Future Natures in the Making: Implementing Biodiversity in Suburban Land-Use Planning

Abstract

This paper uses a suburban master planning process to study the consequences of the domination of scientifically defined nature in urban green governance. The analysis of knowledge practices and discursive framings shows that in this case the domination arose through “amplification of the biodiversity claim”, a largely self-organizing process between the participating actors, and produced a widely accepted understanding of a stable urban nature emphasizing present biodiversity values. As a normative response to the current situation this paper develops a concept of “future natures”, indicating the need for a more dynamic and deliberative planning idea for conserving urban biodiversity.