A context-sensitive systems approach for understanding and enabling ecosystem service realization in cities
Andersson, Erik (Stockholm University. Stockholm Resilience Centre)
Borgström, Sara (The Royal Institute of Technology. Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering (Sweden))
Haase, Dagmar (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Department of Geography)
Langemeyer, Johannes (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Mascarenhas, André (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Department of Geography)
McPhearson, Timon (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies (USA))
Wolff, Manuel (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research. Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology)
Łaszkiewicz, Edyta (University of Łódź)
Kronenberg, Jakub (University of Łódź)
Barton, David N. (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research)
Herreros-Cantis, Pablo (The New School New York)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Understanding opportunities as well as constraints for people to benefit from and take care of urban nature is an important step toward more sustainable cities. In order to explore, engage, and enable strategies to improve urban quality of life, we combine a social-ecological-technological systems framework with a flexible methodological approach to urban studies. The framework focuses on context dependencies in the flow and distribution of ecosystem service benefits within cities. The shared conceptual system framework supports a clear positioning of individual cases and integration of multiple methods, while still allowing for flexibility for aligning with local circumstances and ensuring context-relevant knowledge. To illustrate this framework, we draw on insights from a set of exploratory case studies used to develop and test how the framework could guide research design and synthesis across multiple heterogeneous cases. Relying on transdisciplinary multi- and mixed methods research designs, our approach seeks to both enable within-case analyses and support and gradually build a cumulative understanding across cases and city contexts. Finally, we conclude by discussing key questions about green and blue infrastructure and its contributions to urban quality of life that the approach can help address, as well as remaining knowledge gaps both in our understanding of urban systems and of the methodological approaches we use to fill these gaps.
Grants:	European Commission 818002
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Comparative studies ; Ecosystem services ; Green and blue infrastructure ; Institutions ; Perceptions ; Social-ecological-technological systems ; SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
Published in:	Ecology and society, Vol. 26, Issue 2 (June 2021) , art. 35, ISSN 1708-3087

DOI: 10.5751/ES-12411-260235

16 p, 468.5 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles