| 1. |
- Erlwein, Sabrina, et al.
(author)
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Governance of densification and climate change adaptation : How can conflicting demands for housing and greening in cities be reconciled?
- 2023
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In: Land Use Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-8377. ; 128
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Urban green spaces are important for climate change adaptation, in particular to reduce the negative impacts of heat waves on human well-being. However, in growing cities urban green spaces are under pressure due to increasing housing demand and densification. Municipalities face the challenge of addressing both the housing shortage and the need for climate change adaptation on limited space. This study assessed the barriers that hinder successful integration in urban policymaking. More specifically, it analyses structural conditions impeding or promoting climate resilient urban development in growing, densifying areas. Based on interviews with urban and green space planning officers and policy analyses, we investigate current discourses and the interrelations between actors, power, resources and regulations. Our results show that improved cooperation between individual administrative departments, as well as administration and politics is decisive for better integration of green spaces in urban planning, negotiations with investors and sustained citizen involvement. Certain departmental structures and working routines can help to promote such cooperation. We show that it is not the availability of resources alone that is key for integration, as commonly suggested. Instead, transparent communication, the co-development of rules and resolutions with the public, and strategic external resource management are needed for solving conflicting demands for densification and greening in cities. We conclude with recommendations for research, policy and practice.
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| 2. |
- Haase, Dagmar, et al.
(author)
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A Quantitative Review of Urban Ecosystem Service Assessments : Concepts, Models, and Implementation
- 2014
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In: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 43:4, s. 413-433
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although a number of comprehensive reviews have examined global ecosystem services (ES), few have focused on studies that assess urban ecosystem services (UES). Given that more than half of the world's population lives in cities, understanding the dualism of the provision of and need for UES is of critical importance. Which UES are the focus of research, and what types of urban land use are examined? Are models or decision support systems used to assess the provision of UES? Are trade-offs considered? Do studies of UES engage stakeholders? To address these questions, we analyzed 217 papers derived from an ISI Web of Knowledge search using a set of standardized criteria. The results indicate that most UES studies have been undertaken in Europe, North America, and China, at city scale. Assessment methods involve bio-physical models, Geographical Information Systems, and valuation, but few study findings have been implemented as land use policy.
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| 3. |
- Haase, Dagmar, et al.
(author)
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Greening cities - To be socially inclusive? About the alleged paradox of society and ecology in cities
- 2017
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In: Habitat International. - : Elsevier BV. - 0197-3975 .- 1873-5428. ; 64, s. 41-48
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Greening cities, namely installing new parks, rooftop gardens or planting trees along the streets, undoubtedly contributes to an increase in wellbeing and enhances the attractiveness of open spaces in cities. At the same time, we observe an increasing use of greening strategies as ingredients of urban renewal, upgrading and urban revitalization as primarily market-driven endeavours targeting middle class and higher income groups sometimes at the expense of less privileged residents. This paper reflects on the current debate of the social effects of greening using selected examples. We discuss what tradeoffs between social and ecological developments in cities mean for the future debate on greening cities and a socially balanced and inclusive way of developing our cities for various groups of urban dwellers. We conclude that current and future functions and features of greening cities have to be discussed more critically including a greater awareness of social impacts.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Hansen, Rieke, et al.
(author)
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The uptake of the ecosystem services concept in planning discourses of European and American cities
- 2015
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In: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0416. ; 12, s. 228-246
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ecosystem services (ES) are gaining increasing attention as a promising concept to more actively consider and plan for the varied benefits of the urban environment. Yet, to have an impact on decision- making, the concept must spread from academia to practice. To understand how ES have been taken up in planning discourses we conducted a cross-case comparison of planning documents in Berlin, New York, Salzburg, Seattle and Stockholm. We found: (1) explicit references to the ES concept were primarily in documents from Stockholm and New York, two cities in countries that entered into ES discourses early. (2) Implicit references and thus potential linkages between the ES concept and planning discourses were found frequently among all cities, especially in Seattle. (3) The thematic scope, represented by 21 different ES, is comparably broad among the cases, while cultural services and habitat provision are most frequently emphasized. (4) High-level policies were shown to promote the adoption of the ES concept in planning. We find that the ES concept holds potential to strengthen a holistic consideration of urban nature and its benefits in planning. We also revealed potential for further development of ES approaches with regard to mitigation of environmental impacts and improving urban resilience.
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| 6. |
- Kremer, Peleg, et al.
(author)
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Key insights for the future of urban ecosystem services research
- 2016
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In: Ecology and Society. - 1708-3087. ; 21:No.2, s. 29-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding the dynamics of urban ecosystem services is a necessary requirement for adequate planning, management, and governance of urban green infrastructure. Through the three-year Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (URBES) research project, we conducted case study and comparative research on urban biodiversity and ecosystem services across seven cities in Europe and the United States. Reviewing > 50 peer-reviewed publications from the project, we present and discuss seven key insights that reflect cumulative findings from the project as well as the state-of-the-art knowledge in urban ecosystem services research. The insights from our review indicate that cross-sectoral, multiscale, interdisciplinary research is beginning to provide a solid scientific foundation for applying the ecosystem services framework in urban areas and land management. Our review offers a foundation for seeking novel, nature-based solutions to emerging urban challenges such as wicked environmental change issues.
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| 7. |
- Pauleit, Stephan, et al.
(author)
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Advancing urban green infrastructure in Europe : Outcomes and reflections from the GREEN SURGE project
- 2019
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In: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. - : Elsevier BV. - 1618-8667 .- 1610-8167. ; 40, s. 4-16
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Urban green infrastructure (UGI) is a promising concept when developing multifunctional green space systems to address major challenges of urbanization such as increasing social cohesion, promoting the transition to a green economy, adaptation to climate change and conservation of biodiversity. In response to the European Commission's Communication on Green Infrastructure from 2013, the GREEN SURGE project aimed to further advance the development of UGI in European cities by (i) strengthening the conceptual foundations of UGI, (ii) developing improved methods and tools for assessment of its state, benefits and governance and, (iii) applying these to build a stronger evidence base. This paper aims to provide an overall synthesis of the project's main achievements. GREEN SURGE adopted an inter-and transdisciplinary approach. Urban Learning Labs and focal Learning Alliances in five cities were instrumental for intensive collaboration between disciplines and across science and practice. Pan-European surveys, e.g. of planning and governance practice or human-nature interactions established the state-of-the-art across the continent and identified good practices. The project consolidated green infrastructure planning and governance conceptually, and it mapped opportunities for better linking government-led planning with bottom-up initiatives for creating and managing UGI. It also introduced a framework for knowledge integration to support UGI valuation. Importantly, development and application of the concept of biocultural diversity gave new insights into human-nature relationships in multicultural urban societies. The results strongly call for more context-sensitive development of UGI that addresses the different needs and diverse cultural practices of people engaging with nature. In a nutshell, GREEN SURGE showed that UGI indeed can make a major contribution to sustainable and resilient urbanisation. Transdisciplinary research in urban labs, if well-conceived, has shown to hold great potential to advance UGI concepts, methods, knowledge and practice.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Wamsler, Christine, et al.
(author)
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Making headway in climate policy mainstreaming and ecosystem-based adaptation : two pioneering countries, different pathways, one goal
- 2016
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In: Climatic Change. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0165-0009 .- 1573-1480. ; 137:1-2, s. 71-87
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ecosystem-based adaptation (i.e. the use of ecosystem services to adapt to climate change) and its mainstreaming into municipal planning to foster sustainable transformation is receiving increasing interest from both academic and governmental bodies. However, little is known about the pathways for its systematic implementation, or the extent to which it is already mainstreamed in municipal planning practice. This article reports on a study in which local pathways to sustainably mainstream ecosystem-based adaptation were compared in 12 municipalities in Germany and Sweden. The results show that while progress is seemingly similar in the two countries, there are noticeable differences regarding the local triggers, the importance given to particular mainstreaming strategies and their link to climate policy integration. Ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation are not labelled or systematised in either country. In addition, the mainstreaming of ecosystem-based adaptation is enabled through municipalities’ level of experience in mainstreaming other issues. In Sweden, the ecosystem service concept drives adaptation mainstreaming, which is often disconnected from the integration of climate mitigation policy. In contrast, German structures and planning processes established for climate change mitigation are paving the way. We conclude that systematic adaptation mainstreaming and its potential linkages and disconnects with climate mitigation policy integration require more explicit consideration, both in research and practice. We call for more research on the role of inclusive (as opposed to fragmented) climate policy integration to assure sustainable planning and transformation.
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| 10. |
- Zölch, Teresa, et al.
(author)
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Integrating the ecosystem-based approach into municipal climate adaptation strategies : The case of Germany
- 2018
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 170, s. 966-977
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Climate change impacts are a key challenge for sustainable urban development. To address this challenge, ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), i.e., the use of ecosystem services and biodiversity to help people adapt to climate change, is increasingly being considered as an alternative or complement to traditional, engineering-based approaches (increasingly also known as nature-based solutions). However, little research on ecosystem-based adaptation has been carried out in urban areas, and empirical evidence of its effectiveness and uptake in strategic adaptation planning is particularly lacking. Against this background, this study investigates the implementation of urban EbA in strategic adaptation planning. Based on a comparative analysis of all German municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, it examines the integration of EbA into municipal adaptation strategies. The results show that there is, so far, no comprehensive uptake of the EbA concept. While current strategies differ significantly in their type, structure, scope, maturity and content, overall the EbA concept remains implicit. 76% of the assessed strategies include some kind of ecosystem-based adaptation measures, which focus on enhancing the conservation, restoration, creation or sustainable management of ecosystems, and 25% of all strategies highlight the multiple benefits of these measures. However, comprehensive approaches are missing. We conclude that better policy support and comprehensive mainstreaming of EbA (e.g., through more distributed urban governance, science-policy integration, combined top-down policies and bottom-up activities) is urgently needed to foster sustainable urban development.
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