Benefits of Urban Green Spaces, BUGS
The intention is to develop new tools for urban planning and environmental appraisal in connection with the conversion of existing urban areas - particularly brownfields - to compact green cities. A special concern is that the planning process takes place in dialogue with the citizens.

The project is supported by the EU-programme The Fifth Framework and is carried out in collaboration with institutions from five European countries: The Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Belgium), Eurocities (Belgium), Kommunalverband Ruhrgebiet (Germany), University of Bochum (Germany), Louis Pasteur University (France), AAC Centro de Acústica Aplicada (Spain) and The Transport Research Centre (Czech Republic).

The project was initiated in 2002 and is expected to end Spring 2004. Contact persons: Annette Thierry, at@byplanlab.dk and Jette Esbjørn Hess, jeh@byplanlab.dk

The neighbourhood as a frame for children’s everyday life
What does the city look like from a child’s point of view? And what influence does the physical and social structures of an urban neighbourhood have on children’s everyday life? These questions are the point of departure for the project, which follows 7-12 year old children in four different neighbourhoods in the municipalities of Albertslund, Ballerup and Copenhagen. The Danish Town Planning Institute particularly focuses on how the child perspective is integrated in the politics and planning of the selected municipalities. The project is interdisciplinary and is carried out in collaboration with The Danish Forest and Landscape Research Institute (FSL), Institute for Educational Research at RUC and Aarhus School of Architecture. The project is supported by the Welfare Research Programme and is expected to end Spring 2003. Contact person: Jette Esbjørn Hess, jeh@byplanlab.dk

Urban Ecological Welfare Development
The intention is to uncover the relationship between lifestyle, physical-architectural shape and use of resources. The project focuses on selected areas in the city of Aarhus. The project was initiated in 1998 and is carried out in collaboration with Danish Building & Urban Research (By & Byg) and the University of Aalborg (AUC). The project is supported by the Welfare Research Programme and is expected to end Spring 2003. For further information about the project, please visit the project homepage www.urbanvelfaerd.dk/english. Contact person: Annette Thierry, at@byplanlab.dk

Revitalisation of urban planning in Denmark
In 2002, The Danish Town Planning Institute initiated a debate about the future urban planning in Denmark. Main conclusions were that urban planning must be less bureaucratic, more action oriented and more visionary. The debate about urban planning and urban quality continues. One of the central activities is to develop and test area plans, i.e. plans that are more detailed and concrete than municipal plans but less binding and controlling than local plans for individual housing. The development of area plan is done in collaboration with various municipalities. Parallel, locally adjusted plan processes and cooperation models are being tested. For more information (in Danish), please visit www.byplanlab.dk or read the upcoming magazine BYPLANNYT. Contact person: Mads Uldall, mu@byplanlab.dk

Network - strategic municipal planning
A debate forum in Danish where central elements of strategic planning are being discussed has been established on www.byplanlab.dk. At the moment, there are three news groups: 1) what is a plan strategy 2) political ownership and 3) stakeholders in urban planning. Besides this, the debate forum comprises an archive with good examples, articles, interviews etc. All network members receive a newsletter every second week. You can participate in the network on www.byplanlab.dk or send a mail to contact person Mads Uldall mu@byplanlab.dk.