ABSTRACT
Governance for urban sustainability has become an increasingly important issue in European policies. The issue of governance is important not only on the European level, but also across levels, whether local, regional or national. In this multi-level context, cities are no longer merely the targets of policies emanating from higher levels, but themselves aspire to develop and implement them, thereby becoming drivers of innovation, research and development towards liveable, inclusive, culturally vibrant and sustainable centres. Undertaking EU Horizon 2020 projects has highlighted a number of challenges both in terms of delivering results and in considering the broader issues around and actors involved in knowledge exchange for delivering urban sustainability. What are the characteristics of municipal governance processes in different European cities? Do these municipalities include stakeholders in processes and, if so, how do the stakeholders influence the content of the strategies and actions? Specifically, how can nature and culture provide solutions to particular urban challenges when multiple stakeholders come together? The chapter explores the ways in which municipalities organized processes to develop strategies and actions for “nature-based-solutions” and “cultural heritage”, despite the variation in organizational complexity and contexts.
