Curating data for urban biodiversity: three catalogues on local issues in Milan

Preserving urban biodiversity is a widely recognized goal, with cities implementing initiatives to achieve it. However, when examining policies and local efforts, conflicts often arise among citizens, municipalities, and private stakeholders. Debates on urban biodiversity leave digital traces on social media, forums, and newspapers. This text illustrates the potential of online data to inform planning and participation in urban biodiversity projects. In contrast to established formats for data analysis, such as dashboards, we explore catalogues as tools to curate, analyze, and display data from online sources. Through case studies focused on biodiversity policies in Milan, this chapter demonstrates how curated datasets displayed in printed catalogues can be used to map debates surrounding urban nature. As catalysts for public engagement, catalogues prioritize individual data points, promote the slow fruition of data, and give space to marginalized voices.