43
© The Author(s) 2020
D. Geneletti et al., Planning for Ecosystem Services in Cities, SpringerBriefs
in Environmental Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20024-4_5
Chapter 5
Applying Ecosystem Services to Support
Planning Decisions: A Case Study
5.1 Introduction
Although several authors acknowledge the potential of ecosystem service (ES)
assessments to increase the quality of planning processes and decisions (Geneletti
2011; Mckenzie et al. 2014; Rall et al. 2015), most urban ES studies are still far
from real-life application. While urban ES research demonstrates continuous methodological advancements, scientific works often lack the identification of specific
policy questions and stakeholders to which they might be relevant (Haase et al.
2014), thus resulting in generic and abstract recommendations with no direct applicability to the planning and management of green infrastructure (Luederitz et al.
2015). The aim of this chapter is to show how ES knowledge, i.e. information produced by ES assessments (see Chap. 4), can be used to support decision-making in
a real-life urban planning context.
ES knowledge can enter policy- and decision-making processes through multiple
pathways associated to different potential impacts, from raising stakeholder awareness to shaping specific decisions. (Posner et al. 2016). Among the pathways
described by Posner and colleagues, we refer here to the use of ES knowledge to
generate actions and produce outcomes. The expected result is the establishment of
new or updated plans and policies that consider impacts on ES and promote their
balanced provision, ultimately improving human health and wellbeing along with
biodiversity and nature conservation (Posner et al. 2016).
Drawing from a set of case studies, Barton et al. (2018) provide some examples
of the tasks that ES assessments can perform in these contexts. ES knowledge can
assume a decisive role, when it is used to support the formulation and structuring of
Text and graphics of this chapter are based on: Cortinovis C,
Geneletti D (2018) Mapping and assessing ecosystem services
to support urban planning: A case study on brownfield
regeneration. One Ecosyst 3:e25477. doi: https://doi.
org/10.3897/oneeco.3.e25477
© The Author(s) 2020
D. Geneletti et al., Planning for Ecosystem Services in Cities, SpringerBriefs
in Environmental Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20024-4_5
Chapter 5
Applying Ecosystem Services to Support
Planning Decisions: A Case Study
5.1 Introduction
Although several authors acknowledge the potential of ecosystem service (ES)
assessments to increase the quality of planning processes and decisions (Geneletti
2011; Mckenzie et al. 2014; Rall et al. 2015), most urban ES studies are still far
from real-life application. While urban ES research demonstrates continuous methodological advancements, scientific works often lack the identification of specific
policy questions and stakeholders to which they might be relevant (Haase et al.
2014), thus resulting in generic and abstract recommendations with no direct applicability to the planning and management of green infrastructure (Luederitz et al.
2015). The aim of this chapter is to show how ES knowledge, i.e. information produced by ES assessments (see Chap. 4), can be used to support decision-making in
a real-life urban planning context.
ES knowledge can enter policy- and decision-making processes through multiple
pathways associated to different potential impacts, from raising stakeholder awareness to shaping specific decisions. (Posner et al. 2016). Among the pathways
described by Posner and colleagues, we refer here to the use of ES knowledge to
generate actions and produce outcomes. The expected result is the establishment of
new or updated plans and policies that consider impacts on ES and promote their
balanced provision, ultimately improving human health and wellbeing along with
biodiversity and nature conservation (Posner et al. 2016).
Drawing from a set of case studies, Barton et al. (2018) provide some examples
of the tasks that ES assessments can perform in these contexts. ES knowledge can
assume a decisive role, when it is used to support the formulation and structuring of
Text and graphics of this chapter are based on: Cortinovis C,
Geneletti D (2018) Mapping and assessing ecosystem services
to support urban planning: A case study on brownfield
regeneration. One Ecosyst 3:e25477. doi: https://doi.
org/10.3897/oneeco.3.e25477