Towards a Co-Governance Approach for Nature-based Solutions

The current report analyses co-creation and co-governance for NatureBased Solutions (NBS) based on many European projects. Each project represents different approaches to co-designing, co-developing, co-implementing and co-monitoring NBS projects being deployed in diverse European political, geographical, ecological, governance, socioeconomic, cultural and participatory contexts. The analysis is the basis for the presentation of best practices regarding the co-creation of NBS at its different stages, phases and scales. The report provides guidelines to researchers, practitioners and other experts researching, implementing and/or evaluating territorial regeneration processes that prioritize and advocate for inclusive and nature-based approaches. Those interested or actively operating in the fields related to urban regeneration will find that this report is the result of a joint discussion and analysis of many European projects that pursue the mainstreaming of NBS co-creation and co-governance in strategic planning, urban governance, and urban design. The report starts with an attempt to put together a diversity of features that emerge from the chapters of this publication, under the section Setting the scene: building blocks of co-creation processes. Instead of a list of oversimplified terminology, the section presents a building blocks approach which aims at translating a diversity of approaches, contexts, and knowledge production. The inherent diversity and complexity of the theme are further explored throughout the report, reflecting the discussions, perspectives, and outcomes from many EU-funded sibling projects, and providing insights, case studies and examples from four projects, namely CLEVER cities, Go-Green Routes, PHUSICOS and URBINAT.