Evaluating the Integration of Nature-Based Solutions Concept in Strategic Urban Planning in Romania

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are innovative approaches oriented to address societal and environmental challenges. Increasing the interest to implement NbS in cities is strongly connected with their inclusion as potential measures in urban planning. The aim of our article was to assess the inclusion of NbS in Romanian urban development strategies. We used an evaluation matrix to systematically extract data from 249 urban development strategies. Using content analysis, we assessed the level of inclusion of NbS in different sections of the strategies. Only 10% of urban strategies include different aspects related to NbS concepts, while 40% of the documents are linking NbS to objectives. More than a third of the documents focused on the creation, modernization and maintenance of green areas meanwhile ecosystem services were not presented as specific benefits. This scarce presence of NbS in urban strategies warns about limited consideration of innovative approaches in urban planning, which could influence the capacity of Romanian cities to handle climate changes and to become more sustainable, resilient, and equitable.