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Urban trees are recognised worldwide as one of the most sustainable and effective nature-based solutions to combat the effects of climate change and improve the quality of life for city dwellers by cooling the air, absorbing pollutants and damping noise. Along with protection from flooding and soil retention/restoration, trees also symbolise beauty, aesthetic quality, and orientation in urban spaces. Nevertheless, the relationship between street/park trees and urban society is highly ambivalent when it comes to pollen emissions and allergies, but also due to clearing space for new housing, road extensions, or parking places, which is accepted by large sections of urban society. In addition, climate change in itself is a major challenge to urban trees, as they suffer from drought and are increasingly attacked by pests. Urban planners and community partnerships have already developed a range of strategies (from more expert-led approaches to participatory co-design and actions) to maintain, increase, and diversify tree cover. They have also created new habitats and at the same time caused competition for space in the city, where every square centimetre is fought over. Using the case studies from Central and Eastern Europe and also considering the examples from Northern America and Asia, this commentary highlights the ambivalent relationship between humans and nature in regard to urban trees. It also demonstrates that the acceptance of this ambivalence can be a key to the conservation and maintenance of urban biodiversity through the involvement of different stakeholders including citizens.
Urban trees are recognised worldwide as one of the most sustainable and effective nature-based solutions to combat the effects of climate change and improve the quality of life for city dwellers by cooling the air, absorbing pollutants and damping noise. Along with protection from flooding and soil retention/restoration, trees also symbolise beauty, aesthetic quality, and orientation in urban spaces. Nevertheless, the relationship between street/park trees and urban society is highly ambivalent when it comes to pollen emissions and allergies, but also due to clearing space for new housing, road extensions, or parking places, which is accepted by large sections of urban society. In addition, climate change in itself is a major challenge to urban trees, as they suffer from drought and are increasingly attacked by pests. Urban planners and community partnerships have already developed a range of strategies (from more expert-led approaches to participatory co-design and actions) to maintain, increase, and diversify tree cover. They have also created new habitats and at the same time caused competition for space in the city, where every square centimetre is fought over. Using the case studies from Central and Eastern Europe and also considering the examples from Northern America and Asia, this commentary highlights the ambivalent relationship between humans and nature in regard to urban trees. It also demonstrates that the acceptance of this ambivalence can be a key to the conservation and maintenance of urban biodiversity through the involvement of different stakeholders including citizens.
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.
Food systems must be reconfigured for them to alleviate poverty, hunger, food losses, and waste, promote healthy diets, inclusivity, resilience, and livelihood opportunities, and be environmentally sustainable. This requires a shift in production, and consumption, as well as transformative research, responsive policy, people-centered innovations, and safety nets for the most vulnerable people. Transformation of food systems also depends on a shift in science, policy, and practice to promote sustainable futures. For science to be transformative, discipline-oriented research is important, however, societal challenges are becoming more complex hence requiring more interdisciplinary research with collaboration and integration of knowledge from actors in policy and practice. Scientists must learn to first work together, and then work with non-academic actors to solve complex problems facing food systems and the society at large. This kind of research is transdisciplinary, meaning right from the framing of complex problems, data collection, analysis, and validation, non-academic actors must be actively involved in the process of knowledge co-creation to create sustainable outcomes. This study demonstrates how co-production of knowledge between academic and non-academic actors through a participatory negotiated process, can contribute to transformative development intervention. The study applies a case study of an agro-pastoral community involved in a milk value chain in Laikipia County. The transformative areas in the study were; (a) capacity development in commercial dairy farming, (b) formation of Umande farmers’ Cooperative, and (c) construction of a cooler house, and installation of a milk cooling system for milk bulking, and value addition. The case study offers several lessons; (a) the role of transdisciplinarity in science, policy, and practice, (b) proper identification of stakeholders in collaborative community development initiatives, (c) the community must always be at the forefront of any development initiative for ownership and sustainability, and (d) skills development and economic empowerment are paramount for any innovation in the community. The objectives of the study were (a) participatory assessment of the local food system to identify the strengths and weaknesses, (b) assessment of perceived benefits of farmer capacity development and lessons learned, and (c) assessment of farmer perception of the benefits of milk cooling and bulking system on livelihoods. More farmer -led development initiatives are needed to improve livelihoods of actors in food systems.
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