Elmar Csaplovics Anke Hahn Christopher MarrsManaging Green Infrastructure in Central
European Landscapes - MaGICLandscapes A compilation of Results and Outputs from the EU Central
Europe MaGICLandscapes ProjectVolume 16 of the series Remote Sensing and Applied
Geoinformatics. Published by Elmar Csaplovics TU Dresden. 176 pages DIN B5 format numerous
illustrations many of them colored. Language: English. Price: 38 50 Euro. ISBN
978-3-949314-02-5. Rhombos Verlag Berlin 2021The European Commission defines green
infrastructure (GI) as a 'strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with
other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem
services. It incorporates green spaces (or blue if aquatic ecosystems are concerned) and other
physical features in terrestrial (including coastal) and marine areas. On land GI is present
in rural and urban settings' (European Commission 2013).Until recently green infrastructure
nestling amongst the more identifiable grey infrastructure of development has rarely attracted
the same level of interest or investment at least on the strategic level with local-level
investment often concentrating on a site by site basis taking into account recreational needs
or the aesthetic requirements of changing development design trends over the years.
Understandably as settlements expand and change the strategic potential of green
infrastructure has remained a secondary consideration.The Interreg Central Europe
MaGICLandscapes project worked to operationalise and promote the GI concept in Central Europe.
It provided provide land-managers policy makers and communities with the tools and the
knowledge at different spatial levels that they need to ensure the persistence of GI
functionality and the consequent benefits to society. The MaGICLandscapes project created an
assessment approach that deals with all spatial levels across CE landscapes types. It produced
tools for GI assessment at the transnational level ensuring cross-border GI is understood in a
way that reduces mismatched management approaches.The outputs were developed tested and
implemented across nine multi-scale and multi-thematic case studies across Austria Czech
Republic Germany Italy and Poland. Those outputs include a suite of transferable tools: a
series of technical manuals as well as partner-level evidence-based strategies and action plans
to direct actions as well as investment and will enhance the capacities of institutions to
better manage our natural heritage for future generations.The first chapter of this publication
provides a description of how those tools were developed and tested in those case study areas.
The second chapter describes how the tools were used to develop the strategies and action plans
designed to address the specific needs of those areas such as flood control habitat
connectivity and reducing soil loss for example. The final chapter is a series of articles
provided by partners associated partners and external contributors and cover a wide range of
green infrastructure issues.The MaGICLandscapes project was implemented by the CENTRAL EUROPE
Programme co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund
