How geodesign could enhance collaborative urban planning

In urban planning, competing interests—such as creating more space for housing while preserving biodiversity—often have to be reconciled. How this could be better achieved in the future was investigated by an international research team from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, together with partners from Germany, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands.

Based on a case study in Stockholm, the researchers show that geodesign could enrich urban planning by supporting the co-production of knowledge between different interest groups. The team published their results on October 19, 2024, in Ambio.

Stockholm district as a model region

The aim of geodesign is to develop sustainable solutions for cities and landscapes. This involves stakeholder discussions and digital tools that use geographical data. Ultimately, various scenarios for urban planning are simulated and optimized in an iterative process.

The researchers applied this approach to the Skarpnäck district in Stockholm. The region is undergoing change due to population growth. Limited land resources, climate change and the loss of biodiversity pose challenges for planners.

"Urban sustainability issues are inherently complex," says Dr. Blal Adem Esmail. He coordinated the study at Ruhr University Bochum and is currently employed at the Center for Global Mountain Safeguard Research at Eurac Research in Italy. "Urban planning can play a key role in tackling these challenges by integrating diverse data and knowledge, and facilitating collaboration across governance levels and competence areas."

Geodesign tested in workshop

For the project, the team focused on implementing nature-based solutions in Skarpnäck. Fourteen planning experts took part in a geodesign workshop. The participants represented different levels of planning from local to regional levels and were familiar with the societal challenges Stockholm is facing.

The results showed that geodesign effectively promotes collective thinking and communication, enabling participants to mediate between different perspectives and to contribute to decision-making. The study also showed that it is crucial that the geodata used is of good quality and that the modeling process is kept simple in order to obtain credible results.

"Geodesign has remained a niche within real-world planning practices," says Professor Christian Albert, who was previously at Ruhr University Bochum and is currently at Leibniz University of Hannover.

"Mainstreaming geodesign will require tools that are more user-friendly and tailored to the practical needs of planners and stakeholders, as well as comprehensive training programs. Then it can provide a path forward for cities facing complex planning challenges, particularly those involving nature-based solutions."