1. Introduction & Objectives
Coincident with urbanization, there is expanding interest among urban planners, managers, and policymakers on how green and blue infrastructure in cities and urban areas can be utilized to improve urban livability and human health and wellbeing. Not all ecosystem services can be important and cities depend on locally services production by urban and peri-urban landscapes (e.g. air pollution removal, clean water, stormwater regulation, urban heat island reduction, noise mitigation, recreation, sense of place, etc.). Although the number of studies and publication in this area is growing, there is still significant need for additional information, decision support tools, and novel approaches to mapping, modeling, and valuing urban ecosystem services in ways that can address key urban sustainable development issues, including social equity in access to locally produced services, and support urban planning, design, and governance.
Objective: The objective of the Urban Ecosystems Working Group is to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to exchange information, tools, and best practices for assessing, mapping, and valuating ecosystem services provided by ‘green and blue infrastructure’ in urban areas, and to make the information available to a wider community of users.
2. Lead Team & Members
- Thomas Elmqvist, Stockholm University, Sweden
- Heikki Setäla, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Steven Handel, Rutgers University, US
- Richard Pouyat, US Forest Service, US
- Yafei Wang, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
- Timon McPhearson, The New School, US
- Julie Goodness, Stockholm Resilience Centre -Stockholm University
- Zoé Hamstead, The New School, US
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Lead team, please contact the current lead team members.
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3. More Information
For more information about activities and outputs of this working group click on the following link:
The discussion forum
This Working Group exchanges ideas, posts updates, form collaborations and starts paper initiatives via a Discussion platform. This discussion platform is only accessible for Working Group members via this link.