Co-production of urban forests as nature-based solutions: Motivations and lessons-learnt from public officials

Abstract

The governance of urban forests as nature-based solutions (UF-NBS) in cities presents numerous challenges for public officials as different socio-cultural, environmental, political, and economic priorities must be bridged. In this context, co-production emerges as a collaborative approach that brings together stakeholders from various sectors to generate new knowledge and address challenges at the intersection of policy, practice, and research. This study aims to investigate the experiences and perspectives of public officials involved in the design, implementation, and governance of co-production for UF-NBS. Based on 22 semi-structured interviews conducted in seven European cities, we show that public officials generally have a positive perception of applying co-production in the context of UF-NBS and express willingness to adopt the approach in the future. Meanwhile, the findings also point to important lessons such as professional facilitation, early participation, participation in networks, institutionalised planning, and the use of platforms for knowledge exchange for successfully exercising UF-NBS co-production.