Assessing connectivities in green infrastructure ecosystem services with science-policy dialogues
Abstract
Green infrastructure (GI) is often presented as a solution to a myriad of urban environmental challenges, yet there are considerable gaps in understanding of how GI functions in place and how GI is adopted. Here, I present an interdisciplinary project that investigates the natural science, policy, and decision-making dimensions of GI in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The project uses ecosystem services as a nexus to understand what is possible and what is practical with respect to GI implementation. In this presentation I discuss a recent science-policy dialogue with stakeholders from city, county, management, non-profit, design, engineering, and neighborhood association sectors that had the goal of developing an understanding of how managers and stakeholders value GI ecosystem services and place these services in broader factors affecting GI adoption. We used a conceptual mapping exercise to see how different sectors viewed the factors that could increase the amount of harvested water through GI, and what the outcomes (with respect to ecosystem services) of this water might be. Stakeholder conceptual maps differed in the degree of connections and factors and differences emerge between groups that reflect the types of processes and factors viewed as critical for supporting GI adoption. These conceptual frameworks can shed light on the conflicting goals and points of synergy in the decision making process. Conceptual model results will inform scenario development for future hydrologic modeling activities in this project. We find that GI can serve as a nexus and a socio-ecohydrologic hotspot that enables connectivities in urban ecosystems. It serves to foster ecological processes and to bring together multiple practices in order to improve urban environments through the provision of ecosystem services.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.H13I1789P
- Keywords:
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- 0412 Biogeochemical kinetics and reaction modeling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES;
- 0414 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES;
- 1871 Surface water quality;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1880 Water management;
- HYDROLOGY