A Cross-border Review of Green Infrastructure Planning Methods and Differences

Abstract

The research presents the different practices of green infrastructure (GI) development between countries and groups of countries. The concept of GI, published in the United States in 1996 (Benedict, M. A. – McMahon, E. T. 2006), was adopted all over the world. However, the practical transposition of a complex concept at a theoretical level differs in many countries, with unique aspects focusing on the country’s culture. After studying the concept of GI, the study analyses the practice of European countries based on given criteria and then characterises their practice. According to our results the integration of GI into legal system is not a common solution, rather uses the member states manuals or strategies for implementation. The objectives have been formulated according to existing nature conservation system. The existing mapping systems followed the MAES29 Atlas. The implementation of GI is strongly connected to social initiatives; however, very few states facilitate effectively the bottom-up implementation and financial schemes. Thanks to this research, the currently developed GI implementation in Hungary can be integrated into international trends.