Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Bridging inner and outer transformation for the mainstreaming of nature-based solutions

Schröders, Eileen LU and Wölper, Kim LU (2024) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20241
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
Cities face multiple social-ecological challenges, which nature-based solutions (NBS) promise to address. Strategies to mainstream NBS have only achieved partial success, hence recent studies suggest that inner dimensions - mindsets and transformative capacities - must be mainstreamed simultaneously. This study investigates municipal employees' engagement with inner dimensions, its impact on sustainability, and inner dimension shifts during NBS implementation. By interviewing participants from the Clever Cities project in Malmö Municipality, no explicit engagement with inner dimensions during the project was discovered. The inner dimensions most reported were openness towards collaboration and a sense of responsibility. Yet, interviewees... (More)
Cities face multiple social-ecological challenges, which nature-based solutions (NBS) promise to address. Strategies to mainstream NBS have only achieved partial success, hence recent studies suggest that inner dimensions - mindsets and transformative capacities - must be mainstreamed simultaneously. This study investigates municipal employees' engagement with inner dimensions, its impact on sustainability, and inner dimension shifts during NBS implementation. By interviewing participants from the Clever Cities project in Malmö Municipality, no explicit engagement with inner dimensions during the project was discovered. The inner dimensions most reported were openness towards collaboration and a sense of responsibility. Yet, interviewees saw no link to outcomes. Barriers in the political sphere undermined the project, and a shift in inner dimensions was not detected. Inner dimensions at a project level are insufficient to catalyse transformations, revealing a scale mismatch between inner and outer dimensions. Longitudinal studies are needed since inner dimensions develop beyond individual projects. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Schröders, Eileen LU and Wölper, Kim LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
mainstreaming, nature-based solutions, inner-outer transformation, transformative capacities, inner dimensions, municipalities, sustainability science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2024:021
language
English
id
9154206
date added to LUP
2024-05-28 12:51:13
date last changed
2024-05-28 12:51:13
@misc{9154206,
  abstract     = {{Cities face multiple social-ecological challenges, which nature-based solutions (NBS) promise to address. Strategies to mainstream NBS have only achieved partial success, hence recent studies suggest that inner dimensions - mindsets and transformative capacities - must be mainstreamed simultaneously. This study investigates municipal employees' engagement with inner dimensions, its impact on sustainability, and inner dimension shifts during NBS implementation. By interviewing participants from the Clever Cities project in Malmö Municipality, no explicit engagement with inner dimensions during the project was discovered. The inner dimensions most reported were openness towards collaboration and a sense of responsibility. Yet, interviewees saw no link to outcomes. Barriers in the political sphere undermined the project, and a shift in inner dimensions was not detected. Inner dimensions at a project level are insufficient to catalyse transformations, revealing a scale mismatch between inner and outer dimensions. Longitudinal studies are needed since inner dimensions develop beyond individual projects.}},
  author       = {{Schröders, Eileen and Wölper, Kim}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Bridging inner and outer transformation for the mainstreaming of nature-based solutions}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}