30-12:00 Children’s participation in the development of outdoor environments (Märit Jansson, SLU)
13:30-14:30 Why public awareness and involvement matter in Urban forestry (Thomas Randrup, SLU)
14:30-15:30 Growing the Urban Forest ecosystem: participatory management experiences from the field (Naomi Zürcher)
15:30-16:30 Workshop . Building a participation plan by teams. Designing a structured framework to guide its development and implementation in an Urban Forest project.(Dimitris Athanassiadis, SLU and Claudia Menendez; Arbocity)
DAY 2 (20 May 2026)
Models of participation & how to implement them.
9:00 - 10:00 Stakeholder mapping methodologies (Geovana Mercado, SLU)
10:00 - 12:00 Collaborative governance: Lessons from forest green infrastructure planning in Sweden (Luis Andrés Guillén Alm, SLU)
13:30-14:30 Methods for active involvement of stakeholders: Living labs as participatory platforms (Geovana Mercado)
14:30-16:30 Workshop: We take a walk in the Alnarp Landscape Laboratory and discuss work with children “focused” management and other topics related to it. (Björn Wiström, Dimitris Athanassiadis, Claudia Menendez).
DAY 3 (21 May 2026)
9:00-12:00 Visits to parks in Malmö (TBC)
14:00-17:00 Time for working in the groups on participation plans
DAY 4 (22 May 2026)
Constructive communication
9:00-10:00 Workshop: Working with communication toolkit (Dimitris Athanassiadis and Claudia Menendez)
10:00-11:00 Ecosystem Services and Citizens science (Ana Macias; Arbocity)
11:00-12:00 Gaming as a tool for Urban Forestry engagement (Philip Chambers, UEF)
13:30-15:30 Group presentations and evaluation
15:30-16:00 Closure