Periodic Reporting for period 3 - CLEARING HOUSE (CLEARING HOUSE - Collaborative Learning in Research, Information-sharing and Governance on How Urban tree-based solutions support Sino-European urban futures)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-02-29
CLEARING HOUSE is focussing on “Urban Forests as nature-based solutions” (UF-NBS) which are a subset of nature-based solutions (NBS) that build on tree-based urban ecosystems. They address societal challenges, simultaneously providing ecosystem services for human well-being and biodiversity benefits. UF-NBS include peri-urban and urban forests, forested parks, small woods in urban areas, and trees in public and private spaces. UF-NBS are an integral and traditional part of urban landscapes, supporting attractive environments for living, working and business investments.
Trees and forests are a proven nature-based solution that contribute to sustainable urban development. Their potential for delivering ecosystem services, enhancing biodiversity, mitigating negative impacts of climate change and urban growth and contributing to the wellbeing of urban societies is often underestimated and underused. CLEARING HOUSE aims to unite Chinese and European cities in their quest to finding pathways for an effective tree-based restoration of degraded urban environments in order to improve human well-being. Cities and researchers in China and EU are experimenting with UF-NBS at different urban scales, implementing different UF-NBS types and working in diverging economic, governance and institutional contexts. This creates an interesting living laboratory for comparative research on how to plan, establish, govern, manage and monitor tree-rich landscapes for the benefit of urban societies at large.
Therefore, the main objective of CLEARING HOUSE is to analyse and develop – across China and Europe – the potential of NBS in general, and UF-NBS in particular, for enhancing the resilience of cities facing major ecological, socio-economic, and human wellbeing challenges.
Trees and forests are a proven nature-based solution that contribute to sustainable urban development. Their potential for delivering ecosystem services, enhancing biodiversity, mitigating negative impacts of climate change and urban growth and contributing to the wellbeing of urban societies is often underestimated and underused. CLEARING HOUSE aims to unite Chinese and European cities in their quest to finding pathways for an effective tree-based restoration of degraded urban environments in order to improve human well-being. Cities and researchers in China and EU are experimenting with UF-NBS at different urban scales, implementing different UF-NBS types and working in diverging economic, governance and institutional contexts. This creates an interesting living laboratory for comparative research on how to plan, establish, govern, manage and monitor tree-rich landscapes for the benefit of urban societies at large.
Therefore, the main objective of CLEARING HOUSE is to analyse and develop – across China and Europe – the potential of NBS in general, and UF-NBS in particular, for enhancing the resilience of cities facing major ecological, socio-economic, and human wellbeing challenges.
CLEARING HOUSE started by reviewing the existing literature and knowledge on urban forests as nature-based solutions (UF-NBS) in Europe and China. An analysis of 22 case histories in Europe and China demonstrated the importance of urban forests in practice. In both China and Europe, there seems to be room for more active civic engagement in planning, funding and implementation of UF-NBS. There is a need to explore alternative economic and business arrangements. A Europe- and China wide representative survey towards perceptions regarding UF-NBS confirmed that most people (>90%) appreciate urban forests and the benefits these provide. Contrasting with general believes, less than 10% of the respondents indicated that ecosystem disservices – such as nuisance caused by falling leaves or uprooted pavements – are important to them.
A new typology for UF-NBS has been developed, combining form, physical perspectives, function and institutional perspectives. This typology lays the foundation for a trait-based approach of perceptions and use of urban forests by citizens, relying the benefits provided by forests and trees on the characteristics of urban green space and its users.
Next, a GIS analysis mapped the UF-NBS potential in the European cases, and compared this to the broader regional and national forest availability. A qualitative in-depth analysis looked at communalities, differences, and challenges in the case studies. These include densification; land development; renaturing cities; fragmentation through infrastructure; institutional silo thinking; challenges related to stakeholder and public involvement; diverging scales, resources (HR, financial) and timelines between ecosystem processes versus administrative and policy process timelines.
Five local co-design workshops in Barcelona, Brussels, Gelsenkirchen, Halle-Leipzig and Krakow, one Chinese co-design workshop and a joint Sino-European co-design workshop have shaped the research questions for the comparative research phase of the project. This analysis deepened the understanding on the role of urban forests and urban trees in Europe and China, and provided input for the CLEARING HOUSE tools, developed for cities, landscape architects, developers, urban planners and others to support the conservation, restoration and development of urban forests and urban trees as nature-based solutions in our cities and towns. These tools - introduced in a webinar - include
1. MyDynamicForest – a flexible platform to collect localised citizens’ perspectives on, and use of urban forests for providing nature-based solutions, and linking this to the characteristics of and opportunities provided by urban green spaces.
2. SIAC – a Spatial Impact Classification and Assessment tool – a Q-GIS plugin to asses local urban forest conditions and tree-cover related benefits, aligned with IUCN’s Urban Nature Indexes.
3. SIK-Hub – the Spatial Information and Knowledge hub – a benchmarking tool to compare UF-NBS in different settings. The tool is useful for facilitating communication, collaboration and knowledge exchange or dissemination.
Local authorities, civic organisations, consultancies and others interested can consult the four CLEARING HOUSE guidelines on planning, managing, public engagement and institutional aspects of UF-NBS.
An inspirational-educational package to UF-NBS to teenagers (10 – 14 years) has been developed, aiming at learning with nature, taking advantage of nature and trees as green learning environments. This package has been implemented in schools in Belgium and Spain.
CLEARING HOUSE has been tapping into the broad public support for urban forests, illustrated by the 30.000 unique website visitors, and over 3.000 social media and newsletter followers (Weibo, WeChat, X, LinkedIn, Instagram). A video series and the #HugATree awareness raising campaign have been organised. Over 3.000 people watched one or more of the webinars.
CLEARING HOUSE contributed over 80 scientific articles, book chapters or books. Over 500 people attended the scientific seminars and science-policy events organised by CLEARING HOUSE in Brussels, GuangZhou, Krakow and Washington DC.
A new typology for UF-NBS has been developed, combining form, physical perspectives, function and institutional perspectives. This typology lays the foundation for a trait-based approach of perceptions and use of urban forests by citizens, relying the benefits provided by forests and trees on the characteristics of urban green space and its users.
Next, a GIS analysis mapped the UF-NBS potential in the European cases, and compared this to the broader regional and national forest availability. A qualitative in-depth analysis looked at communalities, differences, and challenges in the case studies. These include densification; land development; renaturing cities; fragmentation through infrastructure; institutional silo thinking; challenges related to stakeholder and public involvement; diverging scales, resources (HR, financial) and timelines between ecosystem processes versus administrative and policy process timelines.
Five local co-design workshops in Barcelona, Brussels, Gelsenkirchen, Halle-Leipzig and Krakow, one Chinese co-design workshop and a joint Sino-European co-design workshop have shaped the research questions for the comparative research phase of the project. This analysis deepened the understanding on the role of urban forests and urban trees in Europe and China, and provided input for the CLEARING HOUSE tools, developed for cities, landscape architects, developers, urban planners and others to support the conservation, restoration and development of urban forests and urban trees as nature-based solutions in our cities and towns. These tools - introduced in a webinar - include
1. MyDynamicForest – a flexible platform to collect localised citizens’ perspectives on, and use of urban forests for providing nature-based solutions, and linking this to the characteristics of and opportunities provided by urban green spaces.
2. SIAC – a Spatial Impact Classification and Assessment tool – a Q-GIS plugin to asses local urban forest conditions and tree-cover related benefits, aligned with IUCN’s Urban Nature Indexes.
3. SIK-Hub – the Spatial Information and Knowledge hub – a benchmarking tool to compare UF-NBS in different settings. The tool is useful for facilitating communication, collaboration and knowledge exchange or dissemination.
Local authorities, civic organisations, consultancies and others interested can consult the four CLEARING HOUSE guidelines on planning, managing, public engagement and institutional aspects of UF-NBS.
An inspirational-educational package to UF-NBS to teenagers (10 – 14 years) has been developed, aiming at learning with nature, taking advantage of nature and trees as green learning environments. This package has been implemented in schools in Belgium and Spain.
CLEARING HOUSE has been tapping into the broad public support for urban forests, illustrated by the 30.000 unique website visitors, and over 3.000 social media and newsletter followers (Weibo, WeChat, X, LinkedIn, Instagram). A video series and the #HugATree awareness raising campaign have been organised. Over 3.000 people watched one or more of the webinars.
CLEARING HOUSE contributed over 80 scientific articles, book chapters or books. Over 500 people attended the scientific seminars and science-policy events organised by CLEARING HOUSE in Brussels, GuangZhou, Krakow and Washington DC.
The typology of UF-NBS has the potential to become a new standard, as it integrates diverging actual typologies with different viewpoints into a holistic approach. Also the use of the typology to structure a trait-based approach towards use and perceptions of urban forests and urban trees is innovative. This approach has been integrated in the MyDynamicForest and SIAC tools developed by CLEARING HOUSE; both tools have the potential to support cities and towns in urban greenspace planning and in drafting and implementing Urban Nature Plans.
The academic review, the review of case studies, and the governance, economic and institutional analyses gave interesting insights in commonalities and differences within and between Europe and China, in terms of urban forest types, ecosystem services focused at and solutions implemented. These comparative cross-continent analyses are novel, and generate interesting new insights on UF-NBS delivery under diverging systems and institutions in both continents.
The insights from the Europe- and China-wide societal representative survey on use and perceptions towards urban forests in Europe and China, confirming the broad support base for trees and forests in and around our cities and towns. The insights provide a base to finetune the Urban Nature Plans to the needs of citizens.
The legacy of CLEARING HOUSE will be supported by the establishment of the European Forum on Urban Forestry as a legal entity (since 2023) and joint research in Europe and China.
The academic review, the review of case studies, and the governance, economic and institutional analyses gave interesting insights in commonalities and differences within and between Europe and China, in terms of urban forest types, ecosystem services focused at and solutions implemented. These comparative cross-continent analyses are novel, and generate interesting new insights on UF-NBS delivery under diverging systems and institutions in both continents.
The insights from the Europe- and China-wide societal representative survey on use and perceptions towards urban forests in Europe and China, confirming the broad support base for trees and forests in and around our cities and towns. The insights provide a base to finetune the Urban Nature Plans to the needs of citizens.
The legacy of CLEARING HOUSE will be supported by the establishment of the European Forum on Urban Forestry as a legal entity (since 2023) and joint research in Europe and China.