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Guidelines for Citizen Engagement and the Co-Creation of Nature-Based Solutions: Living Knowledge in the URBiNAT Project

Author

Listed:
  • Nathalie Nunes

    (Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra (CES-UC), 3000-995 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Emma Björner

    (International Organisation for Knowledge Economy and Enterprise Development (IKED), SE-201 22 Malmö, Sweden)

  • Knud Erik Hilding-Hamann

    (Danish Technological Institute (DTI), DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark)

Abstract

Participation and citizen engagement are fundamental elements in urban regeneration and in the deployment of nature-based solutions (NBS) to advance sustainable urban development. Various limitations inherent to participatory processes concerning NBS for inclusive urban regeneration have been addressed, and lessons have been learnt. This paper investigates participation and urban regeneration and focuses on the development of guidelines for citizen engagement and the co-creation of NBS in the H2020 URBiNAT project. The methodology first involves the collection of scientific and practical input on citizen engagement from a variety of stakeholders, such as researchers and practitioners, to constitute a corpus of qualitative data. This input is then systematized into guideline categories and serves as the basis for a deeper analysis with researchers, experts, and practitioners, both inside and outside URBiNAT, and in dialogue with other cases of participatory NBS implementation. The results highlight an ‘ecology of knowledges’ based on a ‘living’ framework, which aims to address the specific needs of various segments of citizens and to match citizen engagement to the participatory cultures of cities. Implications and further research are also discussed, with a special focus on the implementation of NBS. The conclusions broaden the research context to include the refinement of the NBS approach, with participation being seen as both a means and an end.

Suggested Citation

  • Nathalie Nunes & Emma Björner & Knud Erik Hilding-Hamann, 2021. "Guidelines for Citizen Engagement and the Co-Creation of Nature-Based Solutions: Living Knowledge in the URBiNAT Project," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-37, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13378-:d:693989
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Aude Zingraff-Hamed & Frank Hüesker & Gerd Lupp & Chloe Begg & Josh Huang & Amy Oen & Zoran Vojinovic & Christian Kuhlicke & Stephan Pauleit, 2020. "Stakeholder Mapping to Co-Create Nature-Based Solutions: Who Is on Board?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-23, October.
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    3. C. Wamsler & J. Alkan-Olsson & H. Björn & H. Falck & H. Hanson & T. Oskarsson & E. Simonsson & F. Zelmerlow, 2020. "Beyond participation: when citizen engagement leads to undesirable outcomes for nature-based solutions and climate change adaptation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 158(2), pages 235-254, January.
    4. E. Ostrom, 2010. "A Behavioral Approach to the Rational Choice Theory of Collective Action Presidential Address, American political Science Association, 1997," Public administration issues, Higher School of Economics, issue 1, pages 5-52.
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    1. Cláudia Pereira & Amirmahdi Zarghami & Elisabete Teixeira & Emília Araújo, 2025. "Stakeholder Mapping for a Nature-Based Solutions Project: A Comprehensive Approach for Enhanced Participation and Co-Creation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-20, September.
    2. Tobias Ihle & Ellen Jahr & Dörte Martens & Holger Muehlan & Silke Schmidt, 2024. "Health Effects of Participation in Creating Urban Green Spaces—A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-26, June.
    3. Bello Nagogo Usman & John Agmada Bawa, 2025. "Relationship between Design for Sustainability and Affordability in Mass Housing Development in Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(1), pages 98-107, January.
    4. Bokolo Anthony, 2024. "The Role of Community Engagement in Urban Innovation Towards the Co-Creation of Smart Sustainable Cities," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 1592-1624, March.
    5. Israa H. Mahmoud & Eugenio Morello & Giuseppe Salvia & Emma Puerari, 2022. "Greening Cities, Shaping Cities: Pinpointing Nature-Based Solutions in Cities between Shared Governance and Citizen Participation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-7, June.

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