Municipal Narratives on Integration and Application of Green Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions : A study of five municipalities in Stockholm County

Sammanfattning: Green terms to bring the greenery back to cities have frequently begun to be coined as a result of rapid urbanization. To emphasize the benefits of urban greenery, terms such as nature-based solutions (NbS) and green infrastructure (GI) have been raised in planning circles. This study aims to present municipal stories about how municipalities understand, integrate and apply NbS and GI in their planning documents and practices, and what challenges they face along the different levels of the Swedish planning system, which limit their application. The study is based on individual focus group discussions with five municipalities: Haninge, Nynäshamn, Sollentuna, Solna and Värmdö. The discussions are based on the same questionnaire, where GI and NbS application, understanding and integration from Swedish spatial planning are discussed. The study shows that knowledge and application of GI and NbS varies between the municipalities. The municipalities are also in unison that they need support and further guidance to increase application and understanding, as the Swedish planning system currently does not provide this. The municipalities that contributed to the study also talk about their different conditions for a wider application of green terms and working methods, as these are governed by economics and politics. For further research on municipal application, conversations with politicians can be initiated for their point of view on how greening concepts are received by them in the municipalities, as well as conversations with organizations and authorities that distribute information, municipal legislation and guidance.