Harnessing the Power of Collaboration for Nature-based Solutions

New ideas and insights for local decision-makers

Publication: Report
Citation: European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Naumann, S., Burgos Cuevas, N., Davies, C., et al., Harnessing the power of collaboration for nature-based solutions : new ideas and insights for local decision-makers, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/954370

Step into a realm of collaborative innovation with our insightful briefing paper, a product of the Nature Based Solutions Task Force 6 joint efforts. This paper focuses on co-creation for nature-based solutions, providing practical examples and guidance for local decision-makers. It sheds light on the effective utilization of co-governance approaches, encouraging participatory processes and collaborative creation in the realm of nature-based solutions.

Through the lens of real-world experiences, this paper explores how to harness the potential of these solutions from design to implementation and maintenance. It addresses institutional challenges that decision-makers often face when dealing with nature-based solutions, offering viable options for overcoming them. Drawing from city experiences, it highlights the value of co-governance, showcasing how inclusive governance approaches can transform cities and inspire others to follow suit.

Whether you're a decision-maker seeking pragmatic insights or simply intrigued by the possibilities of collaborative governance, this briefing paper offers a grounded perspective on co-creation for nature-based solutions.

Join us in exploring a path towards more inclusive and sustainable practices, where communities and nature thrive together.

Ecologic Team Active at the Network Nature Annual Events in Brussels

25 - 26 September 2024
McKenna Davis

Event:Digital Event

Urban areas across the globe are facing unprecedented challenges, including urban sprawl, pollution, and the increasing impacts of climate change. To help address these pressing issues, the INTERLACE project is pleased to announce the launch of a new, free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) titled: "Nature-based solutions: How nature restoration can make more livable, biodiverse, and climate resilient neighbourhoods". The course was introduced in a launch webinar on 8 October 2024.

Creating More Livable, Biodiverse and Climate Resilient Cities with Nature-based Solutions

MOOC Launch Event

8 October 2024
online

Publication:Web Application

Urban areas across the globe are facing unprecedented challenges – pollution, climate change, urban sprawl – and traditional solutions are falling short. Join the Interlace project's free online course to discover how nature-based solutions offer a promising approach to help create resilient, sustainable cities.

Nature-based Solutions: How to regenerate nature to make neighborhoods more livable, biodiverse, and resilient to climate change

MOOC

Year 2024

Publication:Article

Nature-based solutions (NbS) hold immense potential to address global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss – but how can ambitious goals finally be translated into action? This article provides valuable insights into 250 practical policy instruments from 41 countries that successfully promote NbS. For the first time, a systematic evaluation of good practice examples is presented, aimed at helping cities and communities implement NbS effectively. From innovative approaches to long-term sustainable solutions, the authors highlight how policy design around NbS can be optimized globally. The article provides concrete recommendations and inspiring success stories to advance the implementation of NbS in your region!

Transforming Ambition into Action to Catalyse Nature-based Solutions

Insights from 250 good practice policy instruments

Year 2024

Presentation:Interview

The podcast "Polski Kongres Klimatyczny 2024" features highlights from the discussion that took place at the Polish Climate Congress in March 2024. In the podcast, Ewa Iwaszuk, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, discusses the importance of "green synergy" in municipal cooperation and emphasizes the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in the development of sustainable cities. Ewa Iwaszuk highlighted how the work of Ecologic Institute and its partners supports cities to effectively integrate these approaches into their infrastructure projects in order to tackle climate change and improve quality of life.

Green Synergies in Municipalities: Applying nature-based solutions in cities

19 June 2024
Ewa Iwaszuk

News

This survey aims to collect your experiences and perspectives on inclusive engagement in NbS co-creation. We seek to identify successful strategies, critical challenges, and lessons learned in meaningfully engaging commonly excluded stakeholders in NbS co-creation processes.

Fostering Inclusive Engagement in Co-creating Nature-based Solutions

Online Survey

16 August 2024

Presentation:Speech

At the occasion of the 16th NESS – Nordic Environmental Social Science Conference in Turku (Finland), from 4 to 6 June 2024, Ecologic Institute's Doris Knoblauch presented the findings of two projects in a workshop dealing with "Governing urban climate transformations: Towards climate neutrality and resilience".

Navigating Urban Climate Transformations: Unravelling the Mechanisms of Successful Long-term Climate Neutrality Strategies in Cities

4 - 6 June 2024
Doris Knoblauch

Presentation:Speech

From 15 to 17 May 2024, Barcelona hosted the CONEXUS Conference, a flagship event bringing together over 100 experts from Europe and Latin America to discuss nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate-resilient cities. This conference was a melting pot of ideas and innovations, fostering exchange on the economic, social, environmental, and political facets of NBS implementation. Among the key sessions were "Governance, Politics, and Planning" and "Economics, Values, and Work," where Ecologic experts Dr. Ulf Stein, McKenna Davis, and Jenny Tröltzsch shared their research and insights.

A Spotlight on Nature-Based Solutions

15 - 17 May 2024
Dr. Ulf Stein

Presentation:Lecture

Niepołomice, a Polish city with almost 30,000 inhabitants, has received customised training on how to tackle challenges in their community with nature-based solutions. Marcela Gutierrez (University of Costa Rica), Natalia Burgos Cuevas and Doris Knoblauch (both Ecologic Institute) presented concrete options for the municipality to representatives of the city of Niepołomice in March 2024, after the city representatives had presented the urban challenges in December 2023.

Integrating Nature: Promoting nature-based solutions (NbS) in Niepołomice (Poland)

12 March 2024
Doris Knoblauch

Language

English

Authorship

Sandra Naumann

Natalia Burgos Cuevas

Clive Davies

Sean Bradley

Israa H. Mahmoud

Alessandro Arlati

Credits

Case study authors:

Chemnitz: Max Krombholz (City of Chemnitz), INTERLACE
CBIMA: Erica Calderon Jimenez (CBIMA), Marcela Gutiérrez Miranda (UNA), INTERLACE
Collserola: Eugenia Vidal Casanovas (Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona), CLEARINGHOUSE
Hamburg: Alessandro Arlati (HafenCity Universität Hamburg), CLEVER Cities
Lima: Noemie Marinucci and Diletta Muccilli (European Urban Knowledge Network), CONEXUS
Sheffield: Noemi Marinucci (European Urban Knowledge Network), CONEXUS
Valencia: Gemma Garcia (Tecnalia) and Francisca Hipólito (Las Naves), GrowGreen
Wroclaw: Gemma Garcia (Tecnalia) and Małgorzata Bartyna-Zielińska (Wroclaw Municipality)

Acknowledgement:

McKenna Davis (Ecologic Institute), Martin Grisel (European Urban Knowledge Network), Piret Noukas (European Research Executive Agency), Jonathan Hobbs (Newcastle University), Mari Carmen Garcia (MCG Research&Innovation Sustainability)

Funding

European Commission, Directorate-General Research & Innovation (DG Research & Innovation), International

Published by

Publications Office of the European Union (Publications Office), International

Year

2023

Dimension

69 pp.

ISBN

978-92-68-04522-0

DOI

10.2777/954370

Project

International Cooperation to Restore and Connect Urban Environments in Latin America and Europe (INTERLACE)

Project ID

Table of contents

Click to show full table of contents

Keywords

Adaptation

Biodiversity

Cities

International Development

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

social question, town planning and housing, ecology, green economy, living conditions, quality of life, quality of the environment, sustainable development, town, town planning, urban area

Chemnitz, Germany, Collserola, Spain, Hamburg, Lima, Peru, Sheffield, United Kingdom, Valencia, Wroclaw, Poland, Europe, Latin America, Maria Aguilar Interurban Biological Corridor, CBIMA, Costa Rica

case study

Further Links

ProjectClimate Mitigation Through Nature-Based-Solutions in Urban Poland - Fostering Awareness and Capacity (ClimateNBS Polska)

Many Polish cities are undergoing intense development, which is placing investment pressure on undeveloped land. Individual sites would be able to deliver on urban climate change mitigation and reduce GHG emissions, with the resulting social, economic and environmental... Read more

Climate Mitigation Through Nature-Based-Solutions in Urban Poland - Fostering Awareness and Capacity (ClimateNBS Polska)

Duration: Nov 2018 - Nov 2020
Funding: Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany

PublicationWeb ApplicationUrban Nature Atlas – NATURVATION

Urban Nature Atlas

So far, the Urban Nature Atlas has collected evidence on 1000 nature-based solutions (NBS) interventions. With that, it provides the most comprehensive basis for the analysis of socio-economic and innovation patterns associated with urban NBS in Europe. Ecologic... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2018: Urban Nature Atlas – NATURVATION. URL: https://naturvation.eu/atlas

ProjectHorizon 2020Nature Based Urban Innovation (NATURVATION)

Nature is important for the urban environment: trees grant shade during the summer months, while parks and lakes function as areas for relaxation, as places where the urban population comes together, and as space where children can experience nature and learn about it... Read more

Nature Based Urban Innovation (NATURVATION)

Duration: Nov 2016 - Oct 2020
Funding: European Commission, Directorate-General Research & Innovation (DG Research & Innovation), International

ProjectEnabling Green and Blue Infrastructure Potential in Complex Social-ecological Regions (ENABLE)

Green and Blue infrastructure (GBI) in cities holds large potential to effectively address emerging global challenges, such as climate change impacts, increasing urbanisation and declining access to nature, as it can deliver multiple societal, ecological and economic... Read more

Enabling Green and Blue Infrastructure Potential in Complex Social-ecological Regions (ENABLE)

Duration: Feb 2017 - May 2020
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany

ProjectHorizon 2020Co-designing Locally-tailored Ecological Solutions for Value-added, Socially Inclusive Regeneration in Cities (CLEVER Cities)

With three quarters of the European Union's population living in cities and further increases expected, societies are increasingly facing socio-political shifts and marginalization. Limited availability of physical space, changing urban demographics, and increasing... Read more

Co-designing Locally-tailored Ecological Solutions for Value-added, Socially Inclusive Regeneration in Cities (CLEVER Cities)

Duration: Jun 2018 - Nov 2023
Funding: European Commission, Directorate-General Research & Innovation (DG Research & Innovation), International

PublicationWeb ApplicationUrban Governance Atlas

Graphic presenting the key figures of the Urban Governance Atlas at the time of launch.

The INTERLACE Urban Governance Atlas was officially launched on 11 May 2023 at the INTERLACE Cities Talk Nature Conference in Chemnitz. The first of its kind, the online database showcases 250 policy instruments from 41 countries supporting nature-based solutions and... Read more

INTERLACE project consortium 2023: Urban Governance Atlas. Interactive database. Published on 11 May 2023. Online: https://interlace-hub.com/urban-governance-atlas.