Data from: A place-based participatory mapping approach for assessing cultural ecosystem services in urban green space

1. Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) encompass a range of social, cultural
and health benefits to local communities, for example recreation,
spirituality, a sense of place and local identity. However, these complex
and place-specific CES are often overlooked in rapid land management
decisions and assessed using broad, top–down approaches. 2. We use the
Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment (TESSA) to examine a
novel approach to rapid assessment of local CES provision using inductive,
participatory methods. We combined free-listing and participatory
geographic information systems (GIS) techniques to quantify and map
perceptions of current CES provision of an urban green space. The results
were then statistically compared with those of a proposed alternative
scenario with the aim to inform future decision-making. 3. By identifying
changes in the spatial hotspots of CES in our study area, we revealed a
spatially-specific shift toward positive sentiment regarding several CES
under the alternative state with variance across demographic and
stakeholder groups. Response aggregations in areas of proposed development
reveal previously unknown stakeholder preferences to local decision-makers
and highlight potential trade-offs for conservation management.
Free-listed responses revealed deeper insight into personal opinion and
context. 4. This work serves as a useful case study on how the perceptions
and opinions of local people regarding local CES could be accounted for in
the future planning of an urban greenspace and how thorough analysis of
CES provision is important to fully-inform local-scale conservation and
planning for the mutual benefit of local communities and nature.