The ActGREEN project and members of the project team organized on 18 February 2026 a workshop for citizens titled
“A Green Courtyard that Connects Neighbours: Practical Tips for Harmonious Use and Maintenance of Shared Space.”
Participants of the workshop included: applicants to the public call for courtyard greening; courtyards selected for financing of landscape design and works by the City and by the ActGREEN project under the Horizon Europe programme and the NZC consortium; as well as participants of the pilot call for courtyard greening representing courtyards that have already been completed.
The presentation on courtyard maintenance was prepared by Miroslav Poje, a member of the project team from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture. The presentation covered the topic of courtyard maintenance, including instructions, examples, and tools for simple care of plants, shrubs, trees, flowering species, and grasses in different weather conditions and seasons. Presentation available on the
LINK.
If you would like to send an additional inquiry to colleagues from the Faculty of Agriculture regarding garden maintenance, feel free to write to: actgreen@zagreb.hr
After the presentation, workshop participants had the opportunity to complete a questionnaire prepared by Jana Kiralj Lacković, environmental psychologist from the Faculty of Agriculture, on the topic of what motivates citizens to engage in environmentally supportive behaviour, relating to the mutual influence between people and their environment.
Citizens showed great interest, especially with questions related to the maintenance of already improved courtyards, with a focus on invasive and aggressive plant species. There were also questions about methods for protecting young trees from high temperatures. The workshop also provided an opportunity to connect citizens whose courtyards have already been improved with those who are still awaiting their upgrades.
Mutual interaction, interest in the timeline of the greening process, proper maintenance within small communities, and good examples of highly engaged citizens give us strong motivation to continue with such activities. Citizens expressed interest in additional educational activities even after the project ends.
We thank our colleagues from the City Office for Economy, Environmental Sustainability and Strategic Planning for providing the premises of the Zagreb Energy Centre (ZEC) at Maksimirska 51, and especially Filip Ćurko, head of ZEC, for his support with logistics.
Information about the project can be found on the
ActGREEN project website.
More about the activities of ZEC, the Zagreb Energy Centre, and renewable energy sources can be found on the
ZEC website.
