Leveraging nature for just cities: Planning nature-based solutions in Greece

Abstract

An unequal distribution of green areas across cities coupled with the vulnerability towards climate change and global warming is causing segregation between residents who profit from nature-based solutions’(NbS) health and wellbeing benefits and those who do not. Residential segregation in urban settings goes far beyond income and socio-economic factors and is also evident in questions of environmental justice, participation and power – including how and where NbS are implemented. Delving into Greek cities, this paper raises the question of whether and how engagement with urban NbS differs within cities and among their residents. By applying a survey with an integrated discrete choice experiment (N = 1002) we were able to analyze the relevance of the type of green area, the effectiveness in temperature and microdust reduction, biodiversity enhancement, time and financial payments and the importance of participatory planning processes. The latent class analysis showed that urban segregation is recognizable within the sample. By investigating the differences in ability and willingness to support urban NbS, this paper recommends how green infrastructure can be implemented in a manner which enforces a more just distribution for those who need it most.