Europe's cities are facing challenges regarding the protection of their green spaces: As biodiversity and the quality of urban nature across Europe’s urban landscapes are increasingly threatened, human well-being, climate resilience and ecological integrity are also at risk. This situation creates a growing need for effective tools to align urban planning and management with sustainable urban development goals.

To address this need, the EU Joint Research Centre has developed a handbook for urban planners and policymakers that includes currently available tools for urban greening strategies and the data inputs they require: The handbook describes 59 digital tools, such as software and web-based apps and platforms or guidelines. The handbook also features use-cases and good practice examples of how cities are using these tools in action: Among the European cities featured are Lisbon, Leipzig, Glasgow, Granollers, Birmingham. 

_{The tools included in the handbook can be applied to different phases of the Urban Nature Plans Cycle: The Urban Nature Plan Guidance and Toolkit were developed by the Commission in collaboration with Eurocities and ICLEI. 
(Source: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/urban-environment/urban-nature-… (European Commission)}

Users can access the 59 tools in an excel sheet or as an online tool for easier browsing and filtering with direct links to each tool. The overviews also include descriptions of the scale, type and costs/licensing of each tool, as well as a mention of its transferability to other cities and the skills required.