Green Place Branding Through Ecosystem Service from a Stakeholder Perspective - A case study of Gothenburg

Abstract: This paper aims at describing how relevant stakeholders in Gothenburg perceive urban ecosystem services in order to understand how these can be used to support a green place brand. This knowledge is needed due to the increasing urbanization, which means that cities are becoming more densely populated and in extension have a greater housing demand. Consequently, if the development of a city occurs without regard to nature, cities are increasingly contributing to the degradation in biodiversity and hence, face great challenges that need to be acknowledged. Gothenburg is a growing city which is investing heavily in sustainable development and aims at becoming a “sustainable city, open to the world”. Ecosystem services can function as a valuable link between a green city and human well-being and advantageously be integrated in the city’s place brand. Findings indicate that urban ecosystem services can work as a gateway to reach citizens if communicated in a way that demonstrates functionality and connects on an emotional level. However, there are major challenges linked to the integration in order for this scenario to become a reality and the most prominent lies on a political level. Hence, it is important that all relevant stakeholders share the vision of a future Gothenburg as a green city and forward this knowledge both upstream and downstream.