The value of doing nothing – How informal green spaces can provide comparable ecosystem services to cultivated urban parks

Sikorski, Piotr; Gawryszewska, B J; Sikorska, Daria; Chormański, Jarosław; Schwerk, Axel; Jojczyk, Agata; Ciężkowski, Wojciech; Archiciński, Piotr; Łepkowski, Maciej; Dymitryszyn, Izabela; Przybysz, Arkadiusz; Wińska-Krysiak, Marzena; Zajdel, Barbara; Matusiak, Jarosław; Łaszkiewicz, Edyta

doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101339

Cited by 57 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…emerging forest patches in abandoned areas and engineered infrastructure with spontaneous plant growth (Huang et al, 2019; Kowarik et al, 2019). However, these ‘interventions’ can only constitute an NbS if such spaces are managed by ‘doing nothing’ rather than building in them (Sikorski et al, 2021), and such decisions are coupled with the identified challenges such as preserving biodiversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solution to what? Global assessment of nature-based solutions, urban challenges, and outcomes

Li,

Remme,

Van Bodegom

et al. 2023

Preprint

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In response to multiple societal challenges faced by urban areas, nature-based solutions (NbS) are gaining prominence as means to support sustainable and resilient urban planning. However, NbS are being implemented in cities around the globe without comprehensive evidence on their effectiveness in addressing urban challenges. Based on a systematic mapping methodology, we synthesized 361 scientific publications that investigated the effects of NbS applied in urban contexts worldwide. We mapped and analyzed 547 empirical cases of NbS in 197 cities globally, yielding 794 outcomes. To structure this evidence we developed an urban NbS classification. With the aid of this classification, we analyzed 23 urban challenge categories and 30 outcome domains encompassing biodiversity, health well-being, and regulating ecosystem services. The established linkages between urban challenges, NbS, and their outcomes indicate that specific urban challenges were predominantly addressed through specific sets of outcomes. Specifically, forests & trees and general parks were commonly used to enhance health and well-being, while grassland and gardens were applied to mitigate biodiversity loss. Furthermore, we show that urban NbS generally yielded overwhelmingly positive effects compared to non-NbS, particularly in relation to microclimate mitigation and mental health outcomes. However, our analysis underscores a notable scarcity of evidence of multifunctional NbS that report multiple outcomes related to biodiversity and well-being simultaneously. In combination, our study provides a foundation for further understanding NbS effectiveness and can empower urban planners and policymakers with measurable evidenced-based targets for the application of NbS.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solution to what? Global assessment of nature-based solutions, urban challenges, and outcomes

Li,

Remme,

Van Bodegom

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…However, due to the lack of funds, many of them became "urban wastelands" [92]. Besides their important role in providing ecosystem services, they are a magnet for bottom-up activities [93]. The potential of these places, e.g., freedom of behavior, promotes creative attitudes of users, triggering informal developments (such as vernacular community gardens, informal meeting points, etc.)…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thinking Deep. Acting on Top. Underground Built Heritage and Its Fringe as a Community Catalyst for Local Sustainable Development: Exploratory Cases from Poland and Greece

et al. 2021

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Underground Built Heritage (UBH) is a distinct class of cultural heritage providing a focal point for community pride and engagement to become a springboard for local sustainable development (LSD). This research aims to articulate how local UBH and its fringe serve as a facilitator of communal identity to mobilize community care towards social and economic development with less involvement from the state and the market actors. For this purpose, local (and less-conspicuous) cases of UBH are employed in Warsaw, Poland, and Volos, Greece, indicating the power of UBH to connect and engage local communities with places, triggering a momentum for a truly bottom-up action that pays less attention to market considerations and state support. The studied UBH sites have been discussed according to an established common framework, dealing with five main issues: (a) general context and status, (b) history, (c) users and management, (d) ecosystem services, and (e) introduction of the paradigm of living labs. The analysis was based on a thorough literature review and complemented by field observations and interviews. The results provide evidence for UBH as a potential facilitator of social and economic development. The case studies in Poland and Greece showed that local actors were involved in activities and social networks of tacit knowledge, generating community building to reinforce bottom-up activities in contact with UBH.

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“…Urban structures that are less transformed by human activity (especially suburbia) have the highest provision of selected UGS. This could further supplement the ongoing discussion on how to manage UGS to support the flow of benefits from UGS to city inhabitants (Sikorski et al 2021).…”

Section: The Context Of the Mediating Filters Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 92%

Greenery in urban morphology: a comparative analysis of differences in urban green space accessibility for various urban structures across European cities

Łaszkiewicz¹,

Wolff²,

Andersson³

et al. 2022

E&S

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The value of doing nothing – How informal green spaces can provide comparable ecosystem services to cultivated urban parks

Cited by 57 publications

References 74 publications

Solution to what? Global assessment of nature-based solutions, urban challenges, and outcomes

Solution to what? Global assessment of nature-based solutions, urban challenges, and outcomes

Thinking Deep. Acting on Top. Underground Built Heritage and Its Fringe as a Community Catalyst for Local Sustainable Development: Exploratory Cases from Poland and Greece

Greenery in urban morphology: a comparative analysis of differences in urban green space accessibility for various urban structures across European cities

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