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In cities, a mosaic of different types of urban agriculture can be found. However, knowledge about advantages and disadvantages of the different types is still fragmented. This paper introduces an integrative evaluation framework for assessing the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of urban agriculture by applying a multi-criteria analysis based on an Analytic Hierarchy Process and a participatory approach. Based on a German case study and on the examples of vertical farming and community-supported agriculture, the results suggest that sustainable urban agriculture is a multi-dimensional approach informed by strong sustainability that places nature in the focus. Thus, the environmental dimension received the highest weight, followed by the social and, lastly, the economic dimension. Regarding the sub-criteria, species diversity achieved the highest total weight and food quality and safety the lowest. Conceptually, this paper provides scientific fundamentals for a systematic comparative evaluation of different types of agriculture for sustainable urban development.

Abstract The future coexistence of human and nonhuman nature on an urban planet is at risk. A crucial lever is the transformation of human-nature relationships in and through cities. Urban planning as a sustainability intervention has the potential to reconnect cities with nature. To shed light on transformative potentials of urban planning in the context of human-nature connections, we conducted a systematic literature review. We analysed 71 empirical studies from Europe published between 2016 and 2022. We characterised the research using qualitative analysis, and applied the leverage point perspective as the main focus to identify blind spots and future research needs. Our review reveals a highly interdisciplinary field with research focus on transformation through planning, while issues of transformation in planning tend to receive less attention. Furthermore, the studies rather deal with shallow leverage points for sustainability transformations both in terms of system levels and human-nature connections. In order to unlock the potential of urban planning, future research should pay more attention to the inner dimensions of planning and human-nature connections in cities. Furthermore, research should be more concerned with the visionary modes of urban planning, e.g. by discussing what is (not) desirable in the future.

Abstract Urban green spaces (UGS) provide mechanisms through which people connect and interact with each other, strengthening social relationships as well as human‐nature connections, both of high relevance for sustainable development. However, what determines urban residents' engagement in activities for the protection of UGS still lacks a systematic understanding. Our study aims to address this gap by enriching the value‐belief‐norm (VBN) theory with relational values based on a questionnaire (N = 221) among residents engaging in UGS maintenance in the city of Munich (Germany). Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling showed that both individual responsibility and societal responsibility guide urban residents in their actions towards UGS protection. Furthermore, we found a direct impact of biospheric, altruistic and hedonic values on engagement for the protection of UGS. Therefore, this study signals the importance of investing in actively promoting pluralistic values among urban residents as cities today urgently need a reconnection of the human‐nature relationship and UGS stewardship actions. As we further confirm that relational values have impact on the constructs of the VBN theory, we conclude with a plea for recognizing the potential of relational values as enablers of change towards more responsible behaviours towards urban nature. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

ABSTRACTDespite increasing efforts by research and policy to approach sustainability, human impact on nonhuman nature is intensifying the current social-ecological crisis. To foster sustainability transformation, there is a need to re-think qualities of human-nature connections which calls for relational discourses that provide alternatives to the predominance of mindsets postulating a human-nature divide. Against this backdrop, this conceptual paper introduces ‘human-nature resonance’ as a relational account that provides system, target, and transformation knowledge for sustainability transformation. The paper argues that the social-ecological crisis has one of its root causes in mute human-nature relations. On this basis, it is illustrated how the social-ecological crisis is only slightly affecting the behaviours of Western societies, which are subsequently failing to establish responsive human-nature relations. Considering that mute relations are fostered by making the world constantly available, the non-affective human-nature relation can be traced back to a lack of material and moral boundaries of nonhuman nature perceived as a lifeless object of infinite availability. For strengthening human-nature resonance, the paper calls for the vision of human-nature partnership neglecting hierarchical human-nature relations. To strengthen the human-nature partnership, nature will speak with an own voice by assigning her legal personhood, agency, and soulfulness. Furthermore, human self-efficacy needs to be strengthened to listen to nature by nourishing internal relational capacities such as compassion and self-worth. Future work on human-nature resonance can integrate basic and applied inter- and transdisciplinary research which links natural and social sciences, Western and Indigenous ontologies, and the scientific world of logos and transcendental wisdom.

Urban green spaces (UGS) are crucial providers of cultural ecosystem services such as recreation. So that urban residents can benefit from UGS recreation, there is a need for good access to these, in particular for elderlies with reduced mobility. Recent research on accessibility has often neglected to consider real distances to green spaces and emerging barriers as well as the demand by specific user groups for UGS accessibility. In the light of demographic aging and ongoing urbanization, this study investigates in an explorative case study the potential and actual access to UGS for elderlies living in care facilities in Salzburg (Austria). By connecting a GIS network-analysis with a survey among elderlies of four care facilities, the results give insights into the supply and demand concerning UGS accessibility. The supply analysis showed that the majority of UGS are situated between 500 and 1,000 m. Due to barriers identified by the elderlies hindering the pathways to the UGS, time losses occur and the security of the old-aged is under risk. The demand side showed that despite the supply of UGS within 1,000 m, elderlies mostly visit UGS outside the service area. More research is needed to include elderlies' supply and demand regarding UGS qualities when analyzing UGS accessibility by considering greater sample sizes.

As part of the planned expansion work of the motorway A8 between Rosenheim and Salzburg and the associated legal opportunity to develop new traffic noise protection measures, this study investigated properties of sustainable noise abatement in a community next to the A8. A two-stage empirical survey was conducted integrating a citizen and an expert Delphi survey. The results show that the noise from the motorway heavily affects the quality of life in health, economic and ecological respects. Sustainable noise abatement should take into consideration ecological and social aspects like landscape integration and contribution to local development due to the unique location of the municipality. Enclosed motorway canopies are particularly beneficial to meet these criteria. The costs for sustainable noise abatement measures should be weighted as less important; however, financial costs are crucial for the federal government due to the requirements of the Federal Pollution Control Act. Hence, residents and experts assume that noise barriers as the cheaper noise abatement measures will be implemented. However, the results of the study and the latest developments in the expansion plans suggest that the implementation of enclosed motorway canopies, which go beyond the legal requirements, is feasible through extensive citizen participation and community-specific planning.

Nature-based solutions promoting green and blue urban areas have significant potential to decrease the vulnerability and enhance the resilience of cities in light of climatic change. They can thereby help to mitigate climate change-induced impacts and serve as proactive adaptation options for municipalities. We explore the various contexts in which nature-based solutions are relevant for climate mitigation and adaptation in urban areas, identify indicators for assessing the effectiveness of nature-based solutions and related knowledge gaps. In addition, we explore existing barriers and potential opportunities for increasing the scale and effectiveness of nature-based solution implementation. The results were derived from an inter- and transdisciplinary workshop with experts from research, municipalities, policy, and society. As an outcome of the workshop discussions and building on existing evidence, we highlight three main needs for future science and policy agendas when dealing with nature-based solutions: (i) produce stronger evidence on nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation and raise awareness by increasing implementation; (ii) adapt for governance challenges in implementing nature-based solutions by using reflexive approaches, which implies bringing together new networks of society, nature-based solution ambassadors, and practitioners; (iii) consider socio-environmental justice and social cohesion when implementing nature-based solutions by using integrated governance approaches that take into account an integrative and transdisciplinary participation of diverse actors. Taking these needs into account, nature-based solutions can serve as climate mitigation and adaptation tools that produce additional cobenefits for societal well-being, thereby serving as strong investment options for sustainable urban planning.