Gaps and Opportunities to Sustainable Urban Development through Nature-based Solutions

CLEVER Cities Policy Brief

Publication: Policy Brief
Citation: Knoblauch, D., Naumann, S., Mederake, L., Araujo Sosa, A. C. 2020: CLEVER Cities Policy Brief. Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

The multifunctional character of nature-based solutions (NBS) enables them to provide responses to both social and environmental challenges. Analysis has shown that there is significant potential for NBS to help achieve sustainable urban development objectives. Nonetheless, challenges for mainstreaming NBS remain. While some of these can be addressed at the local level, others need to be addressed at the national and/or EU level with strong support from the international level.

This policy brief provides gaps and opportunities to sustainable urban development through NBS at local and national as well as EU and international level. It also analyses local needs from the European and international levels. The document is available for download.

Participation is Key – at the right time

18 - 20 October 2023
Doris Knoblauch

Publication:Video

The CLEVER Cities Guidance is an online platform conceptualized by Ecologic Institute to give you unique insight into the multifaceted world of sustainable urban development. This introductory video aims to raise not only the interest but also the engagement of stakeholders from local governments, the academic community and the public and to bridge the gap between the different target groups. The video takes you through the CLEVER Cities Guidance, clearly highlighting the concrete contribution it makes in the context of sustainable urban development.

CLEVER Cities Guidance

Year 2023

Publication:Website

The CLEVER Cities Guidance online platform developed by Ecologic Institute features insights, tools, indicators and lessons learned about nature-based solutions (NBS) emerging out of the CLEVER Cities project and its nine partner cities. Filling a gap in available resources, the Guidance focuses on (1) policy and planning strategies, (2) how to generate and measure social impacts of NBS, and (3) approaches for co-creation and engaging stakeholders.

CLEVER Cities Guidance

clever-guidance.clevercities.eu

Year 2023

Presentation:Chairing

Interactive session with Natalia Burgos (Researcher at Ecologic Institute), Santiago Sandoval (Secretary of Environment of Quito) and Agnieszka Arabas (Team Coordinator for Environment and Spatial Management, Krakow Metropolitan Area).

The CLEVER Cities project's final conference "Nature in the City – Advancing social impact through nature-based solutions (NBS)" was held on 26 and 27 September 2023. McKenna Davis, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, moderated the session "Putting Theory into Practice: Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions into Policy". The session explored the fundamental question: How can we integrate NBS into the fabric of urban policy and governance to bridge the gap between theory and action?

Putting Theory into Practice: Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions into Policy

26 - 27 September 2023
McKenna Davis

Presentation:Speech

On 4 July 2022, McKenna Davis from the Ecologic Institute spoke to the 2nd step of this methodology: EXPLORING existing urban greening policies, plans and regulations to identify gaps and understand local needs. Representing the CLEVER Cities project, she provided insights on how to ensure coherent and coordinated policymaking and align objectives across sectors and policies. She also highlighted relevant EU policies and initiatives supporting nature-based solutions to contextualise local action towards NBS mainstreaming.

Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions

4 July 2022
McKenna Davis

Presentation:Speech

The climate crisis is impacting cities and communities across the globe. As extreme weather events become increasingly frequent, cities must work together to find effective nature-based solutions (NBS) to adapt to their changing climates. As lead partner in the BEGIN project, the Dutch city of Dodrecht welcomed cities, practitioners, researchers and citizens to join the conversation on the future of livable cities. To this end, the NEXT LEVEL 2021 conference was held as a hybrid event on the 20th of October 2021. Ecologic Institute's McKenna Davis was invited as an expert to present on NBS governance and policy.

Taking Nature-based Solutions to the Next Level

20 October 2021
McKenna Davis

Presentation:Speech

The Urban Agenda for the EU recognizes the importance of nature-based solutions as tools for sustainable recovery and development. Yet implementation and mainstreaming at city level remain limited. Can the European Green Deal support these efforts? What role can European research projects play? To answer these questions, McKenna Davis was invited as an expert to contribute to the European Urban Knowledge Network’s (EUKN) Policy Lab on 'The Urban Agenda for the EU, its 'green' actions and the European Green Deal'. The 18 March 2021 event aimed to unravel the 'green' actions of the Urban Agenda for the EU and develop concrete messages for the ministers under Slovenia's Presidency on how to support cities dealing with regulatory obstacles when trying to reach environmental goals.

The Urban Agenda for the EU, its 'Green' Actions and the European Green Deal

18 March 2021
McKenna Davis

Publication:Report

This report by Ecologic Institute explores the extent to which current policy frameworks support sustainable urban development and nature-based solutions (NBS). It reveals that a variety of different terms are used across countries in policies and discourses in support of sustainable urban development, with green (and blue) infrastructure being the most frequently used. However, while many policies were shown to have strong explicit support for sustainable urban development, these often lack mandatory policy instruments.

Multi-level Policy Framework for Sustainable Urban Development and Nature-based Solutions – Status quo, gaps and opportunities

CLEVER Cities Deliverable 1.2

Year 2019

Publication:Report

This deliverable explores four key social and economic facets of NBS in the context of urban regeneration, namely: human health and well-being; sustainable economic prosperity; social cohesion and environmental justice; and citizen safety. It defines each concept and proposes indicators for measuring their impact in order to create a shared understanding and common approach within the CLEVER Cities project. Purely environmental aspects and indicators are beyond the scope of this document and are explored elsewhere in the project.

Defining Key Concepts and Associated Indicators to Measure NBS Impact on Urban Regeneration within CLEVER Cities

CLEVER Cities Deliverable 1.1.4

Year 2018

Language: English
Authorship: Doris Knoblauch

Sandra Naumann

Linda Mederake

Ariel Araujo
Credits: Editors: Clara Grimes, Priscila Jordão (ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability)
Funding: European Commission, Directorate-General Research & Innovation (DG Research & Innovation), International
Year: 2020
Dimension: 2 pp.
Project: Co-designing Locally-tailored Ecological Solutions for Value-added, Socially Inclusive Regeneration in Cities (CLEVER Cities)
Project ID: 2812
Keywords: Adaptation

Cities

nature-based solutions, NBS, green cities, clever cities, ecological solutions

Europe, global

Further Links

CLEVER Cities project website

PublicationBookAddressing Climate Change in Cities – Catalogue of urban nature-based solutions

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are solutions that are inspired and supported by nature. They can be used in urban settings to complement or replace "traditional" or "grey" solutions to perform functions, such as thermal insulation and stormwater retention and filtration.... Read more

English version: Iwaszuk, E., Rudik, G., Duin, L., Mederake, L., Davis, M., Naumann, S., Wagner, I., 2019: Addressing Climate Change in Cities. Catalogue of Urban Nature-Based Solutions. Ecologic Institute, the Sendzimir Foundation: Berlin, Krakow.

Polish version: Iwaszuk, E., Rudik, G., Duin, L., Mederake, L., Davis, M., Naumann, S., Wagner, I., 2019: Błękitno-zielona
infrastruktura dla łagodzenia zmian klimatu w miastach. Katalog techniczny. Ecologic Institute, Fundacja Sendzimira: Berlin, Krakow.

PublicationReportMulti-level Policy Framework for Sustainable Urban Development and Nature-based Solutions – Status quo, gaps and opportunities

In this report, Doris Knoblauch, Sandra Naumann, Linda Mederake and Ariel Carlos Araujo Sosa (all Ecologic Institute) explore the extent to which current policy frameworks support sustainable urban development and nature-based solutions (NBS). To this end, policies... Read more

Knoblauch et al. (2019). Multi-level policy framework for sustainable urban development and nature-based solutions -- Status quo, gaps and oppor-tunities. Deliverable 1.2, CLEVER Cities, H2020 grant no. 776604.

PresentationChairingMobilizing Up-scaling of Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Throughout 2020 and Beyond – DG ENV workshop

On 4 and 5 February 2020, Ecologic Institute's McKenna Davis and Ewa Iwaszuk attended an expert workshop "Mobilizing up-scaling of Nature-based Solutions for climate change throughout 2020 and beyond" convened by the Directorate-General for Environment of the European... Read more

Chairing:Mobilizing Up-scaling of Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Throughout 2020 and Beyond – DG ENV workshop

Date: 4 - 5 February 2020
Location: Brussels, Belgium

PresentationChairingThe EU-funded H2020 Programme for Nature-Based Solutions

At the 2019 European Urban Green Infrastructure Conference (EUGIC), Ecologic Institute's McKenna Davis chaired a session looking at the role of Horizon 2020 funding for nature-based solutions (NBS) and co-organized a side session to present insights from the NATURVATION... Read more

Chairing:The EU-funded H2020 Programme for Nature-Based Solutions

Date: 10 - 11 April 2019
Location: London, United Kingdom

PresentationSpeechNature-based solutions – An effective approach to increase cities' climate resilience?

What role can nature-based solutions (NBS) play in climate change adaptation and mitigation? How can NBS be applied in order to achieve integrated risk management and resilience? These questions were addressed at the 'Paris Forum on NBS'. Sandra Naumann, Senior... Read more

Speech:Nature-based solutions – An effective approach to increase cities' climate resilience?

Date: 5 April 2019
Location: Paris, France

PresentationSpeechWhat is the Role of Society, Politics and Science in Urban Nature Conservation and in the Implementation of Nature-based Solutions?

In our age, scientific knowledge is increasing rapidly – while biodiversity is simultaneously decreasing rapidly. Both practitioners and scientists agree that better applicable knowledge and the steps based on this knowledge that can be implemented in real life are... Read more

Speech:What is the Role of Society, Politics and Science in Urban Nature Conservation and in the Implementation of Nature-based Solutions?

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Location