RECON - Fostering Systemic Societal Transformation for Biodiversity Conservation through Nature Reconnection
Context: Biodiversity loss in urban and peri-urban regions is accelerating due to urbanisation, intensive recreation, climate change, and fragmented governance. At the same time, cities concentrate populations whose everyday relationships with nature strongly influence environmental awareness, behavior, and political support for conservation. Strengthening human–nature relationships, therefore, represents a key leverage point for transformative change.
RECON addresses this challenge by positioning nature reconnection—through exposure, experience, learning, and advocacy—as a driver of systemic societal transformation for biodiversity conservation. The project aligns with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (Targets 12 and 19), the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the Nature Restoration Law, and the European Green Deal. It focuses on three urban functional areas in Central Europe (Warsaw, Vienna, Stuttgart), which face high development pressure and recreational demand, but also offer strong potential for policy-relevant learning and transfer.
Main objective(s): The overall objective of RECON is to foster biodiversity conservation through systemic societal transformation driven by nature reconnection. This objective is pursued through three specific goals:
- To conceptualise and operationalise nature reconnection advocacy and improve understanding of socio-ecological systems in urban functional areas.
- To develop the Societal Transformation Laboratory for Nature Reconnection Advocacy (STLNRA) as a participatory and place-based methodological framework.
- To test and evaluate the STLNRA in real-life case studies, producing transferable knowledge, tools, and policy-relevant outputs.
Main activities: Scientific and analytical activities: RECON applies a mixed-methods, multi-case study approach combining social surveys with Public Participation GIS, spatial analysis of green infrastructure and ecosystem services, and qualitative methods such as stakeholder mapping, ethnography, and policy discourse analysis. These activities provide an integrated understanding of drivers, barriers, and opportunities for biodiversity-positive transformation in metropolitan regions.
Development of transformative methods and tools: Based on this evidence, RECON develops and implements the STLNRA, grounded in Theory of Change, systemic design, and participatory action research. Core outputs include a strategy toolkit with co-creation methods, a portfolio of capacity-building activities and micro-credentials (e.g. Nature Reconnection Advocate or Steward), and monitoring tools supporting adaptability and scalability.
Stakeholder engagement, dissemination, and impact: Stakeholders—local and regional authorities, natural resource managers, NGOs, businesses, and citizens—are engaged throughout all project phases. Local Societal Transformation Laboratories enable co-creation of concrete outputs such as sustainable tourism and recreation strategies, integrated landscape management plans, and solutions to conservation–recreation conflicts.
Dissemination and knowledge transfer are ensured through an open-access learning portfolio, scientific publications, policy briefs, webinars, and multiplier events. RECON is expected to strengthen multilevel governance, enhance citizen participation, improve handling of land-use conflicts, and build lasting capacities for nature-positive planning and biodiversity conservation across Europe.
