The context of the symposium

The Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation symposium ‘Environmental problems and policies in growing urban areas' is organised in collaboration with the Spatial Ecology Programme of the Department of Ecology and Systematics, University of Helsinki funded by the Academy of Finland. The aim of the symposium is to examine environmental questions in urban areas in a multidisciplinary way. As urban areas continue to grow, housing and infrastructure must be developed for the new residents, but at the same time urban environment must be made healthier and more pleasant for the residents. Furthermore, green areas and biodiversity are recognised as important elements of a desirable urban fabric. Thus, a holistic view on how environmental problems and conflicts arise, what are their effects and how they could be solved is increasingly important in urban areas.

The symposium will deal with various aspects of urban environmental issues. Pollution and contamination of waters, air and soil, as well as noise and waste management, have received attention for a long time, but are of relevance in cities of today. In addition to these issues, problems related to ecology and biodiversity have received increasing attention. Urban residents are becoming more concerned about environmental issues, and it is important to examine urban environmental problems also from human and society’s point of view. How did these problems arise, and how to assess their effects on the society? Are there policy measures to direct the development? What are the links between environmental problems and human well-being in urban areas? What are the knowledge needs of planners and decision-makers? These are questions that the symposium will deal with. The outcome will – hopefully – be a better and more integrated understanding of urban environmental problems.

The symposium is targeted for urban researchers, students, urban planners, decision makers, consultants, and various NGOs dealing with urban environmental issues. The symposium will be scientific, but the topics and lectures will provide valuable information for those involved in planning, management and decision-making in urban areas.

The language of the symposium is English. Articles based on the oral presentations will be published in a special issue of the peer-reviewed journal Boreal Environment Research.