THE APPLICATION OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES CONCEPTS IN CANADIAN URBAN PLANNING

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative research was to understand if and how the actors with roles in urban planning in three Canadian cities applied ecosystem services (ES) and related concepts (for example, green infrastructure, natural assets) in their work. ES are the benefits that nature provides for human well-being. Sustainability science researchers advocate for ES science to be applied in urban planning to address the problems that urban areas pose for ecosystems globally. Planners are interested in increasing the quantity and quality of ES in urban areas and learning how to apply ES science to address contemporary environmental challenges. However, the uptake of ES in planning is minimal, and there is little clear guidance on how ES approaches can improve decision-making. Research participants were working in planning in Halifax, Calgary, and Vancouver and were interviewed about their experiences in applying ES ideas and approaches. Data was analysed using inductive and deductive techniques. The research comprised three linked studies. First, knowledge utilization theory was applied to understand ES use, finding that planners used ES ideas, rhetoric, and tools to argue for ecosystem protection in the face of climate change and urbanization. Second, theory from policy science guided an analysis for the criteria of the practical fit of ES concepts in municipal policy. Local relevance and adaptability were core criteria for practical fit; policy entrepreneurs (PEs) played a role in meeting these criteria. Third, the tactics of PEs in promoting ES and changing urban policy were explored; for example, PEs were found to be framing problems with ES to connect with politicians’ concerns. Research sampling was limited by the modest uptake of ES in Canada and difficulty accessing participants during the pandemic; there was assumed participant bias toward the use of ES due to positive deviance sampling. Recommendations for research include further ethnographic study of municipal planning practice, assessment of whether ES is improving urban environmental policy, and research on PEs in planning. Recommendations for practice and education include encouraging PE qualities in planning staff, the broadening of use of the ES concept, and increasing ecological planning education for planners.