FOREWORD PREFACE (by Prof. Franz Gatzwiler) INTRODUCTION 1.1 Urbanisation Trend, Environmental Degradation, and Climate Change Impacts in China 1.2 Urban Green Infrastructure as Nature-based Solution and Common-Pool Resource 1.3 The Challenges for Adopting Nature-based Solutions in China 1.4 Research Questions, Aims, and Objectives 1.5 Research Design and Methodology LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The Theories 2.

1.1 Ecological notion in Western urban planning theories 2.1.2 Ecological notion and Governance philosophy in China 2.2 The Practices 2.2.1 The environmental dimension: nexus between urban green spaces, climate change, health and wellbeing 2.2.

2 The technical dimension 2.2.2.1 From the perspectives of land-use and land economics 2.2.2.2 From the perspectives of urban ecology and landscape ecology 2.2.

3 The economic dimension: economics of urban land and valuation of urban green spaces 2.2.4 The social dimension 2.2.5 The political dimension 2.2.5.1 International environmental and climate governance frameworks 2.

2.5.2 National strategies and action plans 2.3 The Institutional Perspective 2.3.1 Relevance of the institutional perspective 2.3.2 Critiques on various governance approaches 2.

3.2.1 Top-down and bottom-up governance 2.3.2.2 Multi-level governance 2.3.2.

3 Collaborative and participatory governance 2.3.2.4 The emerging ''urban'' focus in governance literature 2.3.3 Major institutional challenges in urban governance, globally and in China THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 3.1 Semantics Matter 3.2 Overview of the Theoretical Framework 3.

3 Urban Social-Ecological Systems 3.4 The Common-Pool Resource (CPR) Theory 3.4.1 What is a common-pool resource (CPR)? 3.4.2 Why urban green spaces are common-pool resources? 3.4.3 Critical elements in common-pool resource governance 3.

4.3.1 Governance and actors 3.4.3.2 Institutions 3.4.3.

3 Property rights bundles 3.4.3.4 Transaction costs 3.4.3.5 Institutional change 3.5 Analysing Common-Pool Resource Governance through the IAD Framework RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 4.

1 Research Design 4.1.1 Designing the empirical analysis with the IAD framework 4.1.2 A qualitative, case-study-based research approach 4.1.3 Case selection, study period, and administrative level 4.2 Data Collection 4.

2.1 Data collection methods 4.2.1.1 Semi-structured in-depth interviews 4.2.1.2 Archival research 4.

2.1.3 Observation 4.2.2 Ethical considerations 4.2.3 Data collection timeframe 4.3 Data Analysis 4.

3.1 Content analysis using MaxQDA 4.3.1.1 Qualitative content analysis 4.3.1.2 Using MaxQDA qualitative data analysis software 4.

3.1.3 Organising data and coding 4.3.2 Multi-criteria assessment (MCA) 4.3.2.1 Multi-criteria assessment (MCA) for qualitative research 4.

3.2.2 Applying multi-criteria assessment in this research EMPIRICAL CONTEXT AND CASE PRESENTATION 5.1 Biophysical Contexts of China and of Guangzhou City 5.1.1 Natural and socio-economic conditions 5.1.2 Climate change impacts 5.

2 Institutional Contexts of China 5.2.1 Contemporary development philosophy before Ecological Civilisation 5.2.1.1 Socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics 5.2.1.

2 Scientific Outlook on Development 5.2.2 Ecological Civilisation 5.2.2 History of environmental protection in China 5.2.3 Important plans on environmental health and climate change 5.2.

4 A multi-level, nested hierarchical system of land-use and spatial planning 5.2.4.1 Five-level administrative system and processes for land-use and spatial planning 5.2.4.2 Typology of land and spatial plans in China 5.2.

4.3 Definition and standards of urban green spaces in China 5.3 Three Urban Green Spaces Governance Cases in Guangzhou 5.3.1 Overview of the three case studies 5.3.2 Panyu Ecological Corridor 5.3.

3 Haizhu Wetland Park 5.3.4 Tianhe Sponge City Demonstration Site ANALYSIS 6.1 Characteristics and Tendencies of the Rules-in-Use in Case Studies 6.1.1 Characteristics of the rules-in-use in case studies 6.1.2 Policy tendencies at the national level 6.

1.3 Policy tendencies at the local level 6.1.4 Summary 6.2 Relationships and Power Dynamics between Actors 6.2.1 Summary 6.3 Interactions between Actors 6.

3.1 Summary 6.4 Outcome in Urban Green Space Implementation and Institutional Change 6.4.1 Urban green space goals and deliverables from national and local plans and policies 6.4.2 Reflections on urban green space implementation - insights from in-depth interviews 6.4.

3 Formal institutional changes, evolving priorities, and central-local correlation 6.4.4 Reflections on formal institutional change - insights from in-depth interviews 6.4.5 Informal institutional changes 6.4.6 Summary 6.5 Final Evaluation through Multi-Criteria Assessment (MCA) 6.

5.1 Summary DISCUSSIONS 7.1 Summary and Discussion of Main Findings 7.1.1 Land property rights arrangements determine UGS governance 7.1.2 Guangzhou''s UGS governance mostly in line with characteristics of successful CPR governance regimes 7.1.

3 Guangzhou''s UGS governance attunes with Ecological Civilisation 7.1.4 Sustained barriers to institutional change for UGS governance in China 7.2 Policy Implications CONCLUSIONS 8.1 Research Overview and Reflection of Main Findings 8.2 Reflecting on the Aims, Objectives, and Methodology 8.3 Policy Recommendations 8.4 Key Scientific Contributions and Limitations of This Research 8.

4.1 Key scientific contributions 8.4.2 Limitations of the IAD framework and the MCA method for this research 8.5 Future Research Directions BIBLIOGRAPHY GLOSSARY ANNEX 1. Form of Informed Consent for Interview 2. Semi-Structured In-Depth Interview Outline 3. Selected semi-structured in-depth interview excerpts 4.

List of Interviewees 5. List of Policy Documents 6. Declaration of Original Authorship.