Best Practice

Introduction

Trnava is an administrative, economic, cultural and science-research centre in Western Slovakia. It is one of the oldest and most beautiful mediaeval towns in Slovakia. Nowadays Trnava belongs to the most rapidly developing cities in Slovakia with strong industrial investments (e.g. Peugeot-Citroën, Samsung, Johns Manville). Urban growth causes strong environmental problems in the area - air and water pollution, agricultural land take and low ecological stability of landscapes. The adjacent area to the city of Trnava represents intensively managed large-scale farmland. The study area consists of the city and its buffer area (16 settlements, 324.8 km2, 92,730 inhabitants).

The objective of the Landscape-ecological planning is to develop and test usable methods for valuation selected ecosystem services at the local and regional level, and promote their incorporation into the spatial planning process and in the broader decision making process in Slovakia.

Landscape- ecological planning in the urban and peri- urban areas of Trnava, Slovakia

Reason to Be Selected

The simple valuation methods are more suitable for practical implementation, comprehensive methods are more reliable~Stakeholder involvement is a powerful tool. Results of case study could be used as methodical background for ES assessment in the similar types of landscape: small and medium-sized cities,sub-urban areas with dominant agricultural use.

Highlights:

Potential impacts/benefits:

1) Review of key national regulatory frameworks, planning and strategic documents in the research area.

2)Test of several approaches of ES assessment, development of new methods contributing to spatial and urban planning.

3)Regularly organized meetings, active work with stakeholders, raised public awareness

4)Positive feedback from the potential users of new methods.

5)Policy recommendations.Results and proposed actions should be implemented by local authorities, regional authority, partly also by Ministry of Environment.

Details

Various methods were used to engage the planners, residents and other stakeholders in the research. The researchers participated in several stakeholder meetings to gather data about residents' values related to cultural ecosystem services using participatory GIS methods. The ESTIMAP approach was used to assess the potential of areas to provide them. The close collaboration with the researchers and gave the Sibbesborg planners an increased understanding of ecosystem services. Various methods were used to engage the planners, residents and other stakeholders in the research. The researchers participated in several stakeholder meetings to gather data about residents' values related to cultural ecosystem services using participatory GIS methods. The ESTIMAP approach was used to assess the potential of areas to provide them. The close collaboration with the researchers and gave the Sibbesborg planners an increased understanding of ecosystem services.

The ecosystem services approach was included in the planning of the Sibbesborg area. New methods, such as ESTIMAP and demand mapping, have provided new understanding for the planners. Traditionally, recreation has been well represented in land-use plans, but the significance of other cultural ecosystem services has been enhanced in the planning.

Conclusions

Sectoral collaboration and an understanding of the multifunctionality of green areas are prerequisites for bsed tools are a good way to illustrate the provision of operationalising ecosystem services in planning. The GIS- and demand for ecosystem services, as well as the areas of conflicting interests