Zandersen, M., Knopp, J., Banzhaf, E., Jones, L., Lovell, R., Rice, M., Wheeler, B., Pedersen, A. B., Petersen, C., Jensen, A., Russel, D., Grandin, G., Barra, M., Dai, K., Hardiman, R., Kaltenegger, I., Sang, Å. O., Vogel, N., Ellmer, H.-P., … Læssøe, J. (2024). REGREEN Policy Briefs Bundle. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732792

Zandersen, M. (2024). Fostering Nature-based Solutions for equitable, green and healthy urban transitions. REGREEN Policy Brief no. 1/12. REGREEN. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732773

Knopp, J., & Banzhaf, E. (2024). High resolution land cover. Multiple use cases, different data sets, comparable results. REGREEN Policy Brief 2/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732748

Knopp, J., & Banzhaf, E. (2024). Using dasymetric mapping. What is the socio-spatial distribution like in your city? REGREEN Policy Brief 3/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732718

Jones, L. (2024). Ecosystem services modelling. REGREEN Policy Brief 4/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732684

Jones, L. (2024). City explorer tool. REGREEN Policy Brief 5/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China.

Lovell, R., Rice, M., & Wheeler, B. W. (2024). Mixed-method integration of evidence and valuation findings. REGREEN Policy Brief 6/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732665

Pedersen, A. B., Petersen, C., Jensen, A., Russel, D., Grandin, G., Barra, M., Dai, K., Hardiman, R., & Kaltenegger, I. (2024). Barriers and enablers in local NbS governance in Europe. REGREEN Policy Brief 7/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732624

Anderson, S. (2024). Engaging Children in Nature-based solutions. REGREEN Policy Brief 8/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China.

Sang, Å. O., & Vogel, N. (2024). Knowledge co-production in the Urban Living Labs. REGREEN Policy Brief 9/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732589

Grandin, G. (2024). A methodology for identifying areas with high renaturation potential. REGREEN Policy Brief 10/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732579

Ellmer, H.-P. (2024). Nature-based solutions business development and business models. REGREEN Policy Brief 11/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732493

Elze, S., Petersen, C., Læssøe, J., Banzhaf, E., Jensen, A., Russel, D., & Anderson, S. (2024). Meeting on the map: Innovative platform for stakeholder learning, dialogue and engagement with nature-based solutions (NbS). REGREEN Policy Brief 12/12. REGREEN – Fostering nature‐based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10732498

Sustainable urban water management initiatives are increasingly required to combat rapid urbanization and climate pressures. Initiatives include the role of tree planting, for which there is a need for strong evidence of benefits and drawbacks to support effective future planning. We report on the robustness of evidence from an assimilated database of urban hydrological impact studies which often had differing primary purposes. Consistent impacts were found at the local level, with trees reducing runoff and infiltration. Despite the consistency of evidence, much is undermined by the studies being somewhat lacking in robustness and scientific rigour. Many studies lack adequate controls, and models are often not strongly tested against observations. Moreover, evidence of impact at larger scales is lacking. Effects of  tree characteristics were also investigated, such as maturity and species (for which evidence is consistent and detailed) and arrangement (for which there is less evidence). Realizing the full potential of trees in urban water management decision-making would benefit from more rigorous evidence.

Urbanisation processes inherently influence land cover (LC) and have dramatic impacts on the amount, distribution and quality of vegetation cover. The latter are the source of ecosystem services (ES) on which humans depend. However, the temporal and thematical dimensions are not documented in a comparable manner across Europe and China. Three cities in China and three cities in Europe were selected as case study areas to gain a picture of spatial urban dynamics at intercontinental scale. First, we analysed available global and continental thematic LC products as a data pool for sample selection and referencing our own mapping model. With the help of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and earth observation data, an automatic LC mapping method tailored for more detailed ES features was proposed. To do so, differentiated LC categories were quantified. In order to obtain a balance between efficiency and high classification accuracy, we developed an optimal classification model by evaluating the importance of a large number of spectral, texture-based indices and topographical information. The overall classification accuracies range between 73% and 95% for different time slots and cities. To capture ES related LC categories in great detail, deciduous and coniferous forests, cropland, grassland and bare land were effectively identified. To understand inner urban options for potential new ES, dense and dispersed built-up areas were differentiated with good results. In addition, this study focuses on the differences in the characteristics of urban expansion witnessed in China and Europe. Our results reveal that urbanisation has been more intense in the three Chinese cities than in the three European cities, with an 84% increase in the entire built-up area over the last two decades. However, our results also show the results of China’s ecological restoration policies, with a total of 963 km2 of new green and blue LC created in the last two decades. We proved that our automatic mapping can be effectively applied to future studies, and the monitoring results will be useful for consecutive ES analyses aimed at achieving more environmentally friendly cities.

This paper explores how varied systems of governance work at the European city level to deliver different policy mixes for implementing nature-based approaches which support integrated water management and policy. Urban systems provide unique insights here due to the concentration of consumption, economic activities and excessive land-use pressures. However, few studies are providing generic insights, rooted in policy and political theory perspectives, on the dynamic impact of urban governance systems on different mixes of policies to integrate urban nature and water management approaches. The paper fills this gap through an extensive literature review. It first draws on analysis that focuses on institutional logics of operation to understand how urban institutional arrangements of governance shape the framing of the policy problem and how this influences the choice of policy approaches. It then explores the related administrative processes including decision support tools, participatory approaches, and funding regimes. These administrative approaches deliver, potentially, different policy responses that take into account integrated nature-based policy approaches to urban water governance.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) offer multiple solutions to urban challenges simultaneously, but realising funding for NBS remains a challenge. When the concept of NBS for societal challenges was first defined by the EC in 2017, financing was recognised as one of the major challenges to its mainstreaming. The complexity of NBS finance has its origin in the multiple benefits/stakeholders involved, which obscures the argument for both public and private sector investment. Since 2017, subsequent waves of EU research- and innovation-funded projects have substantially contributed to the knowledge base of funding and business models for NBS, particularly in the urban context. Collaborating and sharing knowledge through an EU Task Force, this first set of EU projects laid important knowledge foundations, reviewing existing literature, and compiling empirical evidence of different financing approaches and the business models that underpinned them. The second set of EU innovation actions advanced this knowledge base, developing and testing new implementation models, business model tools, and approaches. This paper presents the findings of these projects from a business model perspective to improve our understanding of the value propositions of NBS to support their mainstreaming.

Interrelationships between urban and rural areas are fundamental for the development and safeguarding of viable future living conditions and quality of life. These areas are not well-delineated or self-sufficient, and existing interrelations may privilege one over the other. Major urban challenges facing China and Europe are related to changes in climate, environment, and to decision-making that makes urban and rural landscapes more susceptible to environmental pressures. Focusing on the six European and Chinese cities and surrounding rural areas, under study in the joint EC and MOST-funded REGREEN project, we examine how nature-based solutions (NBS) may assist in counteracting these pressures. We explore urban-rural dependencies and partnerships regarding NBS that can enhance resilience in Europe and China. We analyse differences between European and Chinese systems of governance, reflecting on the significance of the scale of research needed to understand how NBS provide benefits. We highlight interactions between differently delineated sheds (watershed, airshed, natureshed, and peopleshed), which influence the interrelationships between urban and rural areas. There may be one-way or two-way interdependence, and the impact may be uni or multi-directional. The European and Chinese solutions, exemplified in this article, tackle the nexus of environmental and peoplesheds. We discuss complex human interactions (and how to model them) that may, or may not, lead to viable and equitable partnerships for implementing NBS in cities within Europe and in China.

To safeguard the well-being of urban dwellers, it is vital to restore, protect and enhance urban green infrastructures (uGI), their related ecosystem services (ES) and the associated benefits for a large number of inhabitants. This study maps and monitors land cover between 2012 and 2018 in the fast-growing German city of Leipzig to produce precise information using OBIA and very high-resolution digital orthophotos. Based on this, this research pinpoints spatially differentiated multiple ES. Research has revealed that essential ES, which comprise regulating, socio-cultural and cultural-aesthetic services, have a multifunctional impact on the human urban habitat. The study provides insight into each ES type by evaluating specific classes of objects within the urban environment in a spatially explicit way and at a very high scale of resolution. In doing so, it illustrates variations in the provision of ES and renders visible disparities in the accessibility to uGI in Leipzig. By analysing the number and stands of trees and their respective height development, the study confirms that intensive management is successfully rejuvenating the urban forest, but also that foliage in this forest is suffering from drought. The mapping procedure reveals a high spatial and temporal variation in the rates of carbon storage. This is also the case for the provision of recreation areas which has an impact on the equitable distribution of ES to Leipzig’s inhabitants. Residential areas with a relatively high uGI on the outskirts of the city actually register lower market rents and rent growth rates than in those districts which lie closer to the city centre and have a comparably lower uGI. Thus, market rents and uGI have become decoupled in the fast growing city. In order to ensure and maintain the well-being of all residents in a fair way, fast growing cities like Leipzig must make even greater efforts in urban planning.

Urban expansion and ecological restoration policies can simultaneously affect land-cover changes and further affect ecosystem services (ES). However, it is unclear whether and to what extent the distribution and equity of urban ES are influenced by the stage of urban development and government policies. This study aims to assess the quantity and equity of ES under different scenarios in cites of China and Europe. Firstly, we used the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small regional extent (CLUE-S) model to simulate future land cover under three scenarios: business-as-usual (BAU), a market-liberal scenario (MLS), and an ecological protection scenario (EPS). Then using ecosystem service model approaches and the landscape analysis, the dynamics of green infrastructure (GI) fraction and connectivity, carbon sequestration, and PM_2.5 removal were further evaluated. The results show that: (1) over the past 20 years, Chinese cities have experienced dramatic changes in land cover and ES relative to European cities. (2) Two metropolises in China, Shanghai and Beijing have experienced an increase in the fraction and connectivity of GI and ES in the long-term built-up areas between 2010 and 2020. (3) EPS scenarios are not only effective in increasing the quantity of ES but also in improving the equity of ES distribution. The proposed framework as well as the results may provide important guidance for future urban planning and sustainable city development.

Remotely sensed land surface temperature (LST) is often used as a proxy for air temperature in urban heat island studies, particularly to illustrate relative temperature differences between locations. Two sensors are used predominantly in the literature, Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). However, each has shortcomings that currently limit its utility for many urban applications. Landsat has high spatial resolution but low temporal resolution, and may miss hot days, while MODIS has high temporal resolution but low spatial resolution, which is inadequate to represent the fine grain heterogeneity in cities. In this paper, we overcome this inadequacy by combining high spatial frequency Environmental Services (ES), Landsat‐driven Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and MODIS low spatial frequency background LST at different spatial frequency bands (spatial spectral composition). The method is able to provide fine scale LST four times daily on any day of the year. Using data from Paris in 2019 we show that (1) daytime cooling by vegetation reaches a maximum of 30 °C, above which there is no further increase in cooling. In addition, (2) the cooling is relatively local and does not extend further than 200 m beyond the boundary of the NBS. This model can be used to quantify the benefits of NBS in providing cooling in cities.

Noise pollution from road traffic is ubiquitous in modern cities and is the second greatest environmental risk to health in Western Europe. Urban woodland can provide substantial noise mitigation if located properly, yet such considerations are often absent from the urban planning process. Current approaches for quantifying this important ecosystem service (ES) do not account adequately for important spatial factors and are unable to identify effectively the best locations to place new woodland for noise mitigation. We present new methods, in which we exploit the concept of least-cost-distance, to map and value the mitigating effect of urban woodland, and to identify optimal locations to place new  woodland. Applying these methods, we show that urban woodland currently provides Birmingham City (UK) with over GBP 3.8  million in noise mitigation benefits, annually. We also show that our new ‘opportunity’ mapping methods effectively identify the best locations for new woodland, achieving close to a maximum  service with less than a quarter of the additional woodland needed to achieve it. This has important implications for the design and implementation of urban tree planting for noise mitigation, and these methods can be adapted for other ES, allowing consideration of multiple service outcomes.

The benefits of urban green and blue infrastructure (UGI) are widely discussed, but rarely take into account local conditions or contexts. Although assessments increasingly consider the demand for the ecosystem services that UGI provides, they tend to only map the spatial pattern of pressures such as heat, or air pollution, and lack a wider understanding of where the beneficiaries are located and who will benefit most. We assess UGI in five cities from four continents with contrasting climate, socio-political context, and size. For three example services (air pollution removal, heat mitigation, accessible greenspace), we run an assessment that takes into account spatial patterns in the socio-economic demand for ecosystem services and develops metrics that reflect local context, drawing on the principles of vulnerability assessment. Despite similar overall levels of UGI (from 35 to 50% of urban footprint), the amount of service provided differs substantially between cities. Aggregate cooling ranged from 0.44 °C (Leicester) to 0.98 °C (Medellin), while pollution removal ranged from 488 kg PM2.5/yr (Zomba) to 48,400 kg PM2.5/yr (Dhaka). Percentage population with access to nearby greenspace ranged from 82% (Dhaka) to 100% (Zomba). The spatial patterns of pressure, of ecosystem service, and of maximum benefit within a city do not necessarily match, and this has implications for planning optimum locations for UGI in cities.

Urban greenery in cities is important for human health, for resilient and sustainable cities, and for flora and fauna. The importance of urban greenery is highlighted in numerous global, national and local policies. However, the rapid increase of urban sprawl and densification globally has reduced access, availability and quality of urban greenery. According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), cities “do not know how to incorporate nature and nature contribution to people into city planning”. Perhaps this limitation is because urban planners, architects, landscape architects (urban designers) and urban ecologist (nature conservationist) view nature in cities differently. In addition, few studies on cities focus on nature and ecology. In this paper, we highlight the need to develop new designs and nature conservation approaches that promote biodiversity in cities. Science fiction (SF) and science have a history of inspiring each other and inspiring innovative solutions. For example, SF blockbusters have affected people’s engagement in climate change. Here, we evaluate how 44 of the most viewed American SF movies depict nature in cities, including diversity of species and how characters interact with nature. We reveal that these movies tend to ignore nature in their depictions of future cities. If nature is depicted in SF it is very similar to contemporary cities with monoculture lawns and ornamental gardens. Moreover, SF movies do not depict innovative ways of including nature in cityscapes, they illustrate unrealistic settings without basic ecological functions (e.g., pollinators), and their characters do not interact with nature when nature is depicted or only frame the scene as a façade. We suggest that urban designers, urban ecologists, and SF artists collaborate to imagine how to integrate nature and biodiversity into the depictions of future cities, a strategy that could help change norms about urban greenery.

Urban Green Infrastructure (GI) provides multiple benefits to city inhabitants and can be an important component in nature-based solutions (NBS), but the ecosystem services that underpin those benefits are inconsistently quantified in the literature. There remain substantial knowledge gaps about the level of service supported by less studied GI types, e.g. cemeteries, or less-studied ecosystem services, e.g. noise mitigation. Decision-makers and planners in cities often face conflicting or incomplete information on the effectiveness of GI, particularly on their ability to provide a suite of co-benefits. Here, we describe a feature-based typology of GI which combines elements of land cover, land use and both ecological and social function. It is consistent with user requirements on mapping, and with the needs of models which can conduct more detailed ecosystem service assessments which can guide NBS design. We provide an evidence synthesis based on published literature, which scores the ability of each GI type to deliver a suite of ecosystem services. In the multivariate analysis of the typology scores, the main axis of variation differentiates between constructed (or hybrid) GI types designed primarily for water flow management (delivering relatively few services) and more natural green GI with trees, or blue GI such as lakes and the sea, which deliver a more multi-functional set of regulating services. The most multi-functional GI on this axis also score highest for biodiversity. The second element of variation separates those GI which support very few cultural services and those which score highly in enabling physical wellbeing and social interaction and, to a lesser extent, restoring capacities. Together the typology and multi-functionality matrix provide a much needed assessment for less studied GI types, and allow planners and decision-makers to make a-priori assessments of the relative ability of different GI as part of NBS to address urban challenges.

Cities are highly complex, inter-connected social-ecological systems, encompassing social, built and natural/semi-natural components. They interact with their surrounding extra-urban areas at varying scales, from peri-urban and rural to global. Space is a valuable commodity in cities. However, in most instances, city planners tend to think about interventions only within cities and rarely about the wider connected domains outside. Yet, considering the wider spatial context, including space outside of the city boundaries, may open up opportunities to achieve substantially greater benefit for city residents without sacrificing valuable space, leading to more sustainable city design for people and the environment. In this paper we discuss the intra-extra-urban flows which connect cities to their wider airsheds, watersheds, biosheds and resourcesheds, which in turn interact with their peoplesheds. For each domain, we illustrate the processes and the scales they operate at, and discuss the implications for optimum location of nature-based solutions (NBS) to address urban challenges. We suggest that integrating knowledge about these multiple sheds can inform holistic design of NBS to deliver greater benefit for city residents. This takes into account the synergies and multi-functional co-benefits which arise from a careful consideration of place and people, while minimising potential disbenefits and trade-offs.

Le concept de solutions fondées sur la nature est issu de la rencontre des sciences de l’écologie et des sciences économiques et se concrétise par une diversité de projets opérationnels ayant pour but de faire face aux défis du changement global (chaleur urbaine, perte de biodiversité, inondation, pollution de l’air) et autres maux de notre société (déconnexion à la nature, santé, bien-être, alimentation). Pour l’espace mégarégional, qui comprend des zones d’urbanisation très denses ainsi que des zones de biodiversité à préserver, ces solutions fondées sur la nature répondent à des problématiques à long terme. Plusieurs projets ont déjà vu le jour en région Île-de-France, mais restent encore discrets par rapport à l’ampleur du défi.

Urban green space (UGS) has gained increasing attention due to its environmental and social functions. However, the compound effects of climate change, population growth and economic development on UGS are largely unknown. We selected 107 medium-sized and large cities in China to investigate dynamics in the spatial pattern of UGS in relation to government policy and other drivers based on remote sensing data for the period 1990 to 2019. To explore the effect of different levels of urbanization on changes in green space, we develop a new Normalized Urban Development Index (NUDI) to classify urban-suburban-rural gradients, viz. Long-term Built-up, New Built-up and Non-Built-up. Then, we analysed changes over time in the annual peak value of fraction of vegetation cover (FVC) for 380,000 cloud-free Landsat images, and regional UGS dynamics were evaluated using the proposed Regional Greenness Dynamic Index (RGDI). Finally, to reveal the major driver(s) of changes in UGS and estimate the extent to which patterns of urban greening are due to differences in economic development, we compared the observed UGS spatio-temporal dynamics with data on several climatic, social-economic and land use related factors for the same period. The NUDI are shown to be highly effective in mapping urban development gradients, with overall accuracy in the identified classes of 89%. Annual maximum FVC analysis indicates that there was significant greening between 1990 and 2019 in both the long-term built up (10,667.52 km2) and the non-built up areas (529,310.47 km2), while there was a major increase in browning (25,110.43 km2) in the newly built-up areas. The RGDI results indicate that 65% (71/107) of long-term built-up areas in cities trended greener over 2010 to 2019 under consideration. At the whole city scale, RGDI is negatively correlated with gross domestic product (GDP), although when considering the long-term built-up areas only, economic growth exhibits a significant positive correlation during 2010 to 2019 (R = 0.62, p < 0.01). This study offers important insights as to the patterns of change in urban greening extent over time and its underyling drivers across urban-suburban-rural gradients against the background of urban expansion, afforestation, climate change and economic development.

LEKOTOPER – PLATSER DÄR BÅDE BARN OCH NATUR TRIVS
Går det att kombinera barns behov av naturkontakt med behovet hos olika
arter i djur- och växtriket så att resultatet både blir en hållbar lekplats och en
hållbar livsmiljö med hög biologisk mångfald?

Ecosystem Service (ES) toolkits are increasingly used to quantify and visualize the benefits gained from Nature-based-solutions (NBS) but modules for hydrology are often absent, or if present they lack meaningful hydrological functionality or validation. This leads to gaps in the evidence base required by decision makers. To bridge the gap between such limitations and more complex hydrological models this paper presents a hydrologically based NBS model compatible with spatial ES toolkits. The approach ‘Adapted Nature-based-solutions Rational Method’ (ANaRM) is based on the Rational Method, widely used in hydrology. We apply this model to the city of Birmingham, England, to validate its performance and to analyse the effects of different NBS scenarios. The validated ANaRM model provided robust estimates of peak flow using design storm rainfall. It proved capable of simulating the hydrological effects of NBS such as land use change from urban to green, or installation of SuDS and ponds. Results suggest ponds are found most effective for achieving peak flow reduction in channels and are the best option for mitigating fluvial flooding downstream. Reduction in localised runoff and pluvial flooding is best achieved by converting impervious surfaces such as buildings, hardstanding and roads to green solutions such as green roofs, permeable pavements and greenspace. This paper highlights the importance of considering the spatial effects of urban NBS on hydrology, and that these can be captured with relatively simple modelling approaches such as ANaRM. Its ease of use means it suits any level of user looking to represent the flood mitigation aspect of NBS spatially and has high potential as part of any ES toolkit focused on representing the spatial effects of NBS on ecosystem services.

Fostering urban resilience and adaptation to climate change pose new demands on the knowledge of land use and land cover (LULC) in heterogeneous urban spaces. High-resolution urban mapping is a valuable tool, which serves to map detailed categories. Such semantic data are integrated in national and regional administration as public goods. In the light of many countries around the globe making their data publicly available, we present a method to map urban areas based on multitemporal orthophotos and LiDAR-derived digital surface model, and extract information about vegetation in an automated processing chain. This approach is threshold driven and relies on an automatic generation of spectral thresholds and existing real-world-based classifications. We included cadastral data to add land-use information for specific categories, such as agricultural land use and to assess the product’s accuracy. Adding these data creates an LULC product and makes a seamless integration into urban planning routines possible. The results of the study provide a detailed LULC map for the municipality of Aarhus in 2015 with a spatial resolution of 20 cm and ten thematic classes. Depending on the reference data, we achieved thematic overall accuracies of 34% and 64% using a polygon-based approach. Our study has found that utilizing both multitemporal orthophotos and elevation data can enhance the LC mapping of urban landscapes. The methodology could be transferred to other areas in Denmark or to countries providing similar datasets, and lends itself to a repeatable LULC mapping with minimal user interaction.

Als naturbasierte Lösungen (NBL) werden auf EU-Ebene naturbezogene Ansätze bezeichnet, die als Instrumente zur Bewältigung gesellschaftlicher Herausforderungen hinsichtlich des Klimawandels dienen. Eine Stadt erhöht ihre Resilienz, wenn ihre NBL-Ansätze auch soziale Probleme und das Wohlergehen der Bürger*innen ansprechen. Dieser Beitrag ist der beispielhaften Anwendung von NBL in drei europäischen Städten unterschiedlicher Größe gewidmet: einer Megacity (Region Paris, Frankreich), einer mittelgroßen Stadt (Aarhus, Dänemark) und einer Kleinstadt (Velika Gorica, Kroatien). Dabei wird untersucht, welche Herausforderungen und Chancen bei der Anwendung von NBL in verschiedenen sozialen und ökologischen Systemen auftreten und inwiefern NBL ein Schlüssel zur städtischen Resilienz sind.

Amongst a spectrum of benefits, Nature-based Solutions (NBS) are increasingly being advocated as improving the quality of aquatic environments in urban areas. Of these, a widely adopted measure is tree planting. Yet, because of the local complexities and spatial variability of urban hydrological response, it is difficult to predict to what extent improvements in water quality will arise. To overcome this barrier, a standardised approach to process-based model simulation of urban river quality is described (QUESTOR-YARDSTICK (QUESTOR-YS)). The approach eliminates the influence of point sources of pollution and harmonises the way in which river hydro-dynamics and contributory catchment size are represented. Thereby, it focuses on differences in water quality between cities due solely to climate, river discharge and urban diffuse nutrient pollution factors. The relative sensitivity to NBS establishment between urban water bodies in different cities anywhere across the world can also potentially be quantified. The method can be readily extended to include wastewater effluents. The validity of the approach is demonstrated for a small river in Birmingham, UK; and thence demonstrated for the case of 10 km of riparian tree planting in Birmingham, Oslo (Norway) and Aarhus (Denmark). Modelling suggests that riparian tree planting can substantially improve water quality in each example city for three key indicators of water quality in sensitive summer conditions (water temperature, chlorophyll-a and dissolved oxygen). Results show the level of benefit achievable in response to a fixed amount of planting will depend on the existing level of riparian tree occupancy.

Most children grow up in urbanised settings with a low possibility to experience biodiversity and nature. However, experiencing nature and other species increases children’s wellbeing, health, learning abilities and their understanding of nature values. Play biotopes is one solution for supporting a co-existence between children and different species in nature-based play settings. Play biotopes are based on ecological theories, where structures in the morphology of landscapes at different scales and the content of flora and fauna can support children’s interplay with a part of the landscape. However, traditional landscape management is not adapted to support the dynamic nature of play biotopes, especially when considering multiple scales. This makes it interesting to explore more dynamic management concepts arching over multiple scales. Accordingly, we here explore creative management as a scale-based framework for design by management to further develop the concept of play biotopes. Using examples from a landscape laboratory in southern Sweden, we propose that a creative management framework combining the scales of landscape, biotope, place, and object together with play connectivity can support the creation and management of multifunctional play biotopes.

Urbanisation and climate change have increased the need for equitable access and visibility of urban green and blue spaces (GBS), to promote the sustainability and resilience of cities and to improve the well-being of their inhabitants. In this paper, we test an implementation of the newly proposed guideline to achieve  quitable
greening, the 3–30–300 rule, in three European cities: Paris Region (France), Aarhus Municipality (Denmark), and Grad Velika Gorica (Croatia). In this analysis, every residential building should have at least three viewable trees, 30 % neighbourhood GBS cover, and a GBS of at least 1 hectare within 300 m. Our results show that none of the cities currently meet any of these three components, and the three cities differed in which rules were most closely met. In our implementation, substantial changes were needed in all cities to meet the guidelines: 12.6 % of Paris, 10 % of Aarhus, and 18.4 % of Velika Gorica’s urban footprint were converted to grass or tree cover, with implications for >100,000 buildings and >900,000 inhabitants. Our study discusses how existing conditions in each city impacted the viability of meeting the rule and proposes key considerations for future implementations of such guidelines, drawing on examples of innovative GBS already implemented globally.

With more than 75% of the European Union’s population living in urban areas covering 21.5% of the EU territory, the importance of climate-resilient cities, towns and suburbs has increased dramatically. However, the rising impact of human-induced land-use changes on ecosystem services (ES) poses a major challenge to the urban environment. This study focuses on scenario development for nature-based solutions (NbS) in a European town with its intense development area. The concept is exemplified in a town in Croatia, Grad Velika Gorica (GVG), that like many others cities undergoes urbanisation processes with limited resources. It serves as a showpiece for the influence of NbS, in particular street trees along various paths. Using spatial analysis and modelling, the approach explores NbS for future urbanisation. The results, supported by quantitative analysis, show that 49% of cycle lanes and footpaths in GVG can be shaded by strategically planted street trees. The shading scenario analysis provides a nuanced perspective on the potential of NbS, offering insights into the key tasks for a climate-resilient city and opportunities towards equitable, green and healthy urban areas. In the context of urbanisation processes and climate adaptation, the study is in line with the overarching objectives of the European Commission which emphasises the need for sustainable NbS alternatives to address environmental challenges. The findings contribute to the framework of informed decision-making towards urban climate resilience. It also supports the pursuit of a sustainable local governance for climate-adjusted environmental quality in urban planning. As towns and cities grapple with the imperative of balancing urban development with environmental protection, this research highlights the central role of NbS, particularly street trees, in shaping climate-resilient and more sustainable urban environments for human well-being in cities.

Global urbanisation reduces greenery and species richness (biodiversity) and limits opportunities for most children to gain experiences of nature. Disconnecting children from nature has implications for their play, health, well-being, and com-prehension of ecological systems, as well as their engagement with the environment as adults. In the competition for land for built infrastructure, the preservation of remaining greenery is essential to fulfill multiple functions. One way forward is to look for synergies between conservation of biodiversity and children’s need for outdoor environments of high quality. In this paper, we synthesize the existing literature on how to understand the many interfaces between children and nature, suggesting perspectives and tools for the management and design of nature-based play settings. We frame this transdisciplinary perspective using ‘play biotopes‘, as a conceptual framework in which both children’s play and species are taken into account. We exemplify how the play biotope framework can be put into practice as part of(1) an overall approach to landscapes made more useful to both children and other species, (2) affordances for play in nature such as branches from dead wood, and(3) a design process of a playground by giving input to nature-based solutions. A conclusion is that play biotopes as a conceptual framework within nature-based solutions can help increase play and biodiversity by promoting structures for climbing, making huts and biotopes otherwise overlooked in urban planning.

This paper analyses the degree and types of public participation in Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) projects in China. The paper is based upon the premise that NBS affect multiple aspects of the city as a place for the daily lives and activities of citizens and that NBS implementation can benefit from citizen and stakeholder involvement. NBS thus offer a platform for stimulating engagement between the local government and the public. Case studies are examined through a literature review, site visits, and interviews with researchers, local officials and NGOs in China. The paper indicates that there has been significant progress since the 1990s in formal requirements of public participation through Chinese legislation promoting the inclusiveness of the public in environmental and NBS decision-making, and acknowledgment of the importance of NGOs, however actual implementation of soliciting public opinion and involvement in NBS project design has been more limited. The case studies suggest that the level of involvement of the public in NBS activities and decision-making is the reciprocal of the size of the project, where there is a high-level of involvement in the smaller local projects, but minimal involvement in larger-scale NBS projects. We find that Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) have a significant potential to help finance NBS projects providing the project can forecast low risk and positive revenue for investors, therefore this model would merit further exploration. However, PPPs may also involve limited public participation by citizens and stakeholders beyond private companies and may therefore require targeted efforts to address local communities’ needs and interests. Local people are the most important (and willing) actors and opinionators in projects that directly affect their lives, livelihoods and well-being. The findings highlight the important role of NGOs in promoting and facilitating public participation, and accompanying co-benefits, in several of the Chinese case studies. Our study also suggests that symbiosis between local governments and the citizens could be invoked by local community-based organisations (e.g. Community Resident Committees or similar) that can act as a liaison point and catalyst to public participation in NBS projects, although significant training would also be required.

In urban environments, invertebrate communities are subjected to a broad mixture of impacts, including diffuse pollution. Pollutant mixtures and habitat degradation can combine to apply stress on community diversity. Water quality is influenced by the assemblage and mosaic of catchment land cover. Amongst a wider suite of Nature-Based Solutions, the value of urban woodland is increasingly recognized as having potential to support a range of ecosystem services. Despite an increasing focus on establishing urban woodland for aquatic conservation, its actual influence is yet to be manifested. Therefore, we explored trees’ location in riparian and upstream catchment, within and outside of the urban area. We conducted a combination of systematic literature review and statistical analysis to better understand the woodland influence. Despite the wide range of bioindicators studied and broad worldwide spectrum of geo-climatic regimes covered, literature evidence for benefits were found in at least half the cases. With a focus on the overall family richness and the sensitive orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera family richness as bioindicators, the statistical analysis comprised a national study in England covering 143 sites with substantial urban cover, totaling 4226 invertebrate community observations over 30 years. Two satellite-derived land cover maps were used to enable discrimination between urban and extra-urban woodland. The analysis supported the literature evidence that impervious land had negative effects and woodland positive effects. In the urban and upstream catchment, woodland was more important than pasture or cropland. There was some evidence of those woodland effects being more advantageous when trees are located within the urban area itself. Benefits attributable to woodland were distinctly apparent against a backdrop of improving macroinvertebrate diversity found to be synchronous with longterm reductions in urban pollution signatures. The presence of sparse land, even in small amounts, was detrimental to macroinvertebrate diversity. These areas of low vegetative cover might be detrimental due to high sediment input and legacy industrial contamination. Given the increasing accessibility of land cover data, the approach adopted in this case study is applicable elsewhere wherever macroinvertebrate community data are also available.

The 3–30–300 rule is a new guideline for urban forestry and urban greening, which is rapidly gaining interest among city planners, international organizations and NGOs. However, the ecosystem service benefits of this new guideline have not been quantified and there has been no research to date on how implementing the 3–30–300 rule may mitigate urban flooding. In this study, we use a gridded implementation of the rational method, with f low attenuation included (ANaRM model), to assess the reduction in runoff that can be achieved by implementing urban land-use change to achieve 3–30–300 targets in three European cities of contrasting size and population: Aarhus Municipality (Denmark), Grad Velika Gorica (Croatia) and Paris Region (France). We find that the creation of new green spaces and tree cover can greatly reduce peak pluvial surface runoff rate at-site, and maintain peak flow reductions of several percent in sub-catchments of several square kilometres, including reductions of over 10% in some sub-catchments of over 20km 2 in Paris. The specific interventions required to meet aspects of the 3–30–300 rule vary between study areas, and the larger the interventions, the greater the peak runoff rate reduction that can be achieved. This study highlights the importance of linking research with policy in order to quantify the benefits of urban green infrastructure targets and show the real benefits of implementing nature-based solutions.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have been put forward as an approach to meet many of the challenges facing cities globally, such as increased temperatures, flooding and loss of biodiversity. Co-creation is a central part of the NbS approach, with the use of urban living laboratories (ULLs) as a mechanism for supporting co-creation processes. In this perspective essay, we will reflect on the potential for knowledge co-creation of NbS within an ULL context, based on the experiences from the EU H2020-funded projects REGREEN and CONEXUS. Furthermore, we will discuss how NbS and ULLs have the potential to contribute to transformative change. This is done through elaborating on processes of knowledge co-creation, communication and learning, as well as discussing the impacts which REGREEN and similar projects could have, focusing on the role of local governmental agencies.

Children’s outdoor play and access to nature are important for their health and development of environmental agency but there is a global decline of green spaces available to them. The aim is to explore the possibilities of creating nature-based outdoor settings for play and learning which benefit children as well as the wildlife and wider ecosystems. A fieldwork on developing nature based play settings in an outdoor landscape laboratory in Sweden involved university students (3 days) and children, two groups of 3–5 years olds (8 days) and one group of 6-year-olds (4 days). Field notes from ethnographic work was at the core of the process and involved practitioners and scholars in landscape architecture, vegetation design, ecology and environmental psychology. An iterative place-based process of learning guided the process, including following phases: (1) looking and listening attentive to the physical environment and to the children´s activities in a setting (2) transdisciplinary learning based on results from the analysis of field notes and the dialogues, and, (3) modifications of settings. In two of the five settings investigated an intervention to improve the setting was set up, followed by further investigations, illustrating the iterative character of the process with elements of co-creation. The results reveal the potentials in collaborative work setting out to develop features in nature as woodland, meadow, water and paths, so that they align well with children´s needs as well as nature conservation. The material should be useful in efforts to make natural environment more accessible to children and to the conceptual development of play biotopes, useful in the design and management of sustainable living environments.

People-environment interactions within nature-based solutions (NBS) are not always understood. This has implications for communicating the benefits of NBS and for how we plan cities. We present a framework that highlights a duality in NBS. The NBS as an asset includes both natural capital and human-centred capital, including  organizational structures. NBS also exist as a system within which people are able to interact. Temporal and spatial scales moderate the benefits that NBS provide, which in turn are dependent on the scale at which social processes operate. Co-production and equity are central to the interactions among people and institutions in the design, use and management of NBS, and this requires clear communication. Drawing on ideas from culture-based development (CBD), we suggest an approach to communicate the benefits of NBS in a neutral but effective way. We propose guidelines for planning NBS that allow the optimisation of NBS locations and designs for particular outcomes.