Department of Spatial Values of Nature & Decision Support

The Department of Spatial Values of Nature & Decision Support studies how values of nature and biodiversity vary across space and how this variation can inform environmental decision-making. Our research focuses on both landscapes and cities, addressing spatial trade-offs relevant to biodiversity conservation and restoration, sustainable land use, and urban and transport-related planning decisions. We build on strong expertise in stated preference and discrete choice research , combined with GIS-based spatial analysis and natural capital and ecosystem accounting , to produce decision-relevant evidence.

The department combines environmental valuation with insights from geography, urbanism, transport research, and environmental policy to explore the multiple and plural values of nature and how these can be integrated into spatial analyses and decision processes. The department is oriented toward interdisciplinary collaboration, generates basic science insights and works at the science–policy interface, aiming to support transparent, legitimate, and evidence-based decisions.

Keywords

Spatial valuation · values of nature · biodiversity policy · plural values · decision support · GIS and spatial analysis · spatial choice experiments · urban and transport planning