Author/Contact:
University of Trento; Aalborg University; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; University of Lisbon – Instituto Superior Técnico
Resource description:
This deliverable explores how to mainstream biodiversity values into an Ecosystem Services (ES) framework, and support spatial planning solutions that can contribute to transformative change. We developed a spatial planning conceptual framework and tested it on 28 spatial plans from seven European countries to assess their transformative potential for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Spatial planning conceptual framework:
The conceptual framework defines five characteristics holding transformative potential—(i) restructuring, (ii) multiscale, (iii) path-shifting, (iv) innovation, and (v) phasing out—and attributes them to the four main common components of spatial plans - which are (i) visions, (ii) strategies, (ii) information baseline, and (iv) actions, instruments and regulations. The framework then describes how those five characteristics can unfold in spatial plans, specifically regarding four analytical elements relevant to pursuing transformation for, beyond, and of biodiversity, including (i) the governance of spatial planning systems, (ii) the mitigation hierarchy, (iii) spatial planning provisions for different sectors, and (iv) biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Context of Cases:
The study applies this framework through a content analysis of 25 spatial plans and 3 national legal frameworks from seven European countries—Italy, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland. These countries were selected based on their strong biodiversity performance across three key biodiversity indicators.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
The content analysis extracts a comprehensive catalogue of best practices from different spatial planning contexts with transformative potential in one of five characteristics. Overall, it reveals varying transformative potentials across spatial plans’ components, highlighting visions and strategies as more effective to drive transformation.
Our findings also underscore the need to strengthen the role of the mitigation hierarchy as well as the importance of a deeper involvement of different sectors, such as mobility, energy and water, in delivering positive outcomes for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service enhancement.
The study observes that plans predominantly feature elements with relatively lower transformative potential, leveraging restructuring and multiscale potentials compared to more disruptive elements with path-shifting, innovative, or phasing-out potentials. Nonetheless, synergies emerged between them, such as the use of path-shifting strategies (e.g., sustainable resource management) supported by restructuring actions (e.g., land-use reclassification) and innovative data (e.g., high-resolution ecosystem service maps).
The analysis identifies practices with transformative potential in the form of restructuring, multiscale, path-shifting, innovation, and phasing out, while noting areas for improvement. A key opportunity lies in fostering multiscale changes that promote collaboration among public and private actors, as well as civil society. However, stronger efforts are needed to enhance the mitigation hierarchy for biodiversity conservation. The study presented in this deliverable suggests that innovative practices, which hold the greatest transformative potential, are less common, while lower impact restructuring actions are more prevalent. Synergies between transformative elements are also evident, such as the use of path-shifting strategies supported by innovative information.