Improving cross-sectoral collaboration towards urban nature-based solutions: insights from a participatory workshop

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have garnered attention as a vital approach to tackling the complex challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and human well-being in urban areas. With growing local and international support for urban NbS, professionals in diverse roles face barriers to cross-sectoral collaboration despite increasingly being asked to integrate complex information to deliver clear and innovative goals. We gathered NbS actors working in government, academia, and nongovernmental organizations for a 2-day workshop to identify (1) existing barriers and (2) leverage points to enhance collaboration within and across sectors. Led by two facilitators, participants engaged in activities designed to enable discussion and co-creation. Through a qualitative thematic analysis, our team identified several common truths experienced across sectors, including the importance of soft skills, lack of time, resources and institutional support, and increased need for Indigenous-led work. We also discuss six broad themes related to sectoral changes: rethinking academic incentives and enduring cultures, building horizontal bridges in government, promoting Indigenous leadership, trust-building in municipal government, NGO leadership roles, and expanding opportunities for knowledge-sharing across all sectors. We outline leverage points and provide recommendations to improve cross-sectoral collaboration for urban NbS.