Urban Nature and Urban Ecosystem Services

Abstract

Worldwide more and more people live and work in cities, where urban nature and their ecosystem services are the basis for economic development and social wellbeing. Therefore, how to ensure that cities in the present and future can provide a whole range of ecosystem services to meet urban dwellers’ needs become a front and center issue in urban resilience and sustainability on the global agenda. This article presents a literature review that explores our understanding about various natural elements in cities (including urban green and blue spaces) and their diverse ecosystem services and some disservices. While the importance of urban nature and urban ecosystem services has been increasingly recognized, the integration of ecological, social and economic understanding of urban ecosystem services into relevant policy making processes is still at an embryonic stage. Some pertinent challenges are highlighted for the theorization and governance of urban ecosystem services.