What if a park wasn’t just a green space, but a catalyst for equity, biodiversity, and long-term resilience?

In this episode of PodParks, host Maria Burnett sits down with Michael Boland, renowned landscape architect, strategic advisor, and former Chief Park Officer of the Presidio Trust in San Francisco. With over three decades of experience transforming one of the most innovative urban national parks in the world, Michael shares how clear vision, community leadership, and ecological values can shape the future of our cities.

From childhood wonder to global advocacy, this episode explores the philosophy and strategy behind enduring parks, and how large urban parks are uniquely positioned to address the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and social equity.

✨ Highlights include:

• Why access to nature in cities is essential, not a luxury
• A behind-the-scenes look at transforming the Presidio from army base to national park
• Lessons from parks around the world, from Alcatraz to Paris to Sydney
• The triple bottom line: people, planet, and financial sustainability
• World Urban Parks’ next chapter — and what it means for the global parks community

👤 Featured Guest

Michael Boland – Strategic Advisor, Landscape Architect, and Co-Chair of the Large Urban Parks Committee at World Urban Parks

🔗 Michael on LinkedIn

Referenced in this episode:

• Presidio of San Francisco – A former military post turned urban national park
• World Urban Parks – Large Urban Parks Committee
• Centennial Parklands, Governor’s Island, Western Sydney Parklands, and more

About PodParks

PodParks is the official podcast of World Urban Parks. Hosted by Maria Burnett, each episode shares real stories and bold ideas from the people making parks, public space, and urban nature more inclusive, innovative, and essential.

🎙️ Meet the PodParks Team

Maria Burnett | Luis Romahn | Vitoria Martín Delgado | Vladimir Yañez Huehpa|  Cynthia Hernández Martínez| Boris Solis

World Urban Parks

🌐 worldurbanparks.org

📱 Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter/X

What happens when green infrastructure isn’t just a design project, but a shared mission across professions?

In this episode of PodParks, host Maria Burnett shares conversations recorded at the Green Days 2025 Congress and Expo in Jyväskylä, Finland. The event brought together professionals from planning, design, research, and industry who are all working to create greener cities through collaboration.

From landscape ecology and soil networks to garden coaching and cross-industry standards, this episode highlights what becomes possible when we stop working in silos and start creating shared solutions.

• Soil as the hidden foundation of urban green networks
• How private gardens can support public environmental goals
• Designing for seasonal extremes in Nordic cities
• Turning academic research into community change
• Creating shared standards for long-term success

🧑‍🏫 Marina Cervera – Barcelona Architectural School

Lecturer and practitioner focused on landscape architecture, urbanism, and bridging theory with practice

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

🧑‍🔬 Outi Tahvonen – HAMK University of Applied Sciences

Research scientist exploring the role of soil, gardens, and community engagement in ecological planning

🔗 LinkedIn | X/Twitter

👷‍♂️ Taavi Forssell – Finnish Association of Landscape Industries

Executive director leading cross-sector collaboration in the Finnish green industry

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

• Green Days Congress – annual gathering of Europe’s landscape and planning professionals
• Finnish Association of Landscape Industries – collaboration across the green industry value chain in Finland
• HAMK University of Applied Sciences – research and applied learning for ecological and community solutions

Interested in attending Green Days 2026?

Learn more and stay connected with future events at Green Days Congress

PodParks is the official podcast of World Urban Parks. Hosted by Maria Burnett, each episode shares real stories and bold ideas from the people making parks, public space, and urban nature more inclusive, innovative, and essential.

Alongside Maria, the podcast is brought to life by a passionate and creative team working together to share stories from around the world:

Luis Romahn

Vitoria Martín Delgado

Vladimir Yañez Huehpa

Cynthia Hernández Martínez

Boris Solis

World Urban Parks is the global network for urban park professionals, advocates, and city leaders working to shape greener, healthier, and more inclusive cities.

🌐 worldurbanparks.org

📱 Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter

Straight from the source: Maria Burnett sits down with Cecil Konijnendijk, the urban forester behind the world-famous 3-30-300 rule.

Together, they unpack how this deceptively simple guideline — 3 trees in view, 30 percent canopy cover, and 300 meters to green space — can reshape urban planning, public health, and social equity.

From city streets to forest roots, this is a global idea with deeply personal beginnings and a conversation that might just change how you see the world outside your window.

Learn more or connect with Cecil

nbsi.eu/3-30-300

Cecil on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cecil-konijnendijk-2038201

Questions or feedback

Contact Maria Burnett: [email protected]

Share your thoughts: bit.ly/podparks-feedback 

Explore more

🌿 worldurbanparks.org – Join our online community and become a member

🎧 Follow Podparks for more voices shaping the future of urban nature

Podcast Episode Notes – Attribution Disclaimer

This podcast episode contains short audio excerpts from publicly available YouTube videos. These clips are used for purposes of commentary, analysis, and discussion under the principles of fair use as defined in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.

All rights to the original content belong to their respective creators.

Featured sources include:

•Video Title: "Future cities: Urban planners get creative | DW Documentary" YouTube Channel: "DW Documentary" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Future+cities%3A+Urban+planners+get+creative+%7C+DW+Documentary+DW+Documentary

•Video Title: "How trees can keep cities cool" YouTube Channel: "CBS TEXAS" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=How+trees+can+keep+cities+cool+CBS+TEXAS

•Video Title: "Johannesburg plans on growing its urban forest" YouTube Channel: "CGTN Africa" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Johannesburg+plans+on+growing+its+urban+forest+CGTN+Africa

•Video Title: "Melbourne's Urban Forest Strategy | City of Melbourne" YouTube Channel: "City of Melbourne" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Melbourne%27s+Urban+Forest+Strategy+%7C+City+of+Melbourne+City+of+Melbourne

•Video Title: "Saudi Arabia Insane Plan to Turn its Desert into Green Paradise" YouTube Channel: "Civil Mentors" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Saudi+Arabia+Insane+Plan+to+Turn+its+Desert+into+Green+Paradise+Civil+Mentors

•Video Title: "Statewide Urban Forest Map Aims To Help Cities Close Gaps In Tree Cover" YouTube Channel: "WTIU & WFIU - Indiana Public Media" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Statewide+Urban+Forest+Map+Aims+To+Help+Cities+Close+Gaps+In+Tree+Cover+WTIU+%26+WFIU+-+Indiana+Public+Media

•Video Title: "Students adding to tree canopy" YouTube Channel: "CTV News" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Students+adding+to+tree+canopy+CTV+News

•Video Title: "The Importance of a Tree Canopy" YouTube Channel: "CuyahogaCounty" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=The+Importance+of+a+Tree+Canopy+CuyahogaCounty

•Video Title: "The cooling effects of urban tree canopies" YouTube Channel: "CBC British Columbia" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=The+cooling+effects+of+urban+tree+canopies+CBC+British+Columbia

•Video Title: "Trees for Water – China. Exploring Forest Landscape Restoration for Beijing." YouTube Channel: "IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Trees+for+Water+%E2%80%93+China.+Exploring+Forest+Landscape+Restoration+for+Beijing.+IUCN%2C+International+Union+for+Conservation+of+Nature

•Video Title: "Urban Forestry Explained | One Tree Planted" YouTube Channel: "One Tree Planted" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Urban+Forestry+Explained+%7C+One+Tree+Planted+One+Tree+Planted

•Video Title: "Urban Forestry: What Cities Need Now!" YouTube Channel: "American Society of Landscape Architects" Search Link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Urban+Forestry%3A+What+Cities+Need+Now!+American+Society+of+Landscape+Architects

If you are the copyright owner of any content used and would like us to remove or modify the usage, please contact us at [email protected]

What if the greenest part of a city was its rooftops?

In this episode of Podparks, Maria Burnett speaks with Oliver Hanna from ZinCo about how green roofs are transforming cities - from cooling buildings and managing stormwater to supporting biodiversity and urban life. Recorded at FutureScape in Riyadh, this is a grounded, global conversation for planners, designers, and anyone curious about greener futures.

Mentioned Projects:

• High Line, NYC
• CopenHill, Copenhagen
• Al Shaheed Park, Kuwait
• Stavros Niarchos Centre, Athens

Connect with Oliver and ZinCo:

Oliver Hanna – LinkedIn

ZinCo – LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Explore more:

worldurbanparks.org – global conversations on parks, public space, and urban nature

What if a bench was more than just a bench?

In this episode of Podparks, host Maria Burnett sits down with Daniela Bertino, international development lead for Agoramakers, for a lively, unfiltered conversation about public space, beauty, and belonging. From benches turned skateparks to lighting that shapes how we feel in a city, Daniela shares stories and reflections from a career spent helping cities design for people.

Recorded in the Middle East with laughter, background ambience, and spontaneity intact, this episode explores how design can foster dignity, inclusion and joy. Beauty in public space is not just nice to have. It is deeply meaningful. One highlight is a story about a dancer in Paris who transforms a simple lighting pole into a stage. It's a powerful reminder that when we design with care and creativity, people will find their own ways to bring public spaces to life. Daniela also reflects on movements like guerrilla gardening, where everyday citizens reclaim forgotten urban corners and turn them into vibrant green pockets of community care.

Topics include:

• Why benches, bins and lighting matter more than we think
• Designing for emotional impact, not just function
• Stories from Italy, Colombia and the Gulf
• Creating places that are safe, welcoming and built to last
• Sustainability, accessibility and unexpected uses of public design
• The intersection of culture, community and creativity in urban space

Daniela Bertino

Daniela on LinkedIn

Metalco

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

Eclatec

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

🎥 Lighting pole as stage: Iya Traoré in Paris

• Watch on YouTube

🌍 Become a World Urban Parks member

• Join here

This week, we celebrate World Parks Week with a very special narrative-style episode! 🌍🎧

Join us on a global journey exploring how parks shape healthier, more resilient, and more connected cities.

You'll hear reflections from inspiring voices around the world, including:

🌳 Carl McClean on parks as instruments of global equity

🌳 Dorothea Sulzbacher on the essential link between parks and mental well-being

🌳 Gabino Carballo on parks as cultural memory and public commons

🌳 Kevin Halpenny on the power of community-led green spaces

🌳 Yasemin Duygu Bolat on green infrastructure as a tool for social equity

Together, they reveal how parks are not just patches of green — they are strategies for a better, more sustainable future.

Learn more about World Parks Week and how you can get involved: World Parks Week – World Urban Parks 🌎

📢 Stay Connected:

• Visit World Urban Parks to learn more about global green space leadership.
• Follow PodParks wherever you listen to your podcasts!

#PodParks #WorldParksWeek #WorldUrbanParks #GreenCities #ParksForTheFuture

Mentioned in this episode:

Eclatec

Season 3 of PodParks continues with a powerful narrative-style episode exploring our complex relationship with nature—and how nature-based solutions can help cities meet today’s biggest challenges.

New host Maria Burnett, a parks strategist from Aotearoa New Zealand, brings us stories and reflections from three inspiring voices who are reshaping the way we think about urban nature:

🌿 Cecil Konijnendijk, Co-Director of the Nature Based Solutions Institute

🌱 Deborah Lambert, Co-Founder of Felix Landscape Architects

🌳 Gabino Carballo, Project Coordinator at Natural Base Solutions

Together, they reflect on the global momentum behind nature-based solutions, the role of advocacy committees, and the power of collaboration in transforming our cities into healthier, greener places for all.

🗓️ As we head into Parks Week 2025, from April 28 to May 4, this episode offers timely insight into why urban green spaces are not just nice-to-haves—they're critical to community well-being, climate resilience, and social equity. Parks Week also marks a major milestone: World Urban Parks’ 10th anniversary, a celebration of a decade of progress and a commitment to the decade ahead.

We’re deeply grateful to our guests for sharing their insights and experiences:

• Learn more about Cecil’s work at the3300rule.com
• Explore Deborah’s firm at felixwith2xs.nl
• Connect with Gabino on LinkedIn

🎧 Listen now to reconnect with the natural world—and discover how global experts are bringing nature back into the heart of our cities.

Subscribe and stay connected with the international parks community at worldurbanparks.org.

Welcome to a brand-new third season of PodParks!

In this episode, we introduce our new host, Maria Burnett, and explore the exciting themes that will shape Season 3. From climate adaptation and inclusivity to Indigenous perspectives and youth engagement, this season promises fresh insights and meaningful conversations about the future of urban parks.

We also take a moment to reflect on the journey of PodParks so far, revisiting key topics like mental health, urban rewilding, and green infrastructure. With Maria at the helm, we’ll bring fresh perspectives and deeper discussions on how parks can serve communities better, foster biodiversity, and integrate cutting-edge technology.

Join us for this engaging season opener as we set the stage for meaningful discussions with experts, advocates, and park lovers worldwide. Don’t miss out—subscribe and be part of the conversation!

Listen now and stay connected with the global community of park professionals at worldurbanparks.org.

Mentioned in this episode:

Metalco Ad

Exciting news! PodParks returns for its third season with a brand-new host, Maria Barnett, an open spaces planner from Aotearoa, New Zealand. As World Urban Parks celebrates its 10th anniversary, this season explores nature play, climate resilience, indigenous perspectives, and emerging park technologies, featuring global experts.

New episodes launch this April—subscribe now and be the first to listen!

Welcome to PodParks, the podcast from World Urban Parks for park enthusiasts and nature lovers! In this exclusive sneak peek of Season 3, meet our new host, Maria Barnett, joining us all the way from Aotearoa, New Zealand, where she works as an open spaces planner.

This season, we’re celebrating World Urban Parks' 10th anniversary — a decade of connecting people with nature around the globe. Get ready for exciting conversations around crucial topics like nature play, climate resilience, indigenous perspectives, and cutting-edge tech that’s shaping the future of parks. We'll be speaking with parks managers, university professors, smart city experts, and more.

Whether you're a parks professional or simply someone who enjoys the outdoors, this season has something for you. Don't miss the premiere this April — it's going to be an exciting ride!