Greening cities to ensure biosphere functional integrity: Insights from Rotterdam and Lagos

Abstract

The Earth Commission has proposed that 20-25% of every square kilometre of managed lands, including in cities, be reserved for nature to ensure its local functioning and human wellbeing -biosphere functional integrity boundary (BFI). This research adopted a multi-method justice-oriented approach grounded in the Earth System Justice framework to assess the challenges and opportunities of implementing this proposed biosphere functional integrity boundary in Rotterdam and Lagos. We conclude: (a) This proposed scientific boundary precedes global policy but complements the EU's voluntary urban greening guidelines. (b) Good quality green is inequitably distributed in case study countries for different reasons. (c) Combining existing large-scale planning and subsidizing small-scale greening efforts should enable Rotterdam to achieve the boundary, despite risks of gentrification, inequitable access, and poor-quality green. For Lagos, development imperatives compete with existing greening. (d) This research has enhanced Earth system justice and its 9 criteria for just boundaries. We believe that adopting a contextually relevant BFI boundary may enable equitable distribution of good quality and accessible green especially for the people who need it most.