ABSTRACT
Nature-based solutions (NBS) support social innovation through integrating socio-ecological systems associated with academic dialogue into urban projects to address various environmental challenges while providing multiple co-benefits to the economic, social, and ecological systems. Yet, social innovation is a contested concept with multiple meanings and no universally accepted definition. To understand the dimensions of social innovation in green infrastructure projects, this chapter analyzes the co-creation pathway of NBS in the Dortmund Living Lab (LL). Special focus will be given on two NBS, urban gardening and food forest (NBS3) and biodiversity (NBS8) in the Dortmund LL, as the application of digital technologies, community capacity building, interdisciplinary synergies, communication and interaction between actors are strongly incorporated in these two NBS. However, the missing dimensions that hinder or influence innovation will be critically illustrated, such as business opportunities or legal framework and planning conditions. Therefore, experimentation and testing innovation, as well as building trust and social contracts among the various stakeholders, are essential to enable the experiences that the term Living Lab suggests for the co-creation of NBS. This chapter finally discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted social innovation approaches and what measures have been taken to address these barriers.
