Urban Transformation and Implementation of Green Development Strategies - Case of Gothenburg

Paper i proceeding, 2020

Urban green space strategies in Gothenburg have been recently developed for planning biodiverse and resilient urban environments, where densification is perceived as an opportunity for achieving higher-quality urban green space. Loss of important ecosystem services (ES) such as habitat for species and its fragmentation has long been considered the primary cause for biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. The concept of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) is currently promoted to provide simultaneous environmental, social and economic benefits, and help to build urban resilience. Yet, there is an observed knowledge and methodological gap on the development links between the built and natural environment. This article aims to discuss modelling urban environments for biodiversity of green areas. The main idea behind the research work presented in this paper is to investigate and explore possibilities to model and develop future integrated built and natural habitats that meet needs of people. This aims to investigate what are the tools that better integrate urban ecosystem services into built development and reflect on planning strategies for Gothenburg's green urban space. The results show a necessity to promote an approach of going beyond calculating accessibility to green areas, but also taking into consideration planning for qualities of urban green space in relation to city's shape and urban form. Spatially explicit indicators for ES like Green Area Factor are required to support real urban planning practice for biodiversity conservation and prioritization of green infrastructure in the urban development process. Complexity of urban systems, ecological assessment of quality of urban greenis an emerging prerequisite in Gothenburg's planning strategy due to ongoing rapid densification process. There is an expressed need for long term perspectives in planning with new tools and methods for assessing values and benefits associated with urban green space.