Kats, Mirjam (2021) Supporting Green Citizen Initiatives: A case study on actor roles for stimulation and facilitation of citizen initiatives for urban greenspace in Groningen. Master thesis.
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Supporting Green Citizen Initiatives - Thesis Mirjam Kats s2961016.pdf Download (4MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Dutch cities are coping with low biodiversity rates, a widening gap between people and nature, and the negative effects of climate change. Urban greenspace has many environmental and social benefits, which are essential for creating livable cities. Green citizen initiatives - groups of citizens that take action to realize and/or preserve urban greenspace - are an increasingly important actor in urban greenspace management. This case study research assesses how green citizen initiatives in the city of Groningen are supported by three types of “professional actors”: the local government, nonprofit organizations, and local companies. Also, the research formulates suggestions for how this support could be improved. The framework of 11 support roles to stimulate and facilitate citizen initiatives of Oude Vrielink & Van de Wijdeven (2007) was used to analyze in which ways green citizen initiatives in Groningen are supported. Three research methods were used to find an answer to this question. First, Social Network Analysis was used to create a map that visualizes the network of interactions between the large number of actors that are involved with urban greenspace in Groningen. Second, Municipality policy document analysis was used to gain insight into how the local government aims to support green citizen initiatives, and which requirements and procedures are associated with initiating a green citizen initiative. Finally, in-depth interviews were held with members of green citizen initiatives and employees of the local government, nonprofit organizations, and local companies that support green citizen initiatives, to gain more in-depth insight into how the support for initiatives takes shape in practice, and which aspects could be improved. The results show that the Municipality of Groningen and nonprofit organizations are the main actors that support green citizen initiatives. The Municipality mainly focuses on instrumental facilitation of initiatives through financing. Nonprofit organizations are focused on the stimulation of new initiatives through marketing and communication. Finally, local companies play a small role as well by providing information for initiatives. On the whole, mainly support initiatives with an instrumental approach, often linked to procedural frameworks and requirements. However, the initiatives would benefit from an improved balance between instrumental support approaches and more flexible and personal support approaches. By focusing more on the personal empowerment of initiators and being more flexible in giving support by valuating both direct and indirect benefits, professional actors can become more citizen-oriented and improve the support for green citizen initiatives.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Degree programme: | Environmental & Infrastructure Planning |
| Supervisor: | Lamker, C.W. and Rauws, W.S. |
| Date Deposited: | 03 Feb 2021 12:41 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Feb 2021 12:41 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3420 |
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