GREEN URBAN PATHS

Project Reference: 2021-1-DK01-KA220-ADU-000033665

Cities have been at the centre of change, from the spread of Greek and Roman civilizations, through the Italian renaissance period, to the industrial revolution. By 1950 more than half of the European population was living in an urban area, today almost ¾ of European Union population is living in cities. By observing the trends in other parts of the globe we can be sure that this number will increase in next 50 years. Urbanization created some of the biggest challenges facing the planet, it also provides potential, as cities are creative hubs and may provide possible solutions to a range of environmental issues.
It is increasingly recognized that compact cities are resource-efficient ways for people to live and for businesses to exist, as close proximity provides potential efficiency gains. New technologies can be used to improve the environmental performance of urban areas, for example, public transport systems or the construction and functioning of buildings, to reduce
resource and energy consumption.
The attractiveness of urban areas is much about the quality of life that it offers to old and new residents as it is about the competitiveness of its urban economy for businesses. Cities are therefore more and more branding themselves as ‘green’, ‘creative’ or ‘cultural’, in order to increase their attractiveness by promoting their environmental assets for the health and wellbeing of all citizens. In the postmodern era, where the tourist has an active role in the choice and enjoyment of his own travel, it is necessary to change the approach to create awareness.

The concept of educational tours, which are providing a hybrid between training and tourism is in the centre of the reply of G&PS to the challenges and develop an offer to:
– promote local innovations and environmental solutions
– care about sustainable practices
– highlight the often hidden work of local citizens to improve life
– make the links between local communities across Europe visible

Within G&PS we want to increase the awareness among the city-dwellers, tourist and local actors for more sustainable solutions, environmentally friendly ways of life and green trends to create and to accelerate ‘green’ change in EU societies.
With this kind of approach, we are now assisting to the rise of a new “race” of creative mediators like:
– digital programmers and designers
– experts in storytelling methods that come from other departments of “cultural industries”, able to project new output and experiences of environmental solutions,
Creativity has become a strategy which cities and regions need and have to expand and promote the innovation and development of individual abilities.

The project G&PS intends to apply a transnational strategy of green education, educational tourism and sustainable development of urban areas. This renewal is promoted by the European Commission, which aspires to realize.

 

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.