Ecological Sustainability and Urban Green Space	RINGKØBING PAPERS Water Management Landuse Planning Waste Management Area Resources Habitat Quality
Urban Density and Green Structure Case Studies Ringkøbing -DK Stocksbridge -UK Oslo -Forsheimer -N Poland- Green networks -PL Tidaholm & Trollhatten -S Social Impacts of sustainable Housing Oslo - city centre -N Helsinki - Espoo -SU Political Instruments Norway - N Click a Topic QUIT RINGKØBING DENMARK Habitat quality menu Vegetation as an indicator Pilot Study Methodology Findings & Conclusion References Click a Topic	RINGKØBING CASE STUDY - HABITAT QUALITY METHODOLOGY FOR THE RINGKØBING STUDY To access this information use the bottom left menu to move between Sections and the arrows to move to the next page The findings of the pilot study were used as a basis and a reference for further studies on urban habitat quality in Ringkøbing and Ikast. The assessment of existing habitat quality in Ringkøbing thus builds mainly on a vegetation study and additional knowledge of water features and management practices. As a consequence of the findings of the pilot study, occular interpretation of black and white aerial photographs of the scale 1:6000 was chosen for the major source of information. This information was supplemented by field evaluations of selected structure zones on vertical structure, including heights and species diversity and visible management practices. The pilot study assessments of three values, low, medium and high, were substituted by a scale of five, which proved more satisfying. Methodology of the Ringkøbing study - assessment units The formal municipal structure plan of the town of Ringkøbing shows a general grouping of area uses. This structure plan is simplified in comparison with the more dispersed pattern of area use, which may be derived from the descriptions of the single structure zones in the municipal plan. The descriptions, which include use, plot ratios of built structures and open spaces, have been the point of departure of this study. To arrive at a number of categories reasonable for this research purpose, however, some area use categories were grouped. The grouping was made on the basis of visual, physical qualities, including for instance, minor areas of a higher building ratio in a large structure zone and linking already established areas with planned areas of the same area use. The latter was not done for residential zones, where substantial areas for new development are kept in a separate category. This more accurate area use plan has proved to be a suitably detailed basis for assessing and analysing the patterns and qualities of vegetation of the structure zones. As the coastal zone along the built up areas of Ringkøbing does not belong to the urban area, it is not included in the municipal structure zone framework. It is, however, an important part of the actual green structure of the city and vital to the recreational opportunities of Ringkøbing. Consequently, it has been included in the research area. This is also the case for two smaller woodland units both east and west of the town. It should be added that using the structure zone framework as a point of departure for assessing existing physical qualities and potential is a consequence of a general aim of the research project to make connections between planning practice and physical environmental information and so between planning and implementation. A German study (Duhme and Pauleit,1995) supports the view that this method might be operational for municipal planning purposes.