The COVID 19 pandemic has illustrated the importance of urban blue and green infrastructure, serving as a place for local residents to exercise, meet and relax. The pandemic has also inspired many rapid and creative policy responses so that people can use public open spaces safely.

Over the last four years, the ENABLE project has researched how the benefits of green and blue spaces are enabled by social, ecological and institutional factors, an issue that will be of even greater importance as we emerge from the current crisis.

This dynamic session brings together researchers and city practitioners to discuss what we can learn from ENABLE research and from experiences during lockdowns in different cities participating in ENABLE. It explores how we can make better use of green and blue spaces in an equitable way to manage and prepare for pandemics and other disasters.