ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the economic benefits and challenges of integrating nature-based solutions (NBS) into circular economy frameworks, focusing on their impact on urban environments. This chapter builds on the European Commission’s definition of NBS, emphasizing their cost-effectiveness and multifaceted benefits, including economic and labour market improvements. The economic advantages of NBS are often overshadowed by their ecological or social benefits, yet they contribute to increased real estate values, enhanced business attractiveness, and job creation.
The circular economy model aims to maximize resource efficiency, recovery, and regeneration, creating a synergy with NBS by transitioning from linear to circular systems. This chapter highlights how NBS align with circular economy principles, offering direct and indirect economic benefits such as reduced maintenance costs and new business opportunities. Through the proGIreg framework, a specialized Economic and Labour Market Questionnaire (ELMQ) captures these benefits, revealing the financial impacts of various NBS implementations, including urban farming, green roofs, and pollinator biodiversity initiatives.
Case studies from Zagreb, Turin, and Dortmund illustrate the diverse economic outcomes of NBS. These examples demonstrate both the direct financial returns and the broader economic value created by NBS, emphasizing the need for comprehensive evaluation methods to fully understand their impact on urban economies.
