Note: Deadline for abstract submission is 1^st of February 2019

Urban forests are vibrant places for multifaceted recreational activities, social gathering and mental restoration, but also provide biomass for an urban bioeconomy. They are full of energy. And so is the venue of this years’ conference: the German Sport University Cologne – the perfect location to explore energetic interactions of trees and human beings.

Cologne has a remarkably long history of urban forestry. In the 1920s, the city created the “Inneren und Äußeren Grüngürtel“, the inner and outer green belt, on the premises of former fortress belt. The green belts are nowadays used for a huge variety of activities. These include the Cologne “Waldlabor” (Forest Laboratory) which has been established in 2010. Here foresters are experimenting with new types of urban forests in the face of climate change and changing society.

EFUF will capitalize on the Waldlabor and will organize an International Waldlabor Student Workshop in parallel to the conference, connecting energizing debates with energetic forest activities (see here for the call for the workshop, deadline 31 December 2018).

More information: https://efuf2019.wordpress.com/abstract-call/

Save the date

Wednesday 22 May - Friday 24 May, with welcome drink the 21st of May and post-conference excursion the 25th of May. Save the date in your calendar (ics-file)

Theme and contributions

The 2019 European Forum on Urban Forestry invites researchers and urban forest professionals to submit abstracts for contributions. This includes – but is not limited to – applied as well as academic research, and perspectives/experience reports of professionals and practitioners. EFUF emphasizes the connection of practice and scientific knowledge, encouraging a variety of possible formats to contribute to the conference. Contributions may explore the urban forest as…

• … the healthy forest: sport, wellbeing and human health
• Recreational activities with a special emphasis on outdoor sports and their management
• New well-being activities: supply, conflicts and visitor management in urban forests
• Urban forests and human health: interrelations, activities, management
• … the spiritual forest: culture, religion and art
• Diversifying cultural perceptions of forests and related forest use
• Religious aspects of urban forests and trees, including sacred and funeral forests
• The urban forest in art, art in the urban forest, the urban forest as inspiration
• … the learning forest: research, laboratories and education
• Forest laboratories as approaches for experiencing and transforming urban forests
• Participatory planning and research in urban green infrastructure
• Education for sustainable development and environmental education
• … the co-designed forest: diverging interests, governance and urban forest management
• Diversifying societal demands, conflicts and their management: conservation, recreation, wood production, ecosystem service provisioning and infrastructure development
• New and experimental planning, design and management processes

Abstract submission

We accept oral talks, posters and other non-commercial contributions. Abstracts (maximum 2000 characters) are only accepted in English language. They must not include figures, tables or attachment and should be related to one of the themes mentioned in the call for abstracts. Deadline for submission is 1^st of February 2019. For abstract submission, please use the online system: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=efuf2019.

The programme committee will determine whether a work will be accepted for presentation, considering the significance and/or the innovative character of the contribution. Authors will be informed on the acceptance of their contribution by the 21^st of February 2019.

About the organisers