Perceptions of cultural ecosystem services from urban green

Cultural ecosystem services are growing in importance and their substantial contribution to well-being is well recognized. Yet, significant conceptual and methodological gaps exist, especially for urban ecosystems. We analyzed perceptions of cultural ecosystem services in the urban context of Berlin, based on qualitative research methods. Using expert and problem-centered interviews, we show how cultural ecosystem services are understood and which focus areas were emphasized. We compared our inductive codes with the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. While our findings show supporting evidence for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment classification, some categories had to be substituted and others adjusted to local citizen understandings. The results reveal a variety of intricate cultural ecosystem service perceptions. Hence, selecting and emphasizing only a few services without prior studies could misinform decision-makers and lead to biased policy outcome. Regionally specific perceptions of cultural benefits from urban green are important information for planning processes. Cultural ecosystem services could be one way to achieve awareness of socio-ecological aspects, as our results show linkages between cultural ecosystem services and urban social sustainability. Using qualitative cultural ecosystem service research could foster public participation and increase the input of regionally specific perceptions.