Planning and managing urban green infrastructure for human health: perspectives on collaboration and implementation from four Nordic cities

Abstract While there is substantial research connecting urban green infrastructure (UGI) with human health and well-being (HH&W), less is known about how responsible actors address this relationship in practice. Based on interviews in four Nordic cities, this study examines UGI planning, UGI management, and public health practitioners’ perceptions of their work, as well as perceived barriers and support for working with the UGI-HH&W nexus. The study revealed that HH&W was not addressed in-depth by either UGI planners or managers, but was instead seen as one of many general arguments for safeguarding UGI from urban development. Public health strategists conversely had a broader view of health and presented examples of a strategic approach to cross-sectorial collaboration. Planners and managers face similar challenges, but there is a more positive view among planners and health strategists on strategic development within the organisation. In contrast, managers are primarily and more deeply concerned about general challenges to UGI development. The results further present a range of coordination efforts, including both formal cross-sectorial groups and experimental approaches. However, there is a policy implementation mismatch in strategic UGI development, accompanied by a lack of long-term perspectives. These two challenges can be understood together, where a more strategic understanding of long-term UGI management would provide an opportunity to increase sustainability in current planning and investment practices. A more aligned approach offers a path for future development in planning and management of UGI for human health and well-being.