Biocultural Heritage and Climate Adaptation in Arctic Cities, Anchorage, Alaska

A co-creative community workshop on urban green spaces, focused on biocultural heritage and climate adaptation, was held in Anchorage, Alaska, on October 7–8, 2025, co-hosted by Olga Povoroznyuk and Peter Schweitzer from the University of Vienna (UV), and Davin Holen from Alaska Sea Grant, University of Alaska Fairbanks. The workshop was hosted by the Belmont Forum-funded project ARCA: Biocultural Heritage in Arctic Cities.

Plenary discussions, break-out groups, participatory mapping exercises, and a collaborative art project facilitated exchange between local and international experts, city residents, policy makers, and artists.

The workshop opened with welcome words and introductory presentations by the co-hosts – Tyler Robinson (Cook Inlet Housing Authority), Davin Holen (UAF), and the UV team. The workshop consisted of four panels covering the topics: green spaces of Anchorage, urban social and cultural diversity and public engagement, urban planning, climate adaptation and sustainability, and biocultural heritage and arts. Small breakout group discussions and a plenary followed each panel.

In the first panel, Haley Johnston (Alaska Trails), Beth Nordlund (Anchorage Parks Foundation), and Nicolette Dent (Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation) discussed the different uses and functions of green spaces in Anchorage.

In the following panel, Mara Kimmel (American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska), Diane Hirshberg (Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage), and Simonetta Mignano (Anchorage Museum) discussed urban social and cultural diversity and public engagement.

In the third panel, Victoria Miles (NERSC), Micah Hahn (UAA), Tamas Deak (KPB Architects), and Daniel McKenna Foster (Planning Department of the City of Anchorage) provided information on urban planning, climate adaptation, and sustainability.

On the second day, Itzel Zagal (University of Fairbanks), Olga Zaslavskaia and Olga Kisseleva (online, ASII), Meredith Marchioni (Alaska Pacific University), and Meghan Holtan (University of Buffalo) discussed green spaces from the perspective of biocultural heritage and arts. Both days were concluded with the art project “Seed paper,” facilitated by Cecilia Karoly-Lister (the Nave) and Itzel Zagal.

The ARCA team was honoured to be guests on Indigenous Dena’ina land at The Nave Spenard Anchorage, Alaska. A workshop report summarizing the two days of productive discussions on local uses and values of green spaces in Anchorage as part of biocultural heritage will be forthcoming in the following months.

To learn more about ARCA and biocultural heritage in other Arctic cities, explore the website here: ARCA.