Key insights for the future of urban ecosystem services research

authored by

Peleg Kremer, Zoé Hamstead, Dagmar Haase, Timon McPhearson, Niki Frantzeskaki, Erik Andersson, Nadja Kabisch, Neele Larondelle, Emily L. Rall, Annette Voigt, Francesc Baró, Christine Bertram, Erik Gómez-Baggethun, Rieke Hansen, Anna Kaczorowska, Jaan Henrik Kain, Jakub Kronenberg, Johannes Langemeyer, Stephan Pauleit, Katrin Rehdanz, Maria Schewenius, Chantal Van Ham, Daniel Wurster, Thomas Elmqvist

Abstract

Understanding the dynamics of urban ecosystem services is a necessary requirement for adequate planning, management, and governance of urban green infrastructure. Through the three-year Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (URBES) research project, we conducted case study and comparative research on urban biodiversity and ecosystem services across seven cities in Europe and the United States. Reviewing > 50 peer-reviewed publications from the project, we present and discuss seven key insights that reflect cumulative findings from the project as well as the state-of-the-art knowledge in urban ecosystem services research. The insights from our review indicate that cross-sectoral, multiscale, interdisciplinary research is beginning to provide a solid scientific foundation for applying the ecosystem services framework in urban areas and land management. Our review offers a foundation for seeking novel, nature-based solutions to emerging urban challenges such as wicked environmental change issues.

External Organisation(s)

Villanova University
New School University
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin)
Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Stockholm University
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Alpen-Adria-Universitat Klagenfurt (AAU)
Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
Kiel Institute for the World Economy
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Chalmers University of Technology
University of Lodz
Kiel University
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Type

Article

Journal

Ecology and society

Volume

21

ISSN

1708-3087

Publication date

2016

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 15 - Life on Land

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-08445-210229 (Access: Open)