Re-Thinking People and Nature Interactions in Urban Nature-Based Solutions

Laurence Jones (), Sally Anderson, Jeppe Læssøe, Ellen Banzhaf, Anne Jensen, Annie Tubadji, Michael Hutchins, Jun Yang, Tim Taylor, Benedict W. Wheeler, David Fletcher, Thora Tenbrink, Liz Wilcox-Jones, Signe Iversen, Åsa Sang, Tao Lin, Yaoyang Xu, Lingwen Lu, Gregor Levin and Marianne Zandersen
Additional contact information
Laurence Jones: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
Sally Anderson: Department of Educational Anthropology, Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark
Jeppe Læssøe: Jeplae Consulting and Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark
Ellen Banzhaf: UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department Urban and Environmental Sociology, Permoserstr. 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany
Anne Jensen: Department of Environmental Science & Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change (iCLIMATE), Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Annie Tubadji: Economics Department, Singleton Campus, Swansea University, Swansea SA1 8EN, UK
Michael Hutchins: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
Jun Yang: Department of Earth System Science, Institute for Global Change Studies, Ministry of Education Ecological Field Station for East Asian Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Tim Taylor: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro, Cornwall TR1 3HD, UK
Benedict W. Wheeler: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro, Cornwall TR1 3HD, UK
David Fletcher: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
Thora Tenbrink: School of Arts, Culture and Language, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG, UK
Liz Wilcox-Jones: Denbighshire County Council, P.O. Box 62, Ruthin LL15 9AZ, UK
Signe Iversen: Aarhus Kommune, Rådhuset, Rådhuspladsen 2, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Åsa Sang: Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, SLU—Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Almas Allé 8, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Tao Lin: Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
Yaoyang Xu: Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Ave., Xiamen 361021, China
Lingwen Lu: Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Ave., Xiamen 361021, China
Gregor Levin: Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Marianne Zandersen: Department of Environmental Science & Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change (iCLIMATE), Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: People-environment interactions within nature-based solutions (NBS) are not always understood. This has implications for communicating the benefits of NBS and for how we plan cities. We present a framework that highlights a duality in NBS. The NBS as an asset includes both natural capital and human-centred capital, including organisational structures. NBS also exist as a system within which people are able to interact. Temporal and spatial scales moderate the benefits that NBS provide, which in turn are dependent on the scale at which social processes operate. Co-production and equity are central to the interactions among people and institutions in the design, use and management of NBS, and this requires clear communication. Drawing on ideas from culture-based development (CBD), we suggest an approach to communicate the benefits of NBS in a neutral but effective way. We propose guidelines for planning NBS that allow the optimisation of NBS locations and designs for particular outcomes.

Keywords: cities; green space; green infrastructure (GI); co-production; ecosystem services; framework (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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