By Anne Kubo

In the context of urban, digital, and climate transformations, cities are developing new approaches to data and the environment, as seen in the paradigms of smart and green cities. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) have emerged in the past decade as innovative strategies to tackle economic, social, and environmental sustainability challenges, particularly within the European Union.

Drawing on theoretical insights from Bruno Latour’s Politics of Nature supplemented by a wide range of interdisciplinary literature, this thesis investigates how the European Union’s approach to NBS exemplifies a technocratic reliance on data and technology to manage ecological challenges. It argues that this data-driven method depoliticizes environmental decision-making, simplifying complex urban ecological issues into quantifiable metrics. The analysis critiques techno-solutionism for prioritizing efficiency over essential socio-political considerations and advocates for a more inclusive governance of NBS that integrates ecological, social, and cultural dimensions.

This research is particularly relevant for Amsterdam, a leading city in urban policy innovation, highlighting the need for nuanced discussions on urban nature and its collective purpose, especially in light of ongoing advancements in digital data collection and sharing.

Bron: Anne Kubo (2024), Smart City, Green City Latourian and Legal Looks at Datafying Nature-Based Solutions in the EU - BSc thesis - Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics , University of Amsterdam

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Icon image: Fons Heijnsbroek on Unsplash

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