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PRONATUR Naturación y Agricultura Urbana (ProNatur)

History of the association.

PRONATUR (Spanish Society for the Promotion of Nature in Urban and Rural Areas) is a non-profit and non-governmental organization. Founded in April 1992 with the collaboration of IASP (Humboldt University).

a) Member of international institutions:

  • 1999: Red Internacional de Ciudades en Naturación (International Association of Green Cities) (RICEN) in coordination with IASP (Humboldt University Berlin)
  • 2002: Member of the European Council for the Village and Small Towns (ECOVAST)
  • Since 2010: Member of the board of Directors of WGIN (World Association)
  • Since 2017 Member of the board of Directors of EFB (European Association)

b) National and international seminars and congresses:

  • International seminar in Cottbus (Germany) at the Bundesgartenschau = BUGA
  • 1999: International seminar in Madrid about “Bioclimatic Architecture and Urban Nature”
  • Participation with IASP in the International Congress on Urban Greening and Agriculture in: Quito (Ecuador), Cartagena de Indias (Columbia), Cuba (Havana). Rio Janeiro (Brazil).
  • Participation in the WGIN International Congress in: Toronto (Canada), Mexico DF (Mexico), Indore (India), Hangzhou (China), Nantes (France), Nagoya (Japan), Sydney (Australia), Bangalore (India).
  • 2010: Contribution and discussion in the Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture and Urban Planning (FAO-ETC)
  • Collaboration in international master courses about green cities sponsored by the EU at Chapingo University (Mexico).
  • Postgraduate courses in bioclimatic architecture at the Faculty of Architecture in UPM.
Board Members of the association.

Board of Directors 2019:

  • President and founder: Julián Briz. Emeritus Professor.
  • Vice President: Joaquín Sicilia. Firm Sicilia Architect.
  • Secretary: Manuel Pasquin, Entrepreneur.
  • Treasurer: Beatriz Urbano. Professor. Universidad Valladolid.

Directors:

  • Isabel de Felipe. Honorary Profesor. itdUPM.
  • Francesca Oliveri. Professor UPM. Madrid.
Vision and Mission Statement of the association.

The goal of PRONATUR is to promote and coordinate activities between University, Administration and firms for improvement of nature in urban environment with socioeconomic dimensions.

Some of the guidelines for PRONATUR are focused on:

  • Greening buildings
  • Green streets and open spaces in the city
  • Quality environment (air, acoustic)
  • Urban agriculture
  • Health and recreation
  • Integration of urban society

As a way to promote urban agriculture in 2012, it was founded in coordination with Foro Agrario the Observatory of Urban Agriculture.

Activities
  • In 1994, from the City Hall of Madrid, PRONATUR received the Award in the field of “Urban Environment”.
  • Three experimental green roofs were created in collaboration with the City Halls of Berlin and Madrid (1993), UPM (1996), the Ministry of Industry, Energy, and the firm Intemper (1999)

 

  • Several PhD, Masters Theses and academic projects
  • Member of the team coordinated by the Technical Agricultural School of Barcelona publishing the handbook of “Standard construction on green roofs”
  • Since 2012 PRONATUR is an active member of the Innovation and Technology for Development Centre (itdUPM):
    • Laboratory Bioclimatic Architecture and Urban Agriculture (LABAU)
    • Climat Reality Prize Award 2018
    • Master Massive On-line Open Course (MOOC) “Ciudades verdes, naturación y agricultura urbana” (2018), about greening cities, with more than 2000 international participants.
    • Project of “Vegetation towers designed as urban modules  for cleaning the air of cities”
    • Projects of green urban infrastructure with the City Hall of Madrid and the City Hall of Lugo

National Research or National Information that we are willing to share.

  • Environmental impact of green roof and wall
  • Urban agriculture multifunction
  • Carbon and energy footprint evaluation under the focus of green urban areas.
  • Roof top farming.
  • Improve the coordination of synergies between actors (public and private sector) involved in greening cities activities
  • Urban Energy and water management.
  • Socioeconomic impact of green urban infrastructures

For the region around Madrid you can find a map of existing green roofs here. For more information click here.