Tools for Introducing Nature-Based Solutions Into Urban Spaces: A Preliminary Set

Abstract Tools that support the introduction of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are a subject of work around the world. The tools can be defined as developed, widely accessible resources that enable the effective implementation of NbS in cities at every stage of the implementation process, to prevent the negative impacts of climate change (e.g., databases, platforms, policy instruments). Various research initiatives have produced tool inventories that have become obsolete over the years, and some tools have become unavailable. For the Silesian researchers working in the process of creating urban planning recommendations for the GZM Metropolis in Poland (the GZM – Górnoŝląsko-Zaglębiowska Metropolis), it was important to discern which tools would support the introduction of NbS into the urban space in their metropolis. This study aimed to analyse tools from available inventories: the typologies and functions of the tools presented in them, whether these aids can be applied in the cities of the GZM, and whether the inventories contain up-to-date sources. The study covered nine inventories and over 600 tools. As a result, the preliminary set of tools was created, along with a proposal for a decision-making scheme that can be implemented in any tool inventory of this kind. This research is intended to support the selection of the most suitable aids by researchers, designers, and urban decision-makers who work in the GZM, while also identifying best practices and areas for improvement in the implementation of NbS.