Public Investment Policy as a Driver of Changes in the Ecosystem Services Delivery by an Urban Green Infrastructure

Abstract

The presented study considers the impact of public expenditure related to land development on the potential of an urban green infrastructure to provide ecosystem services (ES). The study site (Szachty) is located in Poznań, the fifth largest city in Poland. In the article, we recognised the type of expenditure (permanent infrastructure and ongoing maintenance), the costs and the influence on ES (stimulating, weakening or no relevant). The study shows that the financial policy concerning the study area is focused on creating an infrastructure that enhances cultural ecosystem services (CES). However, the creation of recreational facilities weakens the potential of the area for supplying regulating services concerning maintaining nursery populations and habitats. The results highlight the need for scientific support for policymakers in understanding the synergies and trade-offs between ES, resulting from financial decisions. This is particularly important in the decision-making process in the areas of high natural value, in which full, long-term effects of the decisions may be barely visible and incomprehensible for the society. Showing the impact of financial decisions on the structure and level of ES may provide arguments supporting a more complex and high-quality social dialogue, including balancing the interests of various stakeholders.

Green Infrastructure and Social Perception of Its Ecosystem Services Within Spatial Structure of the City – Examples from Poznań, Poland

“…The trade-offs between cultural and regulating ES are not perceived at all or are hardly perceived by citizens. Threats to GI related to the intensification of its recreational use concern not only sites located in core zone (Stępniewska & Sobczak, 2017), but also green spaces outside the city center (Abramowicz & Stępniewska, 2020).…”

Nature-Based Solutions in Cities—Contribution of the Portuguese National Association of Green Roofs to Urban Circularity

“…In support of the successful implementation of NBS and GI (standards and guidelines), the conservation of biodiversity and/or the ecological restoration remains as an objective or principle, being the functioning of the ecosystems (e.g., reducing ecosystems fragmentation) essential to ensure the capacity of ES delivery at a landscape scale [4,51]. Urban GI planning and management decisions should be strategically conceived to contribute towards high and effective multifunctional and quality construction and capacities [7,50,52], combining and balancing the specialised ES integration with diverse and social perception factors within urban areas [7,[53][54][55]. The multifunctionality principle is the ability of GI to perform several functions (e.g.…”

The valuation of ecosystems services in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China

“…Because of the specific characters of ecosystem services, it is difficult to calculate the intangible value that contribute to human manufacture and conditions (Acharya et al, 2019). If the values of regional ecosystem services can be successfully evaluated and a series of well-adapted assessment indicators can be proposed, not only can ecological reduction be compared more concretely and convincingly with potential economic profits and ecological benefits from sustainable development, but also conducive when comparing the value of different ecosystem services and providing effective management strategies on ecosystems (Abramowicz & Stępniewska, 2020). In addition, the value of ecosystem services is essential for efficient distribution and application of natural resources, as well as the creation of ecological restoration and ecological red line policies (Accastello & Brun, 2017).…”