Abstract
This thesis suggests, by applying a ‘place’ perspective, that involving users in operational management of green spaces holds potentials for enhancing ‘place attachment’ of urban inhabitants. As this can also build their commitment to decision making on their local living environment, green space maintenance becomes a potentially important setting for governance processes. Through a number of qualitative case studies, based on semi-structured interviews with municipal and community actors in Denmark and England, this dissertation explores the status and potentials of applying a place-based governance approach to green space maintenance. To guide the exploration a theoretical framework was developed inductively, structured around concepts of environmental governance in combination with strategic approaches to green space management. The framework is operationalised by analyses of the governance dimensions ‘actors’, ‘resources’ and ‘rules’. Moreover, the impacts of place-based governance processes on green space quality are examined via a review of previous scientific articles.
The thesis concludes that place-based governance offers potential for bringing users and managers closer together, through mutual understanding and knowledge exchange. These processes could lead to more ‘place attachment’ of users and thereby higher environmental awareness and less vandalism. However, for this to happen mutual commitment should be in place and place-based governance processes should be seen as an aspect of municipal governance to ensure that all relevant actors (and their resources) are included. This requires political and strategic prioritisation and changes in ‘rules’ about onsite maintenance being a municipal matter. It also requires continuing evolution of the roles of green space managers.
The thesis concludes that place-based governance offers potential for bringing users and managers closer together, through mutual understanding and knowledge exchange. These processes could lead to more ‘place attachment’ of users and thereby higher environmental awareness and less vandalism. However, for this to happen mutual commitment should be in place and place-based governance processes should be seen as an aspect of municipal governance to ensure that all relevant actors (and their resources) are included. This requires political and strategic prioritisation and changes in ‘rules’ about onsite maintenance being a municipal matter. It also requires continuing evolution of the roles of green space managers.
| Original language | English |
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| Publisher | Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen |
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| Number of pages | 215 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
