An analysis of the potential of local stewardship as a management mode for increasing and enhancing ecosystem services in the urban landscape : Three case studies in Stockholm Municipality – Igelbäcken Allotment Garden, Akalla Allotment Garden and the Vin

Abstract: The capacity of urban areas for generating quality of life is largely dependent on theecological processes and the green spaces of the cityscape. The ecosystem services supportedand generated by urban green spaces are fundamental to human well being in cities.Hence, this master thesis explores the possibilities of local stewardship as a possiblemanagement mode for enhancing ecosystem services in the urban landscape. It does so by ananalysis of management rights to state-owned lands in the municipality of Stockholm andthrough evaluating to what extent the institutional structure of the management enables localstewardship. Further, by choosing three case studies comprised of Igelbäcken AllotmentGarden, Akalla Allotment garden and the Vinterviken garden, all three located on state-ownedland in Stockholm Municipality, this thesis explores how the rules in use are fashioned andfollowed and what role leadership plays in this process. Finally, the motivational drivers forgetting involved in local stewardship in all three case studies were explored.The study is of a qualitative nature primarily utilising semi-structured interviews withgardeners at the case studies, employees at the municipality and direct observation as a meansto gather data. The key findings of this study suggest that the possibilities of local stewardshipof green areas owned by Stockholm municipality are limited. The resources for the municipaldistricts’ administering of local stewardship initiatives are insufficient and the institutionalstructure is complicated and unclear.The rules in use in the respective case studies are dependent on the leadership in the gardensand this thesis suggests that a mix of planning-led and visionary-led leadership could beemployed in order to maintain a resilient institutional structure. The motivational drivers forthe engagement in the case study areas differ but are dominated by practices within cultural,recreational and provisioning ecosystem services. Hence, the local stewardship examined inthe three case studies indicates that the green-area management is not based on biodiversityconservation but is primarily oriented towards nurturing cultural and provisional ecosystemservices. However, these practices contribute to enhancing additional ecosystem services.The results of this study have indicated the importance of exploring the interplay betweeninstitutions, leadership and motivational drivers in order to design more efficient urbanmanagement designs that involve local stewardship groups.