Mapping Cultural Ecosystem Services (CESs) and key urban landscape features: a pilot study for land use policy and planning review

Abstract

Cultural ecosystem services (CESs), despite providing multiple non-material benefits associated with human well-being, have been overlooked in urban planning. Using as a pilot study the municipality of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, we map and evaluate the inclusion of CESs into land use policy to better inform urban planning. We tested a framework for: (1) assessing the preferences of local inhabitants for CESs and landscape features; (2) evaluating land use policies; and (3) mapping CES hotspots in the city. We found sense of place and recreation to be the main CESs associated with parks, squares and cultural centres. No land use policy explicitly mentioned CESs, while the zoning plans do not reflect bundles of spatial non-material values and landscape features. This pilot study can play a vital role in developing more comprehensive insights to bridge urban planning and landscape preferences to help guiding land use policy review towards sustainable urbanisation.