The Green City Movement was started by Plant Publicity Holland in 2002. The Netherlands is a small country with large population density and continuously connecting settlements, where the creation and protection of green areas is therefore a key question. However, the green areas as well as the funding for their maintenance have been steadily shrinking, even if the country has a rich heritage of gardening. Member countries therefore undertake to create the foundations for paradigm change, to shift the perception of plants and green areas from the current and mistaken "costly decoration" back to "valuable economic and social basic need" through scientific research and information. Each Green City member country freely develops urban green areas, but also fulfills shared duties to share experiences and knowledge with other members, to create non-profit organizations participating in research, pilot projects, education etc. as well as the Green City Council that is a forum for the green professions and a platform of shared policy making. Hungary joined the movement in June 2010 in Milan as its sixth member by signing the Milan Charta.
