Promoting Blue-Green Infrastructure in Urban Spaces Through Citizen Science Initiatives

Abstract

The compounded effects of urbanization and climate change are taking a serious toll on rapidly growing urban spaces around the world. Blue-green infrastructure offers a host of opportunities and benefits for addressing the multiple challenges of environment, social well-being and climate change. Cities can mobilize key actors for crosscutting and inclusive action, bringing diverse stakeholders such as national governments, private sector, civil society and common citizens together. This chapter discusses the role of citizen science which is now seen as a tool for educating citizens on scientific research, engaging them where possible and considering views and expectations of different stakeholders. Citizen science can play a role at different stages of development of urban spaces, and they include (i) project demand, (ii) project design, (iii) project implementation and delivery and (iv) project monitoring and maintenance. For facilitating and promoting enhanced participation of citizens through the entire project cycle of blue-green infrastructure, appropriate policy instruments, ranging from legal to market-based to communication to organizational, are needed.