A new peer-reviewed article, Perceptions and attitudes of European urban forest and green space professionals towards public participation in planning and management, is now published in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. The study draws on insights from 582 professionals working across Europe and offers one of the most comprehensive views to date on how practitioners perceive the role of citizens in shaping urban nature.

The study highlights strong professional support for involving the public in planning and management processes. It also identifies significant capacity gaps that continue to limit meaningful engagement, such as limited resources, competing priorities, and institutional constraints. These findings underline the need for better tools, training, and governance arrangements that can strengthen participation in urban forests and green spaces.

The article is available for free until 1 January 2026: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866725005023?dgcid=author