Co-creating urban green infrastructure connecting people and nature: A guiding framework and approach.
Alexander P N van der Jagt, Mike Smith, Bianca Ambrose-Oji, Cecil C Konijnendijk, Vincenzo Giannico, Dagmar Haase, Raffaele Lafortezza, Mojca Nastran, Marina Pintar, Špela Železnikar, Rozalija Cvejić
Author Information
Alexander P N van der Jagt: Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 2, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.p.n.vanderjagt@uu.nl.
Mike Smith: EcoSol, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Bianca Ambrose-Oji: Centre for Ecosystems, Society and Biosecurity, Forest Research, Farnham, United Kingdom.
Cecil C Konijnendijk: Department of Forest Resources Management, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Vincenzo Giannico: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
Dagmar Haase: Department of Geography, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.
Raffaele Lafortezza: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy; Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.
Mojca Nastran: Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Marina Pintar: Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Agronomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Špela Železnikar: Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Agronomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Rozalija Cvejić: Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Agronomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Urban green infrastructure (UGI) and nature-based solutions are increasingly recognized as instruments to address urban sustainability challenges, yet rely on a good understanding of complex social-ecological system (SES) to function adequately. Adaptive co-management (ACM), engaging a broad variety of stakeholders in collaborative learning, is an effective strategy to improve the resilience of a SES. However, ACM studies have been criticized for neglecting the urban context, while also offering little clarity on process objectives and outcomes. To address these knowledge gaps, while also drawing attention to the important issue of socially inclusive UGI development, we present a guiding framework and approach to encourage the ACM of UGI featuring two main components. Firstly, a Learning Alliance (LA) serves as an instrument for collaborative learning and experimentation across different scales. To facilitate upscaling, we propose to establish a complementary Urban Learning Lab (ULL) to facilitate a regular exchange between the LA and legitimate peripheral networks and stakeholders in the city region. Secondly, a stepwise approach to SES analysis serves to engage a representative group of stakeholders in the LAs and ULLs, and support the processes of setting LA objectives and monitoring of adaptive capacity. We illustrate our approach to the ACM of UGI with a case study of LivadaLAB in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Applying the framework and approach, we demonstrate increased adaptive capacity of the SES around UGI as indicated by: 1) improved overall stakeholder salience, in particular for previously disempowered actor groups, 2) increased number and strength of connections between stakeholders, and 3) the consideration of a broader range of sustainable development objectives by stakeholders in their daily practice.
