Collaborative governance arrangements: what makes nature-based solutions endure?

Figures & data

Figure 1. Localisation of the City of Turin.

Source: Personal elaboration on OpenStreetMap.

Geographical map of the Italian peninsula with highlighted the location of Turin within the Piedmont Region.

Figure 2. Timeline of the regeneration projects and initiatives in Mirafiori Sud.

Source: Personal elaboration.

Big horizontal arrow representing the timeline of regeneration initiatives in Turin – Mirafiori Sud.

Table 1. Types of NbSs implemented in Mirafiori Sud living lab.

Code of NbS	Type of NbS	Content of NbS approach	Main stakeholders/Other actors involved	Prevailing governance arrangement
NBS 2	New green area on new regenerated soil	A regenerated soil obtained by mixing deep excavation material from urban construction sites, compost, zeolite and a biotic compound to stimulate the growth of mycorrhizae.	Municipality of Turin, University of Turin, DUAL company, ACEA Pinerolese company, CCS Aosta company, Metropolitan City of Turin	Public-led
NBS 3	Urban horticulture	In-ground and in-box vegetable gardens spread throughout the neighbourhood.	Orti Generali NGO, Fondazione Comunità Mirafiori NGO, Primary and secondary schools, residents, urban gardeners, Mirafiori Sud neighbourhood committee, Municipality of Turin, University of Turin	Private-led
NBS 4	Aquaponics	Fish farming combined with vegetable production by engaging local communities.	Municipality of Turin, Mitte Garten, Fondazione Comunità Mirafiori NGO, University of Turin	Private-led
NBS 5	Green roofs and green walls	A green roof used to cover a disused public building with a flowering meadow populated by honey bees maintained by local beekeepers. The area also includes a garden for pollinators. In addition, green walls are being experimented in a night shelter.	Municipality of Turin, Orti Alti NGO, Verde Profilo company, Polytechnic of Turin, University of Turin, University of Bari, Stranaidea NGO, Fondazione Comunità Mirafiori NGO, Regional Agency for environmental protection, primary schools.	Administrative/expert-led
NBS 6	Accessible green corridors	Corridors designed to settle a good habitat for pollinator insects and make walking more pleasant for the inhabitants, connecting Mirafiori Sud to the Sangone stream area.	Municipality of Turin, University of Turin, Fondazione Comunità Mirafiori NGO, Associazione Miravolante, Public Housing Agency, Casa Farinelli, AIAPP, ASL Città di Torino, I Passi Social Cooperative	Community-led
NBS 8	Pollinator biodiversity	Experiments involving (disadvantaged) citizens in creating, monitoring and promoting awareness of pollinator-friendly spaces.	University of Turin, ASL Città di Torino, Il Margine Cooperativa, L’Aquilone cooperative, La Rondine cooperative	Research-led

Table 2. Governance arrangements, maintenance challenges, risks and benefits, and conditions of maintenance of NbSs implemented in Mirafiori Sud living lab.

Prevailing governance arrangements (NbS Code)	Maintenance challenges	Expected risks and benefits	Conditions of maintenance
Public-led (institutional leadership and uptake in plans and procedures)  + Research-led (monitoring the New Soil experiment through time) NBS 2 – New Soil	Finding adequate implementation sites and ensuring soil quality. Maintaining and further diffusing this experiment.	Guaranteeing flexibility and adaptability in administrative procedures and planning tools so as to foster this NbS and produce wider benefits	Legitimisation Institutional leadership and administrative commitment
Private-led (developing a social enterprise as a means to maintain and further develop urban horticulture) NBS 3 – Orti Generali	Shaping an adapted organisational/economic model (e.g., social enterprise). Guaranteeing financial resources over time.	Building a self-sustaining organisational model while fostering collaborations with other actors (e.g., citizens, public institutions, research)	Networking capacities Resource integration
Private-led (favouring an entrepreneurially-oriented model of food production) NBS 4 – Aquaponics	Building an entrepreneurially-led initiative that survives through time. Ensuring access to land/infrastructures and financial resources.	Building a self-sustaining organisational model that produces wider benefits in a given context
Public-led (public administrations as facilitators) + Community-led (co-involvement in care and maintenance) NBS 5 – Green Roofs and Green Walls	Embedding these initiatives into administrative and planning procedures. Ensuring the co-involvement of NGOs and grass-root actors in maintenance.	Need for simplification in administrative procedures allowing for the implementation and maintenance of these solutions
Community-led (grass-root driven maintenance and stewardship of the ‘commons’) NBS 6 – Green Corridor	Favouring the active co-involvement of citizens and grassroots actors since the early stages .	Ensuring a sense of stewardship and care that lasts through time	Expertise Co-responsibility
Research-led (biodiversity monitoring) +Community-led (Citizens Science) NBS 7 – Pollinators and Biodiversity	Connecting with citizens, grass-roots and other actors for maintenance and monitoring. Guaranteeing the continuation of funds for research and monitoring activities.	Maintaining and further diffusing this experiment so as to propagate collaborative arrangements and consequent benefits	Knowledge transfer Empowerment