Dundee
Situated on the north bank of the River Tay estuary in eastern Scotland, has a population of approximately 150,000.
Known as Scotland’s sunniest city, Dundee is undergoing a remarkable urban transformation, integrating innovation, culture, and environmental stewardship.
Over 25% of Dundee’s land area is classified as greenspace, including more than 100 parks and natural spaces such as Camperdown Park and Riverside Nature Park. The city’s Climate Action Plan and Green Network Strategy prioritise biodiversity, sustainable transport, and equitable access to nature.
Dundee is also a leader in data-driven governance and public engagement, with strong local networks supporting community involvement in sustainability initiatives. Current efforts focus on increasing urban tree planting, supporting nature-based learning, and engaging communities in maintaining and enhancing public green areas.
Shaping Dundee’s greenspaces through community, insight and data.
Dundee is actively engaging residents to help shape the future of its public greenspaces by capturing how people experience, use, and value their local parks.
Through community events, targeted outreach, and collaborations with local universities, citizens contribute insights via Partimap, a web-based mapping survey, the Urban ReLeaf Cities mobile app, and complementary paper surveys. These tools enable families, students, and visitors to share observations on safety, biodiversity, accessibility, and comfort across more than 40 parks and greenspaces.
At the same time, Dundee City Council is deploying PurpleAir sensors near selected schools to better understand how green infrastructure, such as trees and hedges, mitigates traffic-related air pollution. By continuously monitoring PM2.5 levels, the city generates environmental data that complements citizen-reported experiences.
This combined approach informs priorities for greenspace improvements and strengthens engagement with underrepresented communities. By integrating community knowledge with environmental monitoring, Dundee is building a robust evidence base to support more inclusive, responsive, and data-driven urban planning.
Themes
Greenspace
Perception
Air
Quality
Sensors / Technology / Data
Mobile
Applications
Air Quality
Monitors PM2.5
Discover Dundee’s approach
Pop Up Community and Culture Labs
Urban ReLeaf Pop-Up Labs are short-term creative initiatives that transform citizen-generated environmental data into accessible community and cultural experiences, connecting science, creativity and local knowledge to make climate challenges visible and meaningful.
In Dundee, the Pop-Up Lab explores how residents experience blue and green spaces, including parks, rivers and coastline. Informed by local environmental data, participatory lantern-making workshops invited communities to reflect on their relationship with nature and water. Artists Dawn Hartley and Niamh O’Loughlin co-created over 140 illuminated lanterns with residents, each inspired by personal experiences. The lanterns featured in the St Andrew’s Day Hooley procession, strengthening community connections and highlighting the role of creative practice in conversations about urban nature.
