Alexander van der Jagt
Postdoctoral Researcher, Utrecht University (The Netherlands)
Abstract: Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) deliver a range of benefits that contribute to addressing social, economic and environmental challenges to urban societies. To make the most of the potential offered by these approaches, i.e. contributing to urban resilience by addressing multiple challenges simultaneously, a reflexive governance approach is required that integrates top-down government planning practices with the knowledges of citizen and other non-governmental actors. In this talk I will draw upon research carried out within the EU GREEN SURGE and NATURVATION projects on UGI planning concepts and the mosaic governance approach conducive to integrated UGI development. I will also share insights from an ongoing dialogue of NBS and innovation sciences which explores pathways to improving the societal uptake of UGI and NBS. Finally, I will present emergent questions around the normative nature of current UGI and NBS frameworks, which calls for a more provocative discussion on questions of power around upscaling of NBS.
Alexander (Sander) van der Jagt is a postdoctoral researcher based at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development (Utrecht University) in The Netherlands. His research focuses on the governance of urban green infrastructure and nature-based solutions. He previously worked as a social scientist at both Forest Research (Edinburgh, UK) and Wageningen University (NL), and holds a PhD in Psychology (University of Aberdeen & The James Hutton Institute) and an MSc (Distinction) in Social and Organizational Psychology (Leiden University).