Biodiversity is a priority for European municipalities

Biodiversity is a priority for European municipalities Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Chief Editor As urbanization spreads worldwide, the loss and fragmentation of habitats are driving the global decline in biodiversity. At the same time, urban green spaces like parks, meadows and forests have the potential to contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation at the local and regional levels. Municipalities' role as key actors in the spotlight for the first time Political initiatives such as the European Green Deal encourage cities to improve the ecological quality of their urban green spaces. "After all, such green spaces make up 40% of the land cover in European capitals on average," explains Ellen De Vrieze of Ghent University, first author of the study published in Nature Cities. Recent legal regulations, including the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, also emphasize the need to improve the ecological quality of nature within cities. However, past research has rarely focused on municipalities, which are key actors in the management and design of urban green spaces and their biodiversity. "The extent to which cities and municipalities in countries and climate zones across Europe prioritize biodiversity when planning and managing urban green spaces was thus rather unclear," says Valentin Klaus. Surveys in 18 countries To better understand the importance attributed to biodiversity in public urban green spaces, the research team surveyed the people responsible for green space planning and management in 574 municipalities across Europe. The standardized questionnaire addressed the underlying motivation, management goals and measures the municipalities are taking to promote public acceptance of wild, species-rich green spaces. The most important findings: - Eighty-five percent of municipalities surveyed stated that biodiversity is a key motivation in the planning and management of green spaces. - Eighty-two percent conduct targeted employee training sessions on biodiversity. - Seventy-five percent take measures to increase public acceptance of "wild" green spaces that promote biodiversity. - Only 19% stated that the ecological condition of urban green spaces has deteriorated within the past year. - Municipalities in countries with a higher quality-of-living index tended to place greater importance on biodiversity. Success depends on involvement of local population "The success of biodiversity-friendly urban green spaces does not solely depend on ecological expertise and engagement of city administrations but also hinges heavily on the involvement of and support by the local population," Klaus explains. He therefore views it as particularly positive that many municipalities are taking measures to increase public acceptance of management practices that foster biodiversity, since biodiverse green spaces often look somewhat wilder and more natural than a manicured lawn. More than half of the cities also stated that they directly involve the public in the planning of green spaces. "This can also serve as a starting point for bottom-up initiatives on urban biodiversity," says Klaus. "There are indications that participation offers benefits to the public and can strengthen both the social and the ecological resilience of the municipalities." The researchers hope that the results could reflect a shift in public administration toward post-materialist values in which urban administrations are increasingly able to look beyond human needs and also place value on promoting the coexistence of different species in the urban environment. Publication details Ellen De Vrieze et al., Biodiversity is a key motivation for European urban green space planning and management, Nature Cities (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s44284-026-00537-6 Journal information: Nature Cities Provided by Ruhr University Bochum