Reconnecting cities to the biosphere: stewardship of green infrastructure and urban ecosystem services

Mapping and Analyzing Ecosystem Services Hotspots and Coldspots for Sustainable Spatial Planning in the Greater Asmara Area, Eritrea

Rapid urbanization in African metropolises like the Greater Asmara Area, Eritrea, poses numerous environmental challenges, including soil sealing, loss of vegetation cover, threats to protected natural areas, and climate change, among others. Mapping and assessing ecosystem services, particularly analyzing their spatial and temporal distribution is crucial for sustainable spatial planning. This study aims at mapping and analyzing ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots dynamics in the Greater Asmara Area to identify recent trends and opportunities for enhancing ecosystem services supply. Utilizing remote sensing images, we produced land cover maps for 2009 and 2020 and mapped six ecosystem services through a lookup table approach. The study includes provisioning, regulating and maintenance, and cultural ecosystem services. We analyzed their spatio-temporal variations, identifying ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots and their changes over time. Results show that overall ecosystem services potential in the Greater Asmara Area remains low but stable, with some improvements. By 2020, areas with no ecosystem services potential decreased in southern regions like Gala Nefhi and Berik, and new hotspots and coldspots emerged in central Gala Nefhi. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and key challenges of the ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots approach for sustainable spatial planning in rapidly urbanizing African metropolitan regions. Despite limitations, the study offers valuable insights into ecosystem services potentials, and related hotspots and coldspots dynamics, raising awareness and paving the way for further research and application.

Effects of a large-scale bioretention installation on the species composition of an urban bird community as determined by passive acoustic monitoring

As urbanization accelerates worldwide, municipalities are attempting to construct new green spaces within their borders. The perceived ecological value of these places is frequently tied to their ability to attract urban wildlife, such as birds, which can easily be observed and enjoyed. As one strategy, stormwater is now frequently managed with green infrastructure: planted areas that retain and treat stormwater rather than merely directing it to surface waters. While these practices have the potential to provide habitat for urban wildlife, the ecological effects of these systems are largely unknown. To assess whether one green infrastructure project increases habitat value, we used passive acoustic monitoring to survey urban bird communities in and near a large green infrastructure project in Columbus, Ohio (USA). Bird communities near bioretention cells (rain gardens) were compared to those at nearby lawns and remnant or restored natural areas. We found that recently installed bioretention cells tended to support more omnivores, lower-canopy foraging species, and species from a higher diversity of feeding guilds than did nearby lawn control sites. We were unable to detect effects of nearby bioretention installations on bird species richness at other sites. The observed differences in species richness were fairly small, and we urge caution when anticipating the habitat value of bioretention cells, at least for bird species. However, the results that we observed suggest that bioretention cells could have a more positive impact on bird communities in different contexts or using different design strategies. The bioretention cells surveyed in this study were small and only planted in grasses and forbs, potentially limiting their ability to offer complex habitat. They were also relatively young, and future work is needed to determine their long-term effect on avian communities and biodiversity of other taxa.

Natural dynamics and watershed approach incorporation in urban water management: A scoping review

Several cities are facing water emergencies related to urbanization impact and amplified by climate change. Most of the cities have responded to these crises through short-term measures. However, some cities have incorporated a watershed approach to water management in seeking more sustainable solutions. Although the importance of a watershed approach in land management is generally acknowledged, studies on this topic have typically focused on theoretical models, water management in rural areas or single case-studies of cities or countries. In this research, a scoping review of the literature was performed, based on the PRISMA 2020 statement, in three databases: Web of Science, Google Scholar and SciELO. Forty-one studies were identified analyzing 17 city cases implementing urban actions from a watershed approach in water management. These cities were from the Global North and Asian rising world powers. The lack of results of cities from the Global South, based on the research undertaken, was the main limitation and bias identified. Most of the Global South results identified in this research were theoretical models, scenarios and cases of rural areas instead of urban contexts. The results obtained indicate that the main motivations for cities to implement a watershed approach were water scarcity, floods and contamination of water bodies. The implemented actions focused on the shift from gray to green and blue infrastructure and on conservation measures. Lastly, the challenges to introduce those actions were mainly the lack of economic investment, insufficient experience, stakeholder opposition, and regulatory obstacles. Urban water management could be seen as an opportunity to change the way we relate to urban territory. Incorporating a watershed approach into urban planning and water management could promote more sustainable cities.

Cities in nature

More than half of the world's population live in cities, and they have benefitted from the ecosystem services provided by urban biodiversity. International conventions like the Convention on Biological Diversity have provided recommendations on how to engage local governments and cities in the implementation of their strategic plans. In parallel, recognizing this, cities conserve, restore and enhance biodiversity in many practical ways. A list of general strategies adopted by cities is presented. The rich and diverse experiences of eleven cities, i.e. Abu Dhabi, Auckland, Durban, Edinburgh, Edmonton, Hyderabad, Los Angeles, São Paulo, Singapore, Toluca and Vitoria-Gasteiz, which have successfully conserved biodiversity in urbanized landscape across the globe, are shared. These cities have all applied the Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity as an evaluation and monitoring tool for biodiversity conservation efforts, in addition to using it innovatively for other purposes. Cities can play a pivotal role in ensuring that Target 12 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will be achieved. Upscaling cities' models of success would require a worldwide concerted effort involving everyone, i.e. all levels of stakeholders. Mainstreaming of biodiversity into all sectors, including commercial, economic, financial, industrial and technological, and the incorporation of biodiversity into decision-making in urban planning and management would be a game-changer. This article is part of the theme issue 'Bringing nature into decision-making'.

From urban ecology to urban enquiry: How to build cumulative and context-sensitive understandings

This paper positions urban ecology as increasingly conversant with multiple perspectives and methods for understanding the functions and qualities of diverse cities and urban situations. Despite progress in the field, we need clear pathways for positioning, connecting and synthesising specific knowledge and to make it speak to more systemic questions about cities and the life within them. These pathways need to be able to make use of diverse sources of information to better account for the diverse relations between people, other species and the ecological, social, cultural, economic, technical and increasingly digital structures that they are embedded in. Grounded in a description of the systemic knowledge needed, we propose five complementary and often connected approaches for building cumulative systemic understandings, and a framework for connecting and combining different methods and evidence. The approaches and the framework help position urban ecology and other fields of study as entry points to further advance interdisciplinary synthesis and open up new fields of research.

Using fs/QCA to explore the influencing factors of urban green infrastructure development and its combinational drivers: the case of the Yangtze River Delta region of China

High levels of urban green infrastructure (UGI) development can help mitigate the climate, biodiversity, and habitat crises faced by cities and support the achievement of sustainable urban development. Based on the relevant data of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region obtained from 2011 to 2020, this study measured the development level of natural and geographic conditions, economic development, urban construction, social and cultural development, and eco-environment quality and urban green infrastructure (UGI); evaluated the development trend of UGI in the region during the 12th Five-Year Plan and 13th Five-Year Plan by using entropy TOPSIS; and used fs/QCA to explain the high-level development path of each city toward the achievement of a green infrastructure. The results showed that (1) the development level of UGI in the Yangtze River Delta region decreases from southeast to northwest, and gradually decreases from Shanghai, Hangzhou, and other central cities. (2) There were several different configurations of high levels and non-high levels of UGI development drivers across regions, confirming the existence of multiple causality and asymmetry indices in the drivers of UGI. (3) During the "12th Five-Year Plan" and the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, the conditions needed to achieve a high level of UGI gradually became stricter, expanding from nature-social culture and urban construction-eco-environmental drivers to nature-urban construction, nature-social culture-eco-environmental, urban construction-economy-social culture-eco-environmental drivers. Research findings can provide greater guidance and implications for future sustainable urban development.

Evolution of the polycrisis: Anthropocene traps that challenge global sustainability

The Anthropocene is characterized by accelerating change and global challenges of increasing complexity. Inspired by what some have called a polycrisis, we explore whether the human trajectory of increasing complexity and influence on the Earth system could become a form of trap for humanity. Based on an adaptation of the evolutionary traps concept to a global human context, we present results from a participatory mapping. We identify 14 traps and categorize them as either global, technology or structural traps. An assessment reveals that 12 traps (86%) could be in an advanced phase of trapping with high risk of hard-to-reverse lock-ins and growing risks of negative impacts on human well-being. Ten traps (71%) currently see growing trends in their indicators. Revealing the systemic nature of the polycrisis, we assess that Anthropocene traps often interact reinforcingly (45% of pairwise interactions), and rarely in a dampening fashion (3%). We end by discussing capacities that will be important for navigating these systemic challenges in pursuit of global sustainability. Doing so, we introduce evolvability as a unifying concept for such research between the sustainability and evolutionary sciences. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution and sustainability: gathering the strands for an Anthropocene synthesis'.

Supporting Nature-Based Solutions via Nature-Based Thinking across European and Latin American cities

Nature-Based Solutions concepts and practices are being used worldwide as part of attempts to address societal challenges but have also been criticised for not dealing with deeper transformations needed to face urgent issues including biodiversity loss, climate change and inclusion. In this paper, we explore how an inclusive, integrated and long-sighted approach, emphasising a more radical integration of nature within cities, might support the transformations needed to endure major contemporary challenges. Addressing important emerging critiques of Nature-Based Solutions, we consider the potential of a more incisive form of Nature-Based Thinking (NBT) in cities, based on more holistic perspectives. The paper draws on a reflective and iterative research process that engaged both the research and practice communities through a symposium and a series of futures workshops that together explored the potential of NBT to develop future nature-cities relations in Europe and Latin America. The results of the reflective process suggest that notions of nature with people-not for people- new organisational structures, and the intention and capacity to apply long-term perspectives, are needed when planning for NBS interventions aimed at sustainable urban development. This includes developing a cultural-structural change based on new and inclusive understandings of human-nature relations, and novel governance paradigms that allow cross-sectoral coordination and engagement of local stakeholders beyond formal organisational structures.

Understanding supply-demand mismatches in ecosystem services and interactive effects of drivers to support spatial planning in Tianjin metropolis, China

Metropolitan areas are being challenged by the disparity between growing societal needs and dwindling natural resource provision. Understanding the supply-demand mismatches of ecosystem services (ES) and their drivers is essential for landscape planning and decision-making. However, integrating such information into spatial planning remains challenging due to the complex nature of urban ecosystems and their intrinsic interactions. In this study, we first assessed and mapped the supply, demand, and mismatches of six typical ES in Tianjin, China. We then clustered numerous townships based on their corresponding spatial characteristic of ES supply-demand mismatches. We also used Random Forest regression to examine the relative importance of drivers and applied Partial Least Squares structural equation modelling to decouple their interactions. The results showed that, the distribution of ES supply and demand showed obvious spatial heterogeneity, with a common surplus of ES supply in highly natural mountainous region and an excess of demand in urban centre. Additionally, all towns were classified into four spatial clusters with homogeneous states of supply-demand mismatches, serving as basic units for spatial optimization. Moreover, the interactions between drivers affected ES supply-demand mismatches in a coupled manner, including the direct effects of the socioeconomic factor (-0.821) and landscape composition (0.234), as well as the indirect effects of the biophysical factor (0.151) and landscape configuration (0.082). Finally, we discussed the utility of analysing the spatial mismatches between ES supply and demand for integrated territorial planning and coordinated decision-making.

Integrating social and ecological considerations in floodplain relocation and restoration programs

In the United States, most floodplain relocation (or buyout) programs focus on moving homeowners, then deal separately with what happens with the land afterward. These programs typically divide processes for relocation planning, engagement, funding, and implementation from those related to post-buyout land management and restoration. The structural and operational conditions that lead to this separation of roles and responsibilities miss out on opportunities to create more synergistic socio-ecological strategies that may produce healthier outcomes for both people and the environment. In other domains, research shows that healthy people and healthy environments can co-create each other through more virtuous cycles. In this perspective essay, we argue that we can better create such virtuous cycles in floodplain relocation programs by integrally considering social and ecological components. Such efforts can encourage more people to decide to relocate, thereby creating more contiguous places to restore. They can also empower more residents to help steward these sites, an action that in turn helps heal and strengthen flood-affected communities. These arguments, while particular to the United States, have resonance for floodplain management and land use planning worldwide.

COVID-19 pandemic changes the recreational use of Moscow parks in space and time: Outcomes from crowd-sourcing and machine learning

The limited access to urban green spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the human-nature interaction in cities and human well-being. Number of visitors to green areas, initially declined due to imposed restrictions, was restored after they were lifted as established by several studies across the globe However, little is still known about changes in behavior and preferences of park visitors in the post-COVID time. In this study, we investigated spatial-temporal patterns of recreational activities in the three urban parks in Moscow (Russia) prior, during and after the COVID-19 lockdown (in 2019 and 2020). The selected parks represent two different types: a centrally located park with much infrastructure and open landscapes (Gorky Park) and parks located at the outskirts of the city center with a more forested landscape and little infrastructure (Timiryazevski and Sokolniki parks). Recreational activities were identified based on the analysis of social media photos using machine-learning algorithms. As expected, park closures during lockdown resulted in overall decrease in the number of taken photos. After the parks were re-opened, however, the number of photos did not grow immediately. The number of photos only restored after almost three months, and the visiting peak shifted to autumn. Differences between parks were related to the type of the park and its landscape structure. The lowest decrease in the number of photos was observed for the Timiryazevsky park - a semi-natural green area, while the centrally located Gorky Park was the most affected, likely due to the strictest control measures. In comparison to 2019, photos in 2020 were more evenly distributed across the area in all the three parks. Besides, 'natural' areas became the main attractors for the visitors - photos under 'nature observation' category became the most popular. Spatial distribution of the recreational activities in post-lockdown period was characterized by larger distances between photos, likely corresponding to the social distancing. COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the value of green areas for citizens, but also changed their recreational preferences and overall behavior in parks. The observed shift from high density of visitors around entertainments and attractions in 2019 to a more homogeneous and less dense distribution along the natural zones in 2020 reveals a new pattern in visitors behavior and preference, which shall be considered in spatial planning of the parks. Increasing availability of natural green areas and their integration in urban green infrastructures can become the most relevant policy to consider the crucial role of urban nature as a source of resilience in turbulent times.

Evaluating supply-demand matching of ecosystem services considering water-energy-food nexus and synergies/trade-offs in the Hangzhou of China

The proposal of water-energy-food nexus provides a new perspective for the supply-demand matching assessment of ecosystem services (ESs). This study aims to evaluate quantitative and spatial matching of supply-demand of ESs considering water-energy-food nexus, and to analyze the synergies/trade-offs between ESs. By taking Hangzhou as a case study, the results showed that supply-demand matching degrees of ESs related to water-energy-food nexus in Hangzhou were all less than zero during the study period, indicating that the supply of ESs in Hangzhou could not meet the local demand. Among them, the gap between supply and demand of water yield gradually narrowed, while the gap between supply and demand of carbon storage/food production gradually widened. From the perspective of supply-demand spatial matching, water yield/food production was dominated by low-low spatial matching area, showing an expanding trend. Carbon storage was mainly characterized by high-low spatial mismatching area, presenting a stable trend. In addition, there were significant synergistic effects between ESs related to water-energy-food nexus. Therefore, this study proposed some supply-demand management policies of ESs from the perspective of water-energy-food nexus to promote the sustainable development of ecosystems and natural resources.

Factors affecting cultural ecosystem services use in Vilnius (Lithuania): A participatory mapping survey approach

Assessing preferences of recreational activities related to cultural ecosystem services (CES) in urban areas is essential for decision-making and urban green space (UGS) management. This work aims to assess the preferences and factors (based on socio-demographic and motivation variables) influencing CES-related activities in Vilnius, Lithuania, to provide scientific knowledge to support more efficient UGS design and management. Participatory mapping was reported as relevant for urban park planning and decision-making and was applied to identify spatially explicit CES. We assessed the perceived relevance of five CES-related activities groups (Social activities, Inspirational activities, Cultural activities, Spiritual activities, and Physical activities) via participatory mapping through an online survey (n = 1.114). The users selected one preferred geographic location for each CES-related activities group and attributed relevance (using a 5-point Likert scale) for a set of motivation items. The results showed that Physical and Social activities were the respondents' most important CES-related activity groups, while Spiritual activities were the less popular. Factor Analysis showed that the respondent's recreation experience preferences, or motivations, were the most relevant variables influencing all the groups except for the Social activities group. Regarding Cultural activities, preferences for understanding things & learn about history were the most relevant variables. For Inspirational activities, the variables developing knowledge & to learn were the most important. Enjoying nature's quietness & frequency was the most relevant for Physical activities. Regarding Spiritual activities, the most important variables were related to the development of spiritual activities and the reflection on personal religious values. Finally, socio-demographic variables mainly influenced social activities, namely education level, gender and age group. The spatial distribution was different between activity groups. Inspirational activities showed the highest dispersion, and Spiritual activities the highest concentration. The results of this work are relevant to municipal managers, as they allow for a better understanding of users' interactions with the territory, its multifunctionality, and potential areas of conflict between conservation and recreation.

Reinforcing nature-based solutions through tools providing social-ecological-technological integration

While held to be a means for climate change adaptation and mitigation, nature-based solutions (NbS) themselves are vulnerable to climate change. To find ways of compensating for this vulnerability we combine a focused literature review on how information technology has been used to strengthen positive social-ecological-technological feedback, with the development of a prototype decision-support tool. Guided by the literature review, the tool integrates recent advances in using globally available remote sensing data to elicit information on functional diversity and ecosystem service provisioning with information on human service demand and population vulnerability. When combined, these variables can inform climate change adaptation strategies grounded in local social-ecological realities. This type of integrated monitoring and packaging information to be actionable have potential to support NbS management and local knowledge building for context-tailored solutions to societal challenges in urban environments.

Contesting views on mobility restrictions in urban green spaces amid COVID-19-Insights from Twitter in Latin America and Spain

Positive sentiments towards urban green spaces (UGS) unequivocally increased worldwide amid COVID-19. In contrast, this paper documents that views on mobility restrictions applicable to UGS are of a contested nature. That is, while residents unambiguously report positive sentiments towards UGS, they do not share views on how to administer access to UGS-which is a matter of public policy. These contesting views reflect opposite demands that managers of UGS had to balance during the pandemic as they faced the challenge of reducing risk of spread while providing services that support physical and mental health of residents. The empirical analysis in this paper relies on views inferred through a text classification algorithm implemented on Twitter messages posted from January to October 2020, by urban residents in three Latin American countries-Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico-and Spain. The focus on Latin America is motivated by the documented lack of compliance with mobility restrictions; Spain works as a comparison point to learn differences with respect to other regions. Understanding and following in real-time the evolution of contesting views amid a pandemic is useful for managers and city planners to inform adaptation measures-e.g. communication strategies can be tailored to residents with specific views.

Are really Nature-Based Solutions sustainable solutions to design future cities in a context of global change? Discussion about the vulnerability of these new solutions and their probable unsustainable implementation

The urban ecosystem is a very challenging environment that faces many problems such as various pollutions, higher temperatures than its surroundings or flooding risks due to soil sealing. Nature-based solutions (NBS) seem to be good option to address these problems, while simultaneously offering benefits for facing climate change and the biodiversity crisis. Despite their potential, NBS can be threatened by various urban disturbance, namely: land use change, pollution, or invasive species. These disturbances can have multiple consequences on urban NBS, such as causing changes in plant characteristics/traits, altering the services they provide, and even make certain plant populations disappear, etc. In turn, these consequences may even jeopardize the solutions themselves, which then may no longer solve the problems they originally targeted. To avoid this, NBS should be eco-designed, i.e. designed in function of their environment. Their management should be adaptive and should also take into consideration the evolution of climatic and anthropogenic factors. The choice of species should not be left to chance or random: In this sense, is it better to plant native species for biodiversity conservation or exotic species that are more likely to resist global changes? Is it better to find resistant or ruderal species that have proven themselves in the face of certain disturbances? In any case, it would be good to diversify any NBS to have a better chance of survival in the face of global changes.

A fuzzy-based methodological proposal for analysing green areas in urban neighborhoods

The reduction of the green areas due to the growth of the built-up areas has affected the environmental quality in cities. Nevertheless, some uncertainties remain about the adequate amount of such areas in the urban landscape. This study aims at introducing a methodology to support analysis of green areas in urban neighborhoods. The methodological proposal was based on a fuzzy expert system (FES), a soft computing approach capable of dealing with uncertainties in complex multiple-criteria decision-making. As empirical research, some case studies to introduce and validate the proposed methodology were performed. An agglomerative hierarchical clustering, followed by a Kruskal-Wallis test and multiple pairwise comparisons using the Conover-Iman procedure (significance 0.05), demonstrated that the FES was able to provide outcomes consistent with hypothetical situations, simulated as ideal and critical conditions of green areas. In conclusion, our findings indicate that the methodological proposal based on FES is a promising tool for complex case-by-case analysis in urban neighborhoods.

Drivers of fungal diversity and community biogeography differ between green roofs and adjacent ground-level green space

Green roof soils are usually engineered for purposes other than urban biodiversity, which may impact their fungal communities, and in turn impact the health of plants in the urban ecosystem. We examined the drivers of fungal diversity and community composition in soil of green roofs and adjacent ground-level green spaces in three Midwestern USA cities-Chicago, Cleveland, and Minneapolis. Overall, fungal communities on green roofs were more diverse than ground-level green spaces and were correlated with plant cover (positively) and roof age (negatively) rather than abiotic soil properties. Fungal community composition was distinct between roof and ground environments, among cities, and between sampling sites, but green roofs and their immediately surrounding ground-level green space showed some similarity. This suggests dispersal limitation may result in geographic structuring at large spatial scales, but dispersal between roofs and their neighbouring sites may be occurring. Different fungal taxonomic and functional groups were better explained when roofs were classified either by depth (extensive or intensive) or functional intent of the roof design (i.e. stormwater/energy, biodiversity, or aesthetics/recreation). Our results demonstrate that green roofs are an important reservoir of fungal diversity in the urban landscape, which should be considered in future green roof design.

Assessment of soils and green stands in the recreational areas with different land-use history in New Moscow

Abstract. Recreational areas contribute considerably to the establishment of sustainable and comfortable urban environment. Green stands and soils of recreational areas provide important environmental functions and ecosystem services, their utilization depends on natural and anthropogenic factors distinguished by land-use history. For the case of the recreational areas of New Moscow, a comparative analysis of trees (n=1909) and soils (n=39, 0-10 cm layer) of the parks, established on former forested and fallow lands, was performed. It was shown that the species diversity was higher although the tree condition score was lower in the forest-parks, compared to the parks established on former fallow lands, which were generally characterized by a higher level of maintenance. Soils of these parks had a neutral pHH20 (7.20.8) and high content of organic matter (8.52.5 %), whereas the forest-parks soils were similar to the natural Retisols of the forest area with pHH20 6.40.2 and 5.10.2, organic matter content 5.90.2 и 3.50.2 %, respectively. Soils of the parks, established on the former fallow lands, had also a higher pollution level by particular heavy metals as well as considering the integral pollution index. Thus, a higher level of maintenance of the parks established on former fallow lands coincided with a higher anthropogenic pressure and ecosystem alteration. However, reorganization of forests into forestparks allowed partial preservation of the natural ecosystems. That is necessary to consider for planning the new urbanized areas in Moscow.

Impacts of land use/land cover changes on ecosystem services in ecologically fragile regions

High-density human activities have rapidly changed the pattern of urban land use/land cover (LULC), affecting the supply of urban ecosystem services (ESs). This poses a challenge to the balance of urban development and ecological protection, which may be more serious in ecologically fragile regions. This study identified key LULC change (LULCC) impacts on ESs in Ordos, an ecologically fragile region in Northwest China. The urbanization process of Ordos will continue in 2030 under the business-as-usual scenario due to its strategic positioning in the National Energy Base of China. The future LULC simulation results showed that developed land in eastern Ordos will continue to expand in 2030, and more forest and grassland will appear in western Ordos as a result of ecological restoration. The results of the InVEST model in calculating four important ESs showed that the ES supply in the densely populated areas (eastern Ordos) has declined, and more attention must be given to natural vegetation protection in the urbanization process. Although carbon storage in the western region has increased due to afforestation, this also reduces the water yield supply, which may exacerbate the water shortage in Ordos. Supported by this framework, more sustainable urban land use management can be undertaken to balance the conflict between ecological protection and urbanization. This will contribute to regional ecological health and sustainable urban development.

Land Utilization, Landscape Pattern, and Ecological Efficiency: An Empirical Analysis of Discrimination and Overlap from Suining, China

The rapid urbanization in recent decades has highlighted the impact of rural land utilization, which further affects the spatial structure and efficiency of rural ecosystems. Optimizing the structure of urban green infrastructure is an effective way to alleviate the fragmentation of rural landscapes, coordinate the relationship between rural development and ecosystem services, and ensure sustainable rural development. The purpose of this paper is to provide a clear direction for the optimization of construction for the sustainable development of rural green infrastructure (RGI). This study provides a new method for RGI identification and analysis by taking Suining County, a typical rural area on the North China Plain, as an example. Morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) was used to distinguish different space scenery elements in RGI and combine them with land utilization elements, so as to obtain two types of overlapping degree data in each village and town. We further combined the overlapping degree data with ecological efficiency indicators to evaluate the spatial structure construction priorities of different land use components in the RGI system. The results show that the MSPA and ecological efficiency analysis method proposed in this paper are conducive to qualitative and quantitative analysis of the relationship between land use type, spatial structure, and ecological efficiency in the RGI system and are suitable for the construction of a green infrastructure network. This method can be used to better understand the spatial distribution and priority of green infrastructure networks to achieve sustainable rural development on the North China Plain.

The Human Ecosystem Spatial Networks of Amman City Center: A New Methodological Approach towards Resiliency

The human ecosystems embrace complex human-dominated systems, which often result in disparaging multifaceted social and ecological outcomes in various localities of the world. Green infrastructure (GI) with a well-planned and managed spatial organization and network of multifunctional landscapes does not only help improve the quality of life, but also promotes the multifunctional use of natural capital and enhances the resiliency of urban systems by enabling “disaster risk reduction”, or “DRR”, in real practice. To achieve more socially and ecologically resilient cities, the engagement of GI into the spatial network of the human ecosystem is inevitable. Moving on from this argument, the research utilizes several quantitative analysis tools, including space syntax methodology, graph theory, depth map analysis, linkage mapper analysis, and Arc-GIS to model the complex spatial patterns of the human ecosystem in the city center of Amman. To conclude, the study provides both theoretical evidence and practical assessment tools for the implementation of urban GI towards the sustenance of the social and ecological resiliency and NDRR within complex inner-city human ecosystems. The theoretical framework of this study embraces a novel contribution toward how resiliency and DRR theories can be merged into real practice through the utilization of a new methodological approach wherein the analysis, measurement, and visualization of human ecosystem spatial networks can be realized.

Nature-Positive Design and Development: A Case Study on Regenerating Black Cockatoo Habitat in Urban Developments in Perth, Australia

The benefits of ecosystem services to cities are well documented; for example, water-sensitive urban design to mitigate stormwater flows and purify run-off, the cooling benefits provided by tree shade, and psychological benefits of urban greening. Cities tend to displace nature, and in urban environments where nature exists it tends to be as highly altered ecosystems. This paper sets out how it is possible to regenerate nature in cities. We outline the principles of how to do this through a study on a new regenerative urban development in Perth, Australia, where urban planning is intended to support the regeneration of a bioregional habitat within the city. The authors, drawn from sustainability, property development and ecological backgrounds, describe how urban regeneration can potentially facilitate the regeneration of endemic habitat within the city. This builds on the original ecosystem functionality to provide an urban ecosystem that enables biodiversity to regenerate. Perth lies on the Swan Coastal Plain, a biodiversity hotspot; it is home to 2.1 million people and numerous endemic species such as the endangered Black Cockatoo. Low reproduction rates and habitat loss through agricultural clearing, fire and urban expansion have greatly reduced the Black Cockatoo’s range and this continuing trend threatens extinction. However, the charismatic Black Cockatoos enjoy passionate support from Perth’s citizens. This paper describes a range of strategies whereby new urban development could potentially harness the popularity of the iconic Black Cockatoo to build momentum for urban habitat regeneration (for the cockatoos and other species) on the Swan Coastal Plain. The strategies, if systematically operationalised through urban planning, could allow city-scale ecological gain. The authors suggest a framework for nature-positive design and development that offers multiple benefits for human and non-human urban dwellers across scales, from individual gardens, to city/regional scale habitat corridors. Collectively, these strategies can increase the capacity of the city to support endemic species, simultaneously enhancing a bioregional “sense of place”, and numerous associated ecosystem services to increase urban resilience in the face of climate change.

Analysis of Domestic and International Green Infrastructure Research Trends from the ESG Perspective in South Korea

Government-level ESG (environmental, social, and governance) institutionalization and active ESG activation in the private sector are being discussed for the first time this year in Korea, spurred by increased national interest since the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and the declaration of a carbon-neutral society by 2050, and ESG discussion in many fields is spreading rapidly. In addition, global awareness of the crisis caused by environmental pollution and natural disasters has highlighted the importance of green infrastructure (GI) as a new conceptual alternative to improve public value. Based on sustainability, which is a common goal of ESG and green infrastructure, this study aimed to examine the research targets and techniques of green infrastructure from the perspective of ESG. This study selected and analyzed 98 domestic and international academic journal papers published over the past 10 years in the Web of Science academic journal database literature collection. Focusing on the research subjects, the focus on green infrastructure, and research keywords, we examined the aspects of the green infrastructure plan that have been focused on from the ESG perspective and compared domestic and international research trends. In addition, implications for how each research topic is connected to the concept of ESG according to its function and purpose were derived. By examining the domestic and international research trends of green infrastructure from the ESG perspective, we identified the need for a wider range of research on the diversity and relationship between humans and the ecological environment; policies and systems; and technical research that does not focus only on a specific field. In this regard, we intend to increase the contribution to ESG management in the public sector through the establishment of green infrastructure plans and policies in the future, as they account for a large portion of public capital.

A methodological proposal to evaluate the health hazard scenario from COVID-19 in Italy

2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had a big impact in Italy, mainly concentrated in the northern part of the Country. All this was mainly due to similarities of this area with Wuhan in Hubei Province, according to geographical, environmental and socio-economic points of view. The basic hypothesis of this research was that the presence of atmospheric pollutants can generate stress on health conditions of the population and determine pre-conditions for the development of diseases of the respiratory system and complications related to them. In most cases the attention on environmental aspects is mainly concentrated on pollution, neglecting issues such as land management which, in some way, can contribute to reducing the impact of pollution. The reduction of land take and the decrease in the loss of ecosystem services can represent an important aspect in improving environmental quality. In order to integrate policies for environmental change and human health, the main factors analyzed in this paper can be summarized in environmental, climatic and land management. The main aim of this paper was to produce three different hazard scenarios respectively related to environmental, climatic and land management-related factors. A Spatial Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method has been applied over thirteen informative layers grouped in aggregation classes of environmental, climatic and land management. The results of the health hazard maps show a disparity in the distribution of territorial responses to the pandemic in Italy. The environmental components play an extremely relevant role in the definition of the red zones of hazard, with a consequent urgent need to renew sustainable development strategies. The comparison of hazard maps related to different scenarios provides decision makers with tools to orient policy choices with a different degree of priority according to a place-based approach. In particular, the geospatial representation of risks could be a tool for legitimizing the measures chosen by decision-makers, proposing a renewed approach that highlights and takes account of the differences between the spatial contexts to be considered - Regions, Provinces, Municipalities - also in terms of climatic and environmental variables.

Assessing the Impact of Park Renovations on Cultural Ecosystem Services

Urban parks are essential in enhancing the quality of city life by providing diverse cultural ecosystem services (CES). Despite considerable investments in park renovations, there is very little evidence about whether park renovations can properly secure CES. This study provides a basis for the incorporation of CES evaluation into urban park practice to maximize CES. We specifically ask how CES are influenced by park renovations. We developed a participatory mapping approach by asking people to assess CES on a current map and on a historical map, representing the situations before and after the renovation, instead of doing a follow-up study, in order to be more time-efficient and enhance the comparative effects. The results show that the park renovations had different impacts on CES and not all the renovations had positive impacts. This study has a huge potential for supporting park practice. First, this study shows that specific park renovations can be used to guide park management to enhance CES. Second, this study provides a new insight for landscape architects to rethink their design proposals before construction. Third, the study encourages the method of combining participatory mapping and interviews to link CES to a specific location and specific renovations.

Structural equation modeling reveals decoupling of ecological and self-perceived outcomes in a garden box social-ecological system

It is well known that green urban commons enhance mental and physical well-being and improve local biodiversity. We aim to investigate how these outcomes are related in an urban system and which variables are associated with better outcomes. We model the outcomes of an urban common-box gardening-by applying the Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework. We expand the SES framework by analyzing it from the perspective of social evolution theory. The system was studied empirically through field inventories and questionnaires and modeled quantitatively by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). This method offers powerful statistical models of complex social-ecological systems. Our results show that objectively evaluated ecological outcomes and self-perceived outcomes are decoupled: gardening groups that successfully govern the natural resource ecologically do not necessarily report many social, ecological, or individual benefits, and vice versa. Social capital, box location, gardener concerns, and starting year influenced the changes in the outcomes. In addition, the positive association of frequent interactions with higher self-perceived outcomes, and lack of such association with relatedness of group members suggests that reciprocity rather than kin selection explains cooperation. Our findings exemplify the importance of understanding natural resource systems at a very low "grassroot" level.

Spatial identification of restored priority areas based on ecosystem service bundles and urbanization effects in a megalopolis area

Rapid urbanization has altered the structure and function of urban ecosystems with respect to the demand for planning ecological restoration to inhibit ecological degradation. However, there is still a challenge to quickly and effectively identify the restored priority areas to maximize ecological service (ES) supply and enhance human well-being. Taking the Shenzhen metropolitan region as a case study area, this study identified the restored priority sites based on the ES bundles evolution and urbanization effects. The ES bundles were identified by analyzing the spatial dynamics under the hybrid urban landscape, then the impact of urbanization on the ES bundles was explored using linear regression analysis characterized by different levels of urbanization in different stages. Furthermore, the spatial statistics were used to identify the priority sites. The results showed that 68.78% of the grids had changed their ES bundles in terms of their quantities, types, and sites in Shenzhen during 1978-2018. The urbanization driver spatially shifts from provision of service to regulation and cultural ecosystem services and significantly negatively influences the composition and structure of the ES bundles in different urbanization stages. 1196 of the 1 square kilometer grids, which accounted for 54.17%, were identified to prioritize for ecological restoration in Shenzhen. However, only 4.08% of them need to set as the key ecological restoration site. This study explored an effectively spatial way to implement ecological restoration planning in a rapidly urbanized area.

Nature-based solutions (NbS): A management paradigm shift in practitioners' perspectives on riverbank soil bioengineering

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are promoted as practical and theoretical solutions that simultaneously provide human well-being and biodiversity benefits. One example is soil bioengineering using construction techniques based on living vegetation, and is frequently used for riverbank stabilization, flood protection, and erosion control. Compared with civil engineering, NbS offer many advantages such as cost reduction, limited impact on the environment, and production of ecosystem services. However, their use is still marginal for riverbank control, especially in urban areas. In this paper, we focus on soil bioengineering techniques for riverbank protection in an urban context from the practitioners' perspective. We question to what extent NbS require a shift in management paradigm. We used qualitative methods to interview 17 practitioners working in the Rhone Alps basin (France). Our results reveal that switching from civil engineering to soil bioengineering is not only a technical change, but also requires a shift from a "predict and control" paradigm to an "adaptive management" paradigm because of three major reasons. First, soil bioengineering techniques require redefinition of the performance of engineering structures with the inclusion of ecological and social dimensions. Second, the adoption of soil bioengineering techniques requires that practitioners, elected people and inhabitants reconsider risk sharing and acceptance. Third, the techniques require practitioners to adopt a new posture, with new soft skills (humility and daring) and a new collective organization (collective feedback). Finally, we identify three levers for a broader use of such techniques: (i) systematic assessment of the ecological, economical, and social benefits of such techniques; (ii) improving risk acceptance and sharing; (iii) fostering of social learning among practitioners through collective or technical feedback.

Optimization Strategy for Parks and Green Spaces in Shenyang City: Improving the Supply Quality and Accessibility

In this study, we evaluated the supply quality of parks and green spaces within the Third Ring Road area in Shenyang city by combining a landscape pattern index analysis with a principal component analysis. Moreover, a network analysis based on the ArcGIS platform was used to measure the accessibility of parks and green spaces. The research results showed that the overall supply quality of parks and green spaces (−9.55) must be improved. The supply quality levels of the four analyzed park types could be ranked as follows: garden parks (118.00) > community parks (73.67) > comprehensive parks (−16.64) > specific parks (−32.17). Among the analyzed recreation parks, the accessibility of daily recreation parks was poor, while the overall service efficiency of weekly recreation parks was better, except in a few regions. These research results can provide suggestions for future green space planning in Shenyang city. In addition, from the perspective of landscape patterns, studying the service quality of parks and green spaces can provide new ideas for further research on accessibility.

Designer Ecosystems for the Anthropocene—Deliberately Creating Novel Ecosystems in Cultural Landscapes

Accepting that nature and culture are intricately co-evolved has profound implications for the ethical, legal, philosophical and pragmatic dimensions of social and environmental policy. The way we think about nature affects how we understand and manage ecosystems. While the ideals of preserving wilderness and conserving ecosystems have motivated much conservation effort to date, achieving these ideals may not be feasible under Anthropocene conditions unless communities accept custodial responsibilities for landscapes and other species. This paper’s origins are in the author’s work with the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council representing Indigenous traditional owners in Australia’s Kimberley region. These landscapes, shaped by 60,000 years of human occupation, interweave knowledge, laws and governance regimes, and material and spiritual connections with country. This interweaving offers insights into options for dealing with humanity’s complex sustainability challenges. The paper also draws on the literature about cultural landscapes, ecological design, agroecology and permaculture to explore options for applying ecological design as a planning and problem-solving framework. The paper concludes that design-based approaches offer significant opportunities for using ecological science to integrate conservation and production in agricultural landscapes in ways that can meet human needs while also conserving biodiversity under climate change.

Effect of Urban fringes green space fragmentation on ecosystem service value

In this study, an urban fringe green space classification system was established to explore the spatiotemporal variation of green space landscape and ecosystem service value (ESV) based on multi-source land-use data of Ganjingzi district from 2000 to 2018. (1) Results show that the total green space area declined from 359.57 to 213.46 km² over the study period. Green space large plaque index (LPI) and class area both gradually declined, whereas the number of plaques (NP) and plaque density (PD) gradually increased, indicating green space landscape fragmentation. (2) Additionally, the value of green space ecosystem services reduced from 397.42 to 124.93 million yuan. The dynamic degree of ESV change in green space increased or decreased moderately, always being < 0 and showing a decreasing trend of ESV. From a spatial variation perspective, dynamic degrees of ESV variation in the western and northern regions with relatively intensive green space were higher than those in the east. Regarding ESV of various green space types, forest land had the highest functional values of ecological regulation and support, whereas arable land provided the highest functional values of production supply. (3) The ecological service function value of green space system is negatively correlated with PD, NP, edge density, landscape shape index, and Shannon’s diversity index, and positively correlated with aggregation index, contagion metrics, and LPI. The correlation coefficient between the climate regulation function of forest and the change of number of plaques is -0.874. The correlation coefficient of the recreation and culture of the wetland to the plaque density change is no less than -0.214.

Environmental Governance in Urban Watersheds: The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Mexico

Cities depend on several watersheds’ ecosystems as the main source of ecosystem services for urban populations; however, this connection is not visible to decision-makers and citizens. The current governance structures do not contemplate the integrated management of the urban-rural territory by watershed; they establish few spaces for citizen participation, and limit the transparency of information. We use qualitative methods to analyze the work of the Civil Society Organization (CSO) in seven urbanized watersheds in Mexico, located under different socio-environmental conditions, to incorporate the watershed cities’ management processes through new spaces of collaborative governance. Through environmental education campaigns, the CSOs raised awareness of the importance of watershed ecosystems to provide water for cities, explored the willingness to pay for their conservation, and the perception of the work of municipal water utilities. By promoting alliances between social sectors, the private sector, communities, and different levels of government, the CSOs built new institutions to increase the collaborative decisions and facilitate public participation, such as Watershed Committees, Citizen Observatories for Water and Consultative Councils. The incorporation of cities and citizens in the conservation of environmental services of the watershed was promoted through payment for environmental services programs. These processes of building new forms of governance are not linear. They depend on the convening and organizational capacity of the CSOs, the political will of the municipalities and states, as well as the socioeconomic conditions of citizens. In general, our results suggest that CSOs allow the formation of alliances that strengthen collaborations among stakeholders at different scales, increase government transparency and accountability, and provide a bridge of trust between upstream and downstream users in the watersheds.

Biodiversity and ecosystem services mapping: Can it reconcile urban and protected area planning?

Land-use changes, especially urbanization, have largely impacted the capacity of ecosystems to deliver ecosystem services (ES) on which human wellbeing depends. The current sectorial landscape and territorial planning approaches that separately address protected areas and urban areas have proven ineffective in conserving biodiversity. To address this important challenge, integrated territorial planning has been claimed to be able to better reconcile interests between nature conservation and urban planning, and ES supply and demand mapping may be a useful tool for such purposes. In this study, we quantitatively mapped biodiversity and the supply and demand of eight ES along an urban-rural gradient in the region of Madrid (Spain). Then, we clustered the municipalities in this gradient into four groups based on their common biodiversity and ES supply and demand characteristics. Additionally, we reviewed the urban plans from these municipalities and the management plans of three protected areas, analysed the references to ES in the plans, and searched for potential conflicts between urban and protected area planning aims. We found that municipalities with highly coupled ES supply and demand are in high altitude areas, coinciding with protected areas, while in urban areas, the ES demand exceeds the supply. Municipalities exhibiting a high demand for regulating ES usually include them in their plans, while municipalities with a high supply of regulating ES do not. Given the several conflicts between protected areas and urban planning that we detected, we discuss the utility of mapping biodiversity and ES supply and demand beyond administrative boundaries to overcome the challenge of integrating spatial planning approaches, especially in the context of urban-rural gradients and megacities. We also explore the utility of these methods for coordinating urban planning tools to achieve integrated territorial planning.

Solutions-oriented research for sustainability: Turning knowledge into action : This article belongs to Ambio's 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Solutions-oriented research

In this perspective, we reflect upon the question: what processes may help transition scientific insights on sustainability issues into practice and thus contribute to tackling the complex, systemic sustainability problems of today? We use five forerunners in the field of providing and brokering knowledge for science informed real world solutions, all published in Ambio and highlighted in this Anniversary collection, as our starting point. We discuss how the authors present solutions, whom they tried to reach, and what was suggested-implicitly or explicitly-as the potential uptake processes for turning scientific knowledge into practice. With this as the starting point, we discuss how sustainability science, as a field vowed to action, has evolved in its views of actors, pathways for impacts, and the potential roles of research and researchers to promote sustainability transformations.

The potential of nature-based solutions to deliver ecologically just cities: Lessons for research and urban planning from a systematic literature review

Planning for and implementing multifunctional nature-based solutions can improve urban ecosystems' adaptation to climate change, foster urban resilience, and enable social and environmental innovation. There is, however, a knowledge gap in how to design and plan nature-based solutions in a nonanthropocentric manner that enhances co-benefits for humans and nonhuman living organisms. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review to explore how an ecological justice perspective can advance the understanding of nature-based solutions. We argue that ecological justice, which builds on the equitable distribution of environmental goods and bads, social-ecological interconnectedness, nature's agency and capabilities, and participation and inclusion in decision-making, provides a transformative framework for rethinking nature-based solutions in and for cities. A qualitative analysis of 121 peer-reviewed records shows a highly human-centred worldview for delivering nature-based solutions and a relationship to social justice with no direct reference to the dimensions of ecological justice. There is, however, an underlying recognition of the importance of nonhumans, ecosystem integrity and well-being, and a need to consider their needs and capacities through multispecies nature-based solutions design and planning. We conclude with a discussion of the critical aspects for designing and planning ecologically just cities through nature-based solutions and future research directions to further integrate these fields.

A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Global Urban Resilience Research in 2011–2020: Development and Hotspots

Urban resilience (UR), which promotes the implementation of resilient cities, has received widespread attention. The purpose of this study is to visualize the knowledge background, research status, and knowledge structure of relevant literatures by using a Citespace based scientometrics survey. The results show that UR is an increasingly popular topic, with 2629 articles published during the study period. (1) The most prolific publications and journals involved in the flourishment of UR research were identified by co-citation. The United States was the most productive contributor, with numerous publications and active institutions. Journal of Cleaner Production, Sustainability, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction were the three most cited journals. (2) Co-occurrence analysis was employed to determine the highly productive keywords, and subject categories in the UR domain, including “environmental science & ecology”, “environmental sciences, “science & technology”, “environmental studies”, “green & sustainable science & technology”, and “water resources”. (3) The diversity of highly cited authors in different countries and regions confirmed the evolution of UR studies. (4) Furthermore, the classification of UR knowledge was performed in the form of clusters and knowledge structure to achieve ten distinct sub-domains (e.g., Urban floods and stormwater management, Urban ecosystem services, Urban landscapes, and Trauma). This study provides an overview of UR research and research topics so that future researchers can identify their research topics and partners.

The SDGs, Ecosystem Services and Cities: A Network Analysis of Current Research Innovation for Implementing Urban Sustainability

Ecosystem services are essential for cities and are key factors in achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Such services are best delivered through green infrastructure, which works in resourceful, multifunctional, synergistic, and environmentally sensitive ways to deliver ecosystem services and provide alternative cleaner pathways for the delivery of multiple urban services. It is unclear if current research supports the necessary linkages between ecosystem services, cities, and green infrastructure in order to achieve the SDGs. To answer this question, we conducted a systematic review analysing 3392 studies on the SDGs from the WoS database. The contents of 66 of those with relevance to ecosystem services and urban research were reviewed in depth. We applied network-analytic methods to map the relationships of different knowledge clusters of SDGs research (1) across time, (2) across disciplines, and (3) in relation to ecosystem services and cities. The results of our analysis show that research on the SDGs have developed stronger networks from 2010–2018, but this research has not been sustained. Further, whilst research on cities now occupies a central place in the SDGs literature, research on ecosystem services only shows tentative links to both green-infrastructure research and SDGs research. Such literature on urban green infrastructure remains peripheral to the central challenge of sustainable urban transitions. We conclude that when it comes to the SDGs, research articles typically consider urban services independently of green infrastructure. Further, it suggests that green infrastructure is not generally considered as a sustainable alternative to conventional urban infrastructures. To address this serious shortcoming, we recommend transdisciplinary approaches to link urban ecosystem and urban green infrastructure research to the 2030 global sustainability agenda.

Green and Compact: A Spatial Planning Model for Knowledge-Based Urban Development in Peri-Urban Areas

A seemingly unresolved debate in urban planning is the call for compactness and the provision of intra-urban green spaces. This article defines a multi-scalar spatial planning model for peri-urban areas and urban voids able to reconcile medium to high building densities with the provision of ecosystem services. The research is framed within design science research, and the theoretical definition of the model was followed by its application to the International Hub for Sustainable Development (HIDS) proposed by the University of Campinas, Brazil. The model’s parameters and indicators derive from a literature review, case studies, and GIS spatial analyses. A series of expert workshops and a survey were carried out to test and validate the model. The results show that the model can support knowledge-based development in peri-urban areas with high levels of population density while ensuring good accessibility to green spaces and productive landscapes. The model can serve as a planning and design tool and support the development of public policies for other contexts committed to more resilient and sustainable development.

A bibliometric analysis of publications in Ambio in the last four decades

Ambio is a leading journal in environmental science and policy, sustainable development, and human-environment interactions. The paper at hand aims to run a bibliometric analysis to inspect the main publications features of Ambio in Science Citation Index Expanded SCI-EXPANDED. For this scope, a bibliometric survey has been carried out to investigate the journal's historic characteristics in the Web of Science (WoS) categories of environmental sciences and environmental engineering for Ambio from 1980 to 2019. These are the categories for which the journal has been indexed throughout the indexed time frame. The paper proposes technical and methodological innovations, including improvements in the methods and original characteristics analyzed. Documents published in Ambio were searched out from SCI-EXPANDED. Six publication indicators were applied to evaluate the publication performance of countries, institutes, and authors. Three citation indicators were used to compare publications. As a parameter, the journal impact factor contributor was applied to compare the most frequently cited publications. The journal impact factor contributing publications were also discussed. Results show that Sweden ranked top in six publication indicators and that the top three productive institutes were located in Sweden. A low percentage of productive authors emerged as a journal impact factor contributor. Similarly, a low relationship between the IF contributing publications and the highly cited publications was also found. Less than half of the top 100 highly cited publications in Ambio did not lie within the high impact in most the recent year of 2019. Three members of the advisory board in Ambio were the main productive authors. T.V. Callaghan contributed to most of the publications while papers published by J. Rockstrom as first and corresponding author contributed the most to the journal impact factor. An article authored by Steffen et al. (2007) scored the highest total citations in 2019.

Greenspace to Meet People’s Demand: A Case Study of Beijing in 2005 and 2015

Urban greenspace provides essential benefits and often depends on its distribution and spatial relationship with residents. Many cities set ambitious goals to increase the coverage of greenspace. In addition, to increase the total amount of greenspace, spatial patterns of greenspace supply and demand also need to be taken into account to make sure its ecosystem services can reach the residents. While previous research has examined greenspace distribution, its association with various ecosystem services, and its spatial relationship with residents’ socioeconomic characteristics, relatively few studies have considered the spatial pattern of greenspace demand to assess its supply change over time. To fill this gap, we evaluated the greenspace change of Beijing between 2005 and 2015 using 2.5 m and 0.5 m high resolution remote sensing images. We first identified all of the greenspace changes, then evaluated the improvement of greenspace that was accessible to residents, and finally, we examined whether such improvement met different levels of demand estimated by neighborhood population, age structure, and economic status. The results showed a net increase of 1472 ha (7.8%) from 2005 to 2015. On average, percent greenspace within 500 m of the neighborhood boundary increased from 21% to 24%. Areas with low greenspace supply had a significantly higher increase. The standard deviation reduced from 8% to 7%, which indicated a smaller disparity of accessible greenspace. However, results showed that greenspace increase had little variation among neighborhoods with different demand levels. Our findings indicated that the greening efforts improved spatial distribution and reduced inequality in accessibility but failed to address different demand levels among neighborhoods. Furthermore, we identified neighborhoods with low supply/high demand and that lost greenspace between 2005–2015. These neighborhoods need to be given attention in future greening projects.

Dynamics of Open Green Areas in Polish and Romanian Cities during 2006–2018: Insights for Spatial Planners

Studying green urban infrastructure is important because of its ecosystem services, contributing to the welfare and comfort of citizens, mitigation of climate changes, and sustainability goals. Urban planning can increase or diminish the performance of ecosystem services. Despite numerous studies on the green infrastructure–services–planning nexus, there are very few concrete planning recommendations. This study aims to provide such recommendations for a broader audience by analyzing the dynamic of open green areas in Polish and Romanian cities, connected with its drivers. A novel approach including mathematical modeling and geostatistical analyses was applied to Urban Atlas and statistical yearbooks data. The results indicated that open green areas were lost and fragmented in all Romanian and Polish cities during 2006–2018. The drivers included urban built-up areas, population and density, the number of building permits, number of new dwellings completed, number of employees, and total length of roads. The study also revealed a tremendous lack of consistent datasets across the countries using the same statistical indicators. Based on the findings, planners should aim to preserve and develop urban greenery and maintain its continuity. City managers should use more research and decision-making policy developers to develop targeted policies and scientists should develop planning manuals.

Climate Change, Adaptation Planning and Institutional Integration: A Literature Review and Framework

The scale and scope of climate change has triggered widespread acknowledgement of the need to adapt to it. Out of recent work attempting to understand, define, and contribute to the family of concepts related to adaptation efforts, considerable contributions and research have emerged. Yet, the field of climate adaptation constantly grapples with complex ideas whose relational interplay is not always clear. Similarly, understanding how applied climate change adaptation efforts unfold through planning processes that are embedded in broader institutional settings can be difficult to apprehend. We present a review of important theory, themes, and terms evident in the literature of spatial planning and climate change adaptation to integrate them and synthesize a conceptual framework illustrating their dynamic interplay. This leads to consideration of how institutions, urban governance, and the practice of planning are involved, and evolving, in shaping climate adaptation efforts. While examining the practice of adaptation planning is useful in framing how core climate change concepts are related, the role of institutional processes in shaping and defining these concepts—and adaptation planning itself—remains complex. Our framework presents a useful tool for approaching and improving an understanding of the interactive relationships of central climate change adaptation concepts, with implications for future work focused on change within the domains of planning and institutions addressing challenges in the climate change era.

Urban sustainability science: prospects for innovations through a system's perspective, relational and transformations' approaches : This article belongs to Ambio's 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Urbanization

In this perspective, we present how three initial landmark papers on urban sustainability research contributed to the larger sustainability science scholarship and paved the way for the continued development of urban sustainability research. Based on this, we propose three conceptual innovation pathways to trace the progression of urban sustainability science: First, urban sustainability from a system's perspective, meaning that urban sustainability requires integrative solutions to work in the tripled social-ecological-technological system setting. Second, urban sustainability from a (people and place) relational perspective, meaning urban sustainability is a contested and dynamic social-ecological contract of cities. As a governance mission, urban sustainability requires evidence from research that can inform coordinated action to bridge people, places, meanings, visions and ecosystems. Third, urban sustainability from a transformative science perspective, meaning that for urban sustainability to be achieved and progressed, deep transformations are required in systems, relations, policies and governance approaches. Our proposal for the future of urban sustainability science centres on emphasizing the relevance and policy applicability of systems' thinking, value and place thinking and transitions/transformations thinking as fundamental to how knowledge is co-produced by research science, policy and society and becomes actionable.