Key insights for the future of urban ecosystem services research
Assistant professor of urban planning Zoé Hamstead and collaborators engage in a three-year Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services research project assessed urban ecosystem services and biodiversity in seven cities in Europe and the United States.
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.
Authors
Zoé Hamstead, Assistant Professor
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, UB
Peleg Kremer
Timon McPhearson
Tishman Environment and Design Center, The New School
Neele Larondelle
Dagmar Haase
Humboldt University of Berlin, Institute of Geography
Publisher
Ecology and Society
Date Published
2016