Nature-based solutions is a broad concept, this course, however, aims to give you a comprehensive overview of all its important notions so you eventually will be able to draft a nature-based solution proposal yourself. To accomplish this we discuss multiple theories and examples on the development and benefits of nature-based solutions to stimulate your relational thinking capabilities. For relational thinking the focus lies with the problem field, local challenges, potentialities and solutions and the aim is for you to be able to connect these and to see their interdependencies. This will allow you to gain a critical perspective on your own geographic location and environment or the location where you are originally from. This location will take a central position throughout the course as we will assign you tasks to look outside your window, in your neighborhood and throughout your city or region with more attention. Individually researching in your own location, together with peers spread over the world doing the same, will spark your understanding of the dependence and synthesis of governance, innovation, design, ecology and economy as we invite you to compare, reflect and review each other’s work and findings.

At the start of each week of the course we highlight again what you’ll learn and what are the particular learning objectives for that part of the course.

By the end of this course you will be able to

• Carry out relational thinking focusing on problems, challenges, potential and solutions
• Apply theories and examples which show the development and benefits of nature-based solutions
• Develop critical perspectives on your own location and environment
• Reflect on the interdependency and synthesis of governance, innovation, design, ecology and economy