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Green DialoguesInternational Conference on Urban Green Management & Practice

October 21–22, 2025
Conference Hall, AC Hotel by Marriott Vilnius, Vasario 16-osios Street No 5, LT-01106 Vilnius, Lithuania
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Urban green management is a shared challenge for cities across Europe and beyond. Municipal green space managers, arborists, planners, and landscape specialists face increasingly complex conditions: climate change, hotter summers, declining biodiversity, and more demanding environments for trees and urban greenery.

At the same time, citizens’ expectations are rising: people want healthy, safe, and resilient urban spaces – well-maintained streets and sidewalks in winter, accessible and comfortable road infrastructure, sufficient housing, and preserved green areas that provide shade and improve quality of life.

How can cities balance these competing demands while ensuring sustainable urban greenery? The Green Dialogues Conference will explore this question through real-life examples, both successes and challenges. We will showcase innovative solutions and technologies, from drone-based tree inventories to data-driven maintenance strategies, offering practical insights for municipalities striving to create greener, safer, and more livable cities.

 

Agenda

Program (October 21, 2025)
Site Visit – October 22, 2025

Speakers

Ton Muller
(Netherlands)

Head of Landscape Design at the Municipality of Amsterdam. Climate change (extreme droughts and floods), transition of mobility (less cars, more bicycles), less money, hands and knowledge for maintenance (reality!)and room for biodiversity - we definitely had to find a new direction for greening the city. Instead of selecting a few high-maintenance parks, Amsterdam presents new planting concepts which they apply on a large scale.

Taina Suonio
(Finland)

biologist, horticulturist, and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show award-winning landscape designer. She will present a Greenest of the Green Vuosaari (Helsinki) housing project with green walls and vegetated roofs - the first one as a subject for research. Let's bring the science based knowledge on planting under harsh urban conditions.

Werner Hendriks
(Netherlands)

Representing HTW Treerootsystems, product innovator with a background in landscape architecture and soil science. As climate change intensifies, the damaging effects of de-icing salt on trees are becoming increasingly apparent. This session explores both proven strategies for immediate prevention and the exciting innovations on the horizon to build more resilient urban trees.

Arta Krūmina
(Latvia)

Project Manager of SIA “Rīgas meži”. Since “Rīgas meži” takes care of both Riga’s urban forests and the city’s public parks and gardens, there is a lot that connects our work with the community.

Ilze Rašmane
(Latvia)

Forester from the Forest Management Department of SIA “Rīgas meži”. Through our daily management work we also try to introduce many good practices and new ideas that make these green areas more valuable for the city and its people.

Tuija Hakkarainen
(Finland)

Project manager and green area Specialist in the Urban Environment Division of the city of Helsinki - sharing practical experiences with salt alternatives for winter maintenance and their impact on urban greenery.

Dominykas Petronis
(Lithuania)

GIS analyst at ID Vilnius. He will share Vilnius’ innovative digital tree inventory system, mapping the life cycle of every urban tree.

Gabino Carballo
(Spain)

Landscape designer, agrobiologist, and maintenance manager with 18 years of experience at Barcelona City Council. He will present how European cities adapt structural soil systems in practice to help urban trees withstand limited space, soil compaction, drought, and excess water.

Miroslaw Gajdak
(Poland)

A landscape architect, horticulturist, and urban planner, he represents the Warsaw Greenery Authority, where he coordinates strategic processes. He will present initiatives aimed at greening Warsaw from a local and metropolitan perspective.

Ing. Martin Tušer
(The Czech Republic)

An inventor, entrepreneur, and president of the new NGO Urban Tree Offset Initiative z.s.

Others

Other European cities present their practices of tree care, maintenance, plant supply and collaboration with citizens.

Registration for event is ended!

Practical Information

  • Venue: Conference Hall, Hotel by Marriott Vilnius, Vasario 16-osios Street No 5, LT-01106 Vilnius, Lithuania
  • Participation is free of charge.
  • Travel and accommodation expenses must be covered by participants themselves.
  • Please note that the conference will be conducted in English without translation.
  • Detailed practical information (travel tips, hotel recommendations, info about study visits) will be provided to registered participants.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Have questions? Feel free to reach out to us at
greendialogues@zaliasvilnius.lt
We look forward to welcoming you to this milestone event!
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