Work

Linking species distributions and urban governance through social ecological fit in blue green infrastructure

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) integrates natural elements into urban areas, supporting biodiversity and delivering multiple co-benefits. Its successful implementation, however, requires data-driven ecological planning and coordinated governance, jointly conceived of as social-ecological fit. We assess social-ecological fit using a spatial network framework that combines habitat suitability and connectivity models applied to declining amphibians, with BGI and social network analysis based on multi-sector actor surveys, in Zürich City, a mid-sized European city. Using social-ecological networks (SENs), we identify areas of fit and misfit between BGI and actors. Results show that collaboration among actors is influenced by social-ecological fit, particularly in BGI overlapping with amphibian biodiversity hotspots. However, fit remains limited and uneven: high-value natural and artificial connector habitats, such as natural springs and cemeteries, are often overlooked. The environmental sector serves as a network bridge, while others remain peripheral despite their environmental influence. Our findings highlight the need for cross-sectoral collaboration to enhance biodiversity in cities.

Source: npj Urban Sustainability

DOI: 10.1038/s42949-026-00426-w

Authors: Giulia Francesca Azzurra Donati, Jahmaira Archbold, Francine van den Brandeler, Manuel Fischer, Jessica Casanova, Janine Bolliger

Institutions: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Georgetown University, University of Bern

Language: English

Topic: Land Use and Ecosystem Services

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,490