This brief shares lessons learned from the CLEVER Cities project on the topic of stakeholder engagement in the co-design of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). In this context, co-design presents an essential and integrated activity of the robust co-creation methodology tested by the CLEVER Cities project. It aimed to enable and empower local stakeholders and citizens in designing NbS interventions, which on the other hand aim to address targeted environmental, social and other urban regeneration challenges. 

The brief builds upon selected NbS cases in London, Hamburg, and Milan, where successful co-design of interventions was achieved through participatory and collaborative approaches. It focuses on the choice of stakeholders as well as strategies, approaches, and tools used for their engagement. For example, the brief presents various determining factors which informed the choice of stakeholders to be engaged in the NbS co-design process of the selected cases, such as the expertise and skills, motivation, and, financial and material resources of stakeholders. 

The choice of participation tools was primarily informed by their cost-effectiveness, stakeholder characteristics, and existing participation practices in the local contexts. The selected cases also showed that the success of stakeholder engagement depends on understanding the context-specific enabling factors for engaging key stakeholders. Furthermore, flexibility and the ability of stakeholder engagement to adapt to internal process dynamics and/or changing landscape conditions is critical to success. 

Finally, the brief offers recommendations for cities, public agencies, or non-state sector organizations responsible for developing and designing NbS interventions through enhanced participatory and collaborative approaches. These recommendations are based on the experiences gained from the CLEVER Cities cases and aim to provide guidance on effective stakeholder engagement for future NbS co-design processes.

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