Key insights for the future of urban ecosystem services research
Journal article, 2016

Understanding the dynamics of urban ecosystem services is a necessary requirement for adequate planning, management, and governance of urban green infrastructure. Through the three-year Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (URBES) research project, we conducted case study and comparative research on urban biodiversity and ecosystem services across seven cities in Europe and the United States. Reviewing > 50 peer-reviewed publications from the project, we present and discuss seven key insights that reflect cumulative findings from the project as well as the state-of-the-art knowledge in urban ecosystem services research. The insights from our review indicate that cross-sectoral, multiscale, interdisciplinary research is beginning to provide a solid scientific foundation for applying the ecosystem services framework in urban areas and land management. Our review offers a foundation for seeking novel, nature-based solutions to emerging urban challenges such as wicked environmental change issues.

urban liveability

biodiversity

urban ecology

urban green infrastructure

urban planning

urban ecosystem services

social-ecological systems

Author

Peleg Kremer

Villanova University

The New School

Zoe Hamstead

The New School

Dagmar Haase

Humboldt University of Berlin

Helmholtz

Timon McPhearson

The New School

Niki Frantzeskaki

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Erik Andersson

Stockholm University

Nadja Kabisch

German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)

Humboldt University of Berlin

Helmholtz

Neele Larondelle

Humboldt University of Berlin

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Emiliy Rall

Technical University of Munich

Annette Voigt

Alpen-Adria Universitaet (AAU)

Francesc Baró

Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)-UAB

Christine Bertram

Institut fur Weltwirtschaft an der Universitat Kiel

Erik Gómez-Baggethun

Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Norwegian Institute for Nature Research

Rieke Hansen

Technical University of Munich

Anna Kaczorowska

Chalmers, Architecture

Jaan-Henrik Kain

Chalmers, Architecture

Jakub Kronenberg

University of Lodz

Johannes Langemeyer

Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)-UAB

Stephan Pauleit

Technical University of Munich

Katrin Rehdanz

University of Kiel

Institut fur Weltwirtschaft an der Universitat Kiel

Maria Schewenius

Stockholm University

Chantal van Ham

IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature

Daniel Wurster

Stockholm University

Thomas Elmqvist

Stockholm University

Ecology and Society

17083087 (eISSN)

Vol. 21 No.2 29- 29

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Areas of Advance

Building Futures (2010-2018)

Subject Categories

Environmental Engineering

Architecture

Landscape Architecture

DOI

10.5751/ES-08445-210229

More information

Latest update

9/15/2020