5
role of ecological knowledge in supporting effective planning actions (Schleyer
et al. 2015). Second, to raise awareness on the whole range of ES and associated
benefits that are produced by urban ecosystems, thus providing a comprehensive
understanding of the values at stake and of the trade-offs that may arise from landuse decisions (de Groot et al. 2010). Third, to support the explicit identification of
beneficiaries, including those normally under-represented in decision-making processes, thus promoting concerns for environmental justice (Ernstson 2013) and
strengthening planners’ arguments in balancing public and private interests (Hauck
et al. 2013b).
In spite of these expectations, the integration of ES in urban planning is still
limited (Cortinovis and Geneletti 2018). Haase et al. (2014), Kremer et al. (2016),
and Luederitz et al. (2015) summarized the main challenges to face. Among others,
they identified the need for more appropriate methods and indicators able to capture
the heterogeneity and fragmentation of urban ecosystems, a scarce investigation of
the relation between urban ES and biodiversity, the uncertainty about the degree of
transferability of data and results, and the lack of analyses that account for ES
demand by integrating people’s preferences and values, particularly in the assessment of cultural ES. This book intends to contribute to address some of these challenges, promoting a full integration of the ES concept and approach in urban
planning.
1.3 Book Objectives and Outline
This book analyses the integration of ES knowledge in urban planning showing and
discussing how it can be promoted, to which purposes, and with what results. The
overall objective is to provide a compact reference to the state of the art in this field,
which can be used by researchers, practitioners, and decision makers as a source of
inspiration for their activity. The books addresses the topic by: (i) investigating to
what extent ES are currently included in urban plans, and discussing what is still
needed to improve planning practice; (ii) illustrating how to develop ES indicators
and information that can be used by urban planners to enhance plan design; (iii)
demonstrating the application of ES assessments to support urban planning processes through case studies; and (iv) reflecting on criteria for addressing equity in
urban planning through ES assessments that consider issues associated to supply,
access, and demand of ES by citizens.
Chapters 2 and 3 review current practices, and investigate the extent to which ES
are included in different types of planning instruments for cities. The ultimate objective is to understand what kind of ES knowledge is already used, and what is still
needed to improve the content of plans, and their expected outcomes. In both chapters, a review framework is developed and applied to analyse the ES-related content
of planning documents, irrespective of the terminology adopted. Chapter 2 focuses
on urban spatial plans, and examines how nine urban ES are addressed in a sample
1.3 Book Objectives and Outline
role of ecological knowledge in supporting effective planning actions (Schleyer
et al. 2015). Second, to raise awareness on the whole range of ES and associated
benefits that are produced by urban ecosystems, thus providing a comprehensive
understanding of the values at stake and of the trade-offs that may arise from landuse decisions (de Groot et al. 2010). Third, to support the explicit identification of
beneficiaries, including those normally under-represented in decision-making processes, thus promoting concerns for environmental justice (Ernstson 2013) and
strengthening planners’ arguments in balancing public and private interests (Hauck
et al. 2013b).
In spite of these expectations, the integration of ES in urban planning is still
limited (Cortinovis and Geneletti 2018). Haase et al. (2014), Kremer et al. (2016),
and Luederitz et al. (2015) summarized the main challenges to face. Among others,
they identified the need for more appropriate methods and indicators able to capture
the heterogeneity and fragmentation of urban ecosystems, a scarce investigation of
the relation between urban ES and biodiversity, the uncertainty about the degree of
transferability of data and results, and the lack of analyses that account for ES
demand by integrating people’s preferences and values, particularly in the assessment of cultural ES. This book intends to contribute to address some of these challenges, promoting a full integration of the ES concept and approach in urban
planning.
1.3 Book Objectives and Outline
This book analyses the integration of ES knowledge in urban planning showing and
discussing how it can be promoted, to which purposes, and with what results. The
overall objective is to provide a compact reference to the state of the art in this field,
which can be used by researchers, practitioners, and decision makers as a source of
inspiration for their activity. The books addresses the topic by: (i) investigating to
what extent ES are currently included in urban plans, and discussing what is still
needed to improve planning practice; (ii) illustrating how to develop ES indicators
and information that can be used by urban planners to enhance plan design; (iii)
demonstrating the application of ES assessments to support urban planning processes through case studies; and (iv) reflecting on criteria for addressing equity in
urban planning through ES assessments that consider issues associated to supply,
access, and demand of ES by citizens.
Chapters 2 and 3 review current practices, and investigate the extent to which ES
are included in different types of planning instruments for cities. The ultimate objective is to understand what kind of ES knowledge is already used, and what is still
needed to improve the content of plans, and their expected outcomes. In both chapters, a review framework is developed and applied to analyse the ES-related content
of planning documents, irrespective of the terminology adopted. Chapter 2 focuses
on urban spatial plans, and examines how nine urban ES are addressed in a sample
1.3 Book Objectives and Outline