A recent study published in Discover Cities found that nature-based solutions were more innovative when citizens were directly involved.
Nature-based solutions are an alternative method of addressing climate issues. Instead of isolating local governments' environmental departments, NBS call for an integrated approach to policymaking. According to the Nature-based Solutions Initiative, NBS involve "working with nature, as part of nature, to address societal challenges, supporting human well-being and biodiversity locally."
For their study, researchers from the University of Exeter and Aarhus University examined three cities: Paris; Velika Gorica, Croatia; and Aarhus, Denmark. While the size of the city had some impact, the results shared one common feature: citizen-driven innovation.
Dr. Carolyn Petersen, one of the University of Exeter researchers, said, per Phys.org: "When NBS projects aligned with and were integrated into government strategy with support from local leaders, this helped promote innovation in all three cities, as did involving local people in the co-design of NBS initiatives."
In this study, solutions included river restoration, increasing green space in playgrounds, redesigning existing underutilized green areas, and urban rewilding.
Researchers noted that a key external factor was other cities' urban climate solutions. For example, one's admiration for New York City's initiative to introduce beavers to local parks could motivate a desire to implement biodiversity-boosting policies in their city. It's a domino effect of positive environmental change.
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Improved green and blue spaces are vital to humans' physical, emotional, and mental well-being. A study by Northwestern Medicine found that city dwellers with access to nature had a decreased chance of developing heart disease. Innovations like these also increase habitat space for local wildlife.
Citizens' engagement with local politics is crucial for real change, especially when it comes to the climate. Hopefully, this new research pushes city governments to involve citizens in future urban climate solutions.
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