U3. Tools for co-governance of nature-based solutions for sustainable cities

Martina van Lierop (Technical University of Munich), martina.van-lierop@tum.de

Rieke Hansen (Hochschule Geisenheim University)

Stephan Pauleit (Technical University of Munich)

Summary

In relation to nature-based solution (NBS), a transformation towards more fair and inclusive collaborative governance processes is emphasized increasingly. Yet, implementation of these processes is hampered by a lack of resources, time, skills and knowledge on co-design, co-implementation, co-management as well as co-assessment and co-monitoring. This session welcomes contributions, which explore instruments, procedures and tools to support co-governance of NBS: top-down government-led and bottom-up community-driven; formal and informal; short-term and long-term. At the close of the session, a round table discussion allows to derive key messages and recommendations.

Description

The concept of nature-based solutions (NBS) has gained increasing interest as a means to make major contributions towards more liveable, sustainable and climate-resilient cities. In relation to NBS in urban areas, the need for a transformation towards more fair and inclusive collaborative governance processes is emphasized. Consequently, there is an increased interest in transdisciplinary research into the design and implementation of participatory planning processes, co-production of NBS in living labs or other co-creative processes, the involvement of underrepresented and marginalised groups and promoting social justice. Yet, knowledge on co-governance processes is still scarce, scattered and one-sided, while in practice lack of resources, time, convictions, and skills further hamper making these processes constructive and long-lasting.

This session aims to explore tools and instruments to support the co-design, co-implementation and co-management of NBS on different policy levels from EU, national to regional and local. As collaborative approaches require a diverse set of governance modes (i.e., mosaic governance), top-down as well as bottom-up strategies are considered. Instruments and tools supporting the integration of top-down government-led approaches and bottom-up community driven initiatives for NBS will receive however particular attention. Collaboration, participation and communication tools as well as planning, market-based and regulatory instruments are considered. The session will enhance our understanding how formal and informal procedures as well as short-term interventions and long-term thinking can be skilfully combined to foster NBS. Our interest extends to include co-assessment and co-monitoring of NBS and the related governance processes, as collaborative approaches should be involved across the whole spectrum of a planning process.

The session invites talks that present and reflect on collaborative approaches, such as living labs, from different environmental, economic and social-cultural contexts as well as the diverse perspectives from practitioners as well as researchers involved in the design, planning, management and governing of urban areas. Moreover, we welcome insights on innovative new tools to promote procedural and recognition justice from global development studies to be more inclusive, give marginal groups a voice, and define measures to countervail power imbalances. Contributions investigating the criteria of good governance practice for a better integration of different actors and sectors in the public domain are also encouraged to participate.

Key messages and recommendations for tools for the co-governance of NBS will be synthesised at a co-learning setting with speakers and participants in the open round table discussion.

Impact

The outcomes of the round table will form the input for a discussion paper on possible tools for co-governance processes to support the co-design, co-implementation, co-management and co-monitoring of NBS. Based on the format of the discussion paper an eligible journal will be selected in dialogue with all authors.