Presentation short abstract

This study aims to explore how bio-inspired Nature-based Solutions integrated with renewable energy technologies can contribute to ecological and social justice in urban settings. It employs a Q-methodology to investigate diverse individuals’ perspectives on the human-nature relationship.

Presentation long abstract

While cities have driven economic growth and well-being, they have also deepened socio-economic inequalities and contributed to biodiversity loss through the expansion of the built environment. Moreover, meeting the growing energy needs of urban populations places additional pressure on ecosystems. For many years biodiversity conservation received limited attention in urban planning and policy. This began to shift in 2024, when the European Union introduced the Nature Restoration Law (NRL), which also suggests that restoration of biodiversity should be considered renewable energy strategies. To accomplish this goal, the NRL promotes Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as key instruments. However, while their positive contribution from an environmental perspective has never been questioned, there has been criticism regarding the anthropocentric lens used in their application. This study adopts an ecological justice lens to examine the role that NbS planning can play in restoring and improving biodiversity in urban areas. It also explores, through the dimension of recognitional justice, whether NbS can address the needs and rights of both more-than-human nature and socio-economic vulnerable groups. To this end, this study employs Q-methodology, a mixed method approach that allows to investigate diverse individuals’ perspectives on human-nature relationship. The NbS case study focuses on community gardens integrated with PV systems, enabling the simultaneous restoration of biodiversity, food cultivation, and renewable energy production. The aim is to exploring how such multifunctional NbS can contribute to both ecological and social justice in urban settings.