Indicator: Dead wood in the urban environment: Dead wood as an indicator of urban biodiversity

Sustainable neighbourhoods are communities where environmental responsibility, social justice, and economic viability are realised. The need to promote genuine, sustainable development in neighbourhoods is widely recognised, but indicators based on the latest scientific research for measuring sustainability at the neighbourhood level have not been available until now.

The book “Towards more sustainable residential areas – indicators of neighbourhood and block sustainability” by the Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies Urbaria at the University of Helsinki, is a conversation starter for solving this problem. In this work, 34 professors and other leading Finnish researchers present 29 indicators by which neighbourhood-level sustainability can be monitored, measured, and compared between different areas. The aim of the book is to promote sustainability transitions by compiling existing scientific knowledge from various disciplines, and striving to increase the impact of this knowledge in urban planning and political decision-making.