Blog, Collaborative Learning

Discover this paper by Basnou Corina, Pino Joan, Davies Clive, Winkel Georg and De Vreese Rik, which focuses on the co-design processes to address Nature-Based Solutions demands and plan urban infrastructures in an inclusive manner.

Indeed, the benefits and impacts that nature-based solutions (NBS) provide on the relationships between people and nature are widely recognized.

The concept of NBS implies the inclusion of a broad range of relevant actors in decision-making, and co-design strategies are powerful approaches to include stakeholders and individual citizens on the same footing as professional actors. Indeed, co-design has considerable potential for jointly defining the challenges to be dealt with and the objectives for the solutions. It allows for a joint conceptualization and delivering of NBS when planning green infrastructure networks in urban environments. However, important gaps in knowledge, practice and planning remain when it comes to co-design in relation to NBS, green infrastructure and ‘green’ governance.

This study showcases how co-design is a creative approach that enables bringing together real-life experiences, views and skills of many different perspectives to address a specific problem. Authors of this study argue that co-design can help planners and policy makers to design green infrastructure which addresses not only ecological priorities, but also incorporates user demands and needs.

Limitations exist, but co-design has great potential for cities committed to transformative change based on a ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ agenda. In the following article, these arguments will be further developed.