Earlier this year, I had the privilege of participating in the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) on Participatory Tools for Urban Nature Planning and Management. This unique programme brought together students, professionals, and academics from different parts of Europe and beyond to explore innovative ways of integrating participatory approaches into urban nature planning. We started the course online and wrapped it up with a week filled with diferent activities in Salzburg at the end of June.
In this blog post, I reflect on the key lessons, hands-on experiences, and personal takeaways from the BIP, and why participatory tools are crucial in shaping greener, more inclusive cities.
Why this particular BIP?
Yes, there we about 100 BIPs to choose from. But this particular one focused on equipping participants with practical skills and theoretical foundations for applying participatory methods in urban nature management. Also, the physical component is in Salzburg where I live, and for some personal reasons I didn't want to travel. The course covered:
- Stakeholder engagement strategies
- Co-design and co-creation processes
- Participatory mapping techniques
- Collaborative decision-making tools
- Urban biodiversity and ecosystem management
- Multi-criteria analysis using AHP
The programme was structured in blended format, combining:
- Online preparatory sessions (pre-course assignments, virtual lectures)
- Intensive in-person workshop with field visits, hands-on projects, and team-based exercises in Salzburg.
Highlights and Activities
Online Workshops
One of the most enriching aspects was the participatory mapping sessions where we collaborated with local stakeholders to identify green spaces, underutilized areas, and potential sites for nature-based interventions.
I learned how spatial data can be democratized and how local knowledge adds depth to urban analysis. We engaged in various virtual exercises where we developed nature-based solutions (NBS) by integrating ideas through role plays. We acted as city officials, residents, NGOs, and urban planners, to come up with ideas surrounding each actor's unique perspective when it comes to nature planning. These sessions demonstrated how effective participatory planning can bridge gaps between scientific knowledge and community priorities.
Field Visits and Case Studies
During the physical component in Salzburg, we explored several real-world urban nature projects provided context and inspiration. Seeing how participatory processes were implemented on the ground highlighted both the successes and challenges of collaborative planning. The first visit was to the House of Mountains (Haus der Berge) in Germany. It was an imersive experience to have a peak into the past, because many of the displayed animals ar extinct. You take a look for yourself below!
In addition to the House of Mountains museum, the National Park manages the biggest Alpian National park consisting of several zones. They are keen with conservation and they set apart the core zone in the national park where they basically do "Nothing", and also try theis best to ensure visitors also do nothing. In the course of the conversations, I found out that their idea of doing nothing only conserns biodiversity conservation. They don't do any development apart from the hiking trails which they maintain. They alow the plants to exist naturally. No prunning, no rescuing of a tree covered with ephipites or a plant about to go extinct which I find interestng because such kind of place is a perfect location to study natural processes as they emerge and evolve.
The second stop was the famous Konigsee. Spoiler, the name Konigsee translates to Konig Lake. In Deutch language, a lake is called see for whatever reason. One thing about Urban Nature is that wherever it exists, it becomes the enter of attraction. The activities increase even more if the entity is a naturally occurring one like in the case of the Konigsee. Human activities surrounding the lake comprises of tourism and recreation. The locals then created their businesses by markeing their local artworks that they can sell to tourists to serve as an emblem that they have been to Konigsee. Here we can see that in addition to beautifying the landscape, the lake serves several purposes by being the beacon where people, culture, art, and buodiversity meet.
Finally, (no, not finally, because we also visited the community garden near the almcanal in Salzburg but I will not give it publicity because they did not allow me to pluck the apples from the garden), Hellbrunn Palace. The famous Hellbrunn palace will present you with nothing but disappointment when you approach the gate. When we approached the gate, something happened in the group I walked with, we all echoed at once "Where is the palace?". This experience made us burst in laughter because even as individuals, we all had an expectation of what a palace should look like which this particular one didn't resemble. Okay, that's not the point, at the courtyards of the palace once occupied by the legendary Late Prince Archbishop Markus Sittikus.
The trick fountains and water powered art mechanisms are the most interesting things to find here. There were several kinds of fountains which they use to tell stories about the prince-archbishop. And then, here's a spoiler for intending visitors, there's no trick, the trick fountains are powered by water, even the mechanisms with moving parts and all, just one water valve is opened to activate them. So when you visit, and you are busy listening to the audio guide and you're knee-deep into the stories, one palace staff will hang around somwehere in disguise, he/she will do like they're part of the tourists, or fake a phone call, and they will turn on the fountains and ruin your dress and hair with water. Calm down at this point because if I've not told you, you will believe its a trick (in fact I believed it was a trick, I was expecting some motion sensor or something sophisticated until alas! it was a Chinese guy making our lives miserable). Look for the one person standing without the crowd, that's your adversary! By the way, here is me enjoying the fountains. I took my family back to the palace because my older son enjoys playing with water.
Besides the trick fountains, which were incredibly fascinating, the palace is surrounded by various forms of unique urban natures dominated by parks, fish ponds, and light forests as seen below. Ah, yes, the biggest fish I've ever set my eyes to gaze swims still in one of Hellbrunn palace's ponds!
Group Work and Cultural Exchange
Working in multidisciplinary, international teams was both stimulating and sometimes challenging. I appreciated the diversity of perspectives, but it also reinforced the importance of consensus-building, effective communication, and project coordination. During the physical component in Salzburg, group work as I knew it, took a different dimension. I was part of a team of 9 students from across Europe, and a Pakistani who is also my colleague in the CDE programme. I know group works are meant to encourage collaboration and co-learning. In fact, we met and agreed on a plan to execute our project. Each person got a part to work on and we started working on it. Then, somthing happened, the project presenttion is tomorrow, and in the evening today, my CDE colleague told me the other students (probably because they formed 90% of the group and knew each other from their uni) formed a sub group and took the project another way round. Throwing away the contributions of myself and my colleague. I took it as them doing their best in a very unique way. Then I took the opportunity to educate them how group work is done and I hope they took the lesson to heart.
Reflections and Lessons Learned
Participation is Power, involving local communities in urban planning is not just a box-ticking exercise; it empowers people to shape their environment, leading to more sustainable and widely accepted outcomes. Urban ecosystems are complex and multi-layered. Participatory tools help simplify this complexity by incorporating insights from those who experience these spaces daily. Participatory processes can be time-consuming and messy, but the quality of outcomes is often worth the extra effort. Tools like participatory GIS, story mapping, and digital surveys make engagement more inclusive, especially when physical participation is limited.
This programme has significantly broadened my perspective on urban nature planning. I now see public participation as an essential pillar of sustainable city development rather than an optional add-on. It also reinforced my passion for geospatial solutions that center people and communities. Participating in this BIP has inspired me to explore how participatory GIS can be better utilized in my future projects, particularly in developing regions where urban green spaces are rapidly shrinking. The BIP: Participatory Tools for Urban Nature Planning and Management 2025 was more than just a learning opportunity; it was a space for meaningful dialogue, practical collaboration, and cultural exchange. I am grateful for the experience and look forward to applying these participatory approaches in my future work to help shape greener, more inclusive, and resilient cities.
Did you attend a BIP recently? I'd like to learn about your experience in the comments.
Author
Bamidele Clement Oke
Esri Certified GIS Analyst/Developer
Esri Certified GIS Analyst with extensive experience in both government and private sectors, providing innovative geospatial solutions. Currently, I'm pursuing a double master's degree with a focus on Geovisualization and Geocommunication. When I'm not making maps, I'm either designing apps and sites like this one, playing with my son, doing some DIY stuff, or eating something made with beans. Need geospatial insights or just want to chat about GIS? I'm your map whisperer!
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Comments (5)
"Participation is power"
Your son must be proud of you
The world is your oyster, sir. Keep winning
More grace
Geography is the science of our World