As climate change intensifies, urban green spaces (UGS) are increasingly recognized as critical nature-based solutions (NBS) that enhance biodiversity, public health, and climate resilience. This PhD research project investigates how NBS can strengthen the socio-ecological resilience of UGS by integrating perspectives of residents, governance actors, and value-based frameworks. Through a comparative analysis of Korea and Germany, the thesis explores (1) how residents perceive and interact with cultural ecosystem services (CES), (2) how governance structures and sectoral dynamics affect UGS planning and management, and (3) how plural values of nature influence decision making and legitimacy in urban environmental governance. Collectively, these studies contribute to advancing inclusive, adaptive, and value-sensitive approaches to urban sustainability and the co-design of future green spaces.

The cumulative thesis is based on three interconnected studies:

1. Residents’ perceptions of cultural ecosystem services from urban green spaces: A comparative study of Korea and Germany

(published in Basic and Applied Ecology; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2025.08.002)

Using the map-based survey tool PPGIS (Public Participation Geographic Information System), this study investigates how residents in Suwon and Karlsruhe access, utilize, and evaluate cultural ecosystem services (CES). It analyzes the spatial distribution of CES and examines how socio-demographic factors influence residents’ perceptions and interactions with urban green spaces.

2. Governance of urban green spaces as nature-based solutions in Korea and Germany

In this study, expert interviews are analyzed to examine how governance arrangements and sectoral perspectives affect the planning and management of urban green spaces (UGS) in Korea and Germany. It identifies key barriers and enablers, institutional settings, and opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration, comparing centralized and decentralized governance models and their implications for UGS implementation. The focus is on the following questions:

• What are the main policies and stakeholders involved in UGS governance?
• What factors support or hinder effective UGS governance?
• How do expert perspectives differ across sectors in identifying governance barriers and enablers?
• How do sectoral similarities and differences shape expert perspectives on governance barriers and enablers in UGS implementation?

3. Plural values in urban green space governance: A comparative analysis of Korea and Germany using the Nature Futures Framework

This study applies the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) to explore how plural values expressed in governance narratives influence decision making in urban green space (UGS) planning in Korea and Germany. It examines how governance actors articulate diverse values of nature, how cultural worldviews influence governance preferences, and how value pluralism affects the legitimacy of decisions. The study contributes empirical insights to the global discourse on value-based approaches in urban environmental governance.

Objectives:

1. Assess how residents perceive and interact with UGS by analyzing CES, spatial patterns of use, and socio-demographic influences in Suwon and Karlsruhe.
2. Examine governance structures and sectoral dynamics that affect the planning and management of UGS as NBS in Korea and Germany, identifying institutional barriers, enablers, and opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration.
3. Explore how plural values and cultural worldviews influence UGS governance, using the NFF to understand value-based decision making and contribute to the global discourse on equity and legitimacy in the governance of nature.

Tel.: +49 721 608-22665
E-Mail