This open access book presents current knowledge about ecosystem
services (ES) in urban planning, and discusses various urban ES topics
such as spatial distribution of urban ecosystems, population
distribution, and physical infrastructure properties. The book addresses
all these issues by: i) investigating to what extent ecosystem services
are currently included in urban plans, and discussing what is still
needed to improve planning practice; ii) illustrating how to develop
ecosystem services indicators and information that can be used by urban
planners to enhance plan design; iii) demonstrating the application of
ES assessments to support urban planning processes through case studies;
and iv) reflecting on criteria for addressing equity in urban planning
through ecosystem service assessments, by exploring issues associated
with the supply of, the access to and demand for ES by citizens.
Through fully worked out case studies, from policy questions, to
baseline analysis and indicators, and from option comparison to proposed
solutions, the book offers readers detailed and accessible coverage of
outstanding issues and proposed solutions to better integrate ES in city
planning. The overall purpose of the book is to provide a compact
reference that can be used by researchers as a key resource offering an
updated perspective and overview on the field, as well as by
practitioners and planners/decision makers as a source of inspiration
for their activity. Additionally, the book will be a suitable resource
for both undergraduate and post-graduate courses in planning and
geography.
