Ecosystem services in urban stormwater ponds: Players, perceptions and priorities for advancing planning and management

Abstract Stormwater management ponds (SWMPs) are one of the most widely used structures for stormwater management worldwide. However, a comprehensive understanding of the ecosystem services provided by SWMPs is lacking. We compile information derived from a co‐production workshop built with students, academics, managers, consultants/developers and the community, totalling 40 participants involved with SWMPs in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in Ontario, Canada. During the workshop, participants identified and prioritized ecosystem services (by voting) providing information for advancing planning and management of SWMPs. Participants mainly recommended prioritizing services related to education (20% of votes) and habitat provisioning (18% of votes), in addition to regulation of water quality (10% of votes). Proposed actions to advance ecosystem services provisioning in SWMP included partnerships to build educational programs, define habitat goals and assess effectiveness of water quality regulation, with attention to the financial and regulatory constraints to be addressed. Our findings highlight the need to reconcile multiple voices, values and priorities towards clear and diverse ecosystem service targets that guide planning and management. Practical implication: our workshop provides a place‐based framework for planning and management of ecosystem services in SWMPS that can be applied to cities elsewhere.