Between June and October 2025, ten local events in pilot sites took place in the five European countries represented in the PlanToConnect project. The events were an important opportunity for project partners to present the case study results and to raise awareness among local communities and stakeholders about the challenges related to ecological connectivity and territorial planning in the Alpine Space.
The events, organized in a hybrid format or on site, recorded an average of 15 in-person participants. They were hosted not only at the partners’ venues, but also in strategic locations to discuss about green and blue infrastructure and biodiversity such as natural parks and nature reserves — as was the case in Austria and Italy — and in cultural sites like a public library in Slovenia.
The meetings were attended by spatial and landscape experts, local authorities at regional, provincial and municipal levels, scientific institutions, farming and environmental protection associations, to mention a few examples. Moreover, some of the participants were key actors of the Regional Connectivity Working Groups who, throughout the project, actively contributed to shaping the discussion on the findings that emerged from the case studies.
During the local events, participatory methods such as workshops and exhibitions were used to encourage the exchange of ideas and mutual learning. In particular, the topics addressed included tools for improving ecological connectivity, including design (and implementation) of green and blue infrastructure, as well as integration of projects into planning and programming tools.
The main insights that emerged from the moments of interaction and contribution activated during the local events are:
- Greater integration of stakeholders in the decision-making processes of policies, plans, and projects is needed to strengthen implementation of ecological connectivity objectives.
- Green and blue infrastructure project should be operationalized in planning frameworks and implementation tools.
- The role of local stakeholders and authorities (municipalities and local entities) in integrating ecological connectivity into local development plans should be strengthened.
- Cultural strengthening (policy makers) and integration of ecological connectivity issues into project/plan and territorial transformation governance tools should be pursued.
- Ecological connectivity may bring socio-economic development opportunities for territories.