Moving from vision to action- integrating ecosystem services in the Swedish local planning context. (September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Khoshkar, Sara; Hammer, Monica; Borgström, Sara; Dinnétz, Patrik; Balfors, Berit
• Is Part Of: Land use policy. Volume 97(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-09
• Subjects: municipal comprehensive plans -- planning practice -- trends -- spatial planning -- ecosystem services-based actions; Land use -- Periodicals; Land use -- Government policy -- Periodicals; Sol, Utilisation du -- Périodiques; Sol, Utilisation du -- Politique gouvernementale -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 333.7305
• DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104791
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-8377

Abstract

Highlights: Increase of integration of ecosystem services in Swedish municipal comprehensive plans since 2005. Increasing trend towards more advanced use of ecosystem services in municipal planning practices. Local planning initiatives to work with ecosystem services indicates a transition towards increased implementation of ecosystem services. Abstract: Policies and planning processes related to land use play an important role in maintaining and developing ecosystem services. The incorporation of ecosystem services into local plans is considered an indicator of the plan's capacity to implement strategic action. This study provides a national overview of the incorporation of the ecosystem service concept in current municipal comprehensive plans in Sweden and explores the actions taken by three municipalities in Stockholm County to implement the ecosystem service concept in practice. A multi-method design was employed including a qualitative content analysis of 231 municipal comprehensive plans, a statistical analysis analyzing temporal changes from 2005 – 2017, and dialogue meetings with municipal practitioners from the three municipalities. We divided the level of integration to four categories, A (Advanced) - D (Not included). Overall, the integration of the ecosystem service concept has significantly increased in municipal comprehensive plans during the last decade. At national level, 23% of municipalities have explicitly mentioned ecosystem services, and within Stockholm County, 42%. The dialogue meetings with municipal practitioners revealed that the municipalities were at different stages of implementing the ecosystem service concept, with diverse actions being implemented for advancing practice. These included capacity building, participatory processes and development of thematic plans and operational documents. To support the future implementation of the ecosystem service concept from vision to action, both local and national initiatives are needed.