Engagement of marginalised groups in NBS planning and management via long-term mosaic governance

The aim of NATURO is to develop a strategic framework, including a process and methodology, for capacity building and empowerment of both local governments and civil society stakeholders to co-create NBS. Specifically, the project will study how mosaic governance in combination with long-sighted and integrated planning and management of NBS can increase quality of life for marginalised groups by re-imagining and repurposing existing urban NBS in small-scale, local, co-development interventions – Micro Urban Living Labs. This will serve to strengthen both the social and ecological resilience of urban areas. NATURO will develop, apply and evaluate long-term governance approaches for inclusive NBS planning and management on a local scale in different European urban contexts, by reaching out to marginalised groups with unequal access or barriers to existing NBS. This approach can lead to more inclusive and sustained access to NBS in urbanised areas across Europe. NATURO addresses the need for political, financial, and public support for NBS from different levels of society, by strengthening existing governing structures, working at the micro scale with local communities, and operating within existing budget and timeline frameworks. The project builds on three recent research projects; A Swedish innovation project, a Nordic research project and a European strategic research and innovation project. Together the three projects form the outset for NATURO, by combining the Viva-Plan mosaic governance approach with the ParkLIV long-term management approach, and applying C3Places’ monitoring and evaluation tools for documentation of effects. NATURO creates long-term changes in local governance processes and policymaking, which can make a real difference to how and by whom NBS are used. This will support replication and transferability, thus helping to mitigate inequality in access to NBS across Europe.