Enabling effective urban green space stewardship through planning: A qualitative comparative analysis in Southwest England
Data files
Nov 03, 2025 version files 37.32 KB
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Combined__summarised_scoring_data_for_achive_21.10.25.csv
29.29 KB
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README.md
8.03 KB
Abstract
Amid increasing urbanisation and biodiversity decline, ‘effective stewardship’ of urban green space (UGS) is a complex but critical nature-based solution for long-term environmental, social, and economic gain. In this study, we investigate which social and ecological conditions can enable effective stewardship in UGS sites, aiming to assist Local Governments in future-proof UGS planning. Through 138 on-site interviews, project meetings, online research, and biodiversity and landscape appraisals, we scored the likelihood of ongoing effective stewardship at 25 UGS sites across Cornwall (England). These sites had been enhanced for people and wildlife through a local government-led project. We created this score by combining measures of inclusive volunteer activity at the site after completion of works (IND), local government maintenance budget for the site (BUD), biodiversity change at each site (BIO), and local people’s perception of site enhancement works (POS). Through Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), we found five social/ecological conditions influenced the likelihood of ongoing effective stewardship after project end: pre-existing neighbourhood capacity (NCAP), pre-existing landscape quality (LQ), relations between residents and local government bodies (REL), change in sense-of-place from before to after enhancement works (SOP) and financial cost of enhancement works (FIN). This dataset brings together and summarises the anonymised qualitative and quantitative data used to inform QCA calibration and scoring (final scores are given in Appendices 9.1 and 9.2 of the published article). The aim of publishing these data is to encourage greater transparency of a predominantly qualitative process and provide an example of how this can be done. A careful balance has been sought between transparency and confidentiality needs.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.x69p8czz3
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset consists of a CSV spreadsheet (Combined__summarised_scoring_data_for_achive_21.10.25.csv) to supplement Appendices 9.1 and 9.2 of the published manuscript (final QCA scores). The 25 UGS sites are listed in column A. Columns B to L summarise anonymised qualitative and quantitative data on constituent factors used to score the output 'likelihood of ongoing effective stewardship' (IND, BUD, BIO, and POS). See below for acronym definitions. Columns M to O summarise anonymised qualitative and quantitative data for NCAP, columns P to W summarise data for LQ, columns X to Z summarise data for REL, columns AA to AF summarise data for SOP, and columns AG to AI summarise data for FIN.
138 on-site interviews were undertaken by the lead author across 25 urban green space sites across Cornwall (England) in summer 2022. Interview schedules are provided in Appendices 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, and 3.2 of the article (published supplementary data). Times and conditions of interviews are provided in Appendix 4, and socio-demographic data of interviewees in Appendix 5. Raw transcript data is not provided due to potential identification risk through combining these data. NVivo codes and references are provided in Appendix 7.
Other research contributing to this dataset: Meetings with project staff and a biodiversity expert, plus online research into volunteer gardening group activity. Also, a custom-designed landscape appraisal of each site (see Appendix 6). A summary of data sources is provided in table form in Appendix 8 of the published manuscript, with the constituent scores used to undertake the QCA using the 'SetMethods' package in R in Appendices 9.1 and 9.2. R script and outputs are shown in Appendix 10.
The Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) calculations were based on the Biodiversity Metric 2.0, with modifications for ornamental habitats such as perennial plantings, ornamental shrubs or mixed shrub and perennial plantings, which were given no condition score in the formal Metric 2.0, but were given a condition score based on their wildlife value in our assessments (based on proportion of pollinator friendly plants, those that provided resources for birds and if native or near native).
Files and variables
- Combined__summarised_scoring_data_for_achive_21.10.25.xlsx
Description: Anonymised qualitative and quantitative data used to inform scoring for Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Variables
| IND | Level and inclusivity of independent volunteer stewardship at each site after urban green space enhancement works completed |
|---|---|
| BUD | Is the maintenance budget sufficient to maintain biodiversity gain and positive perception of works at each site into the future? |
| BIO | Biodiversity change from pre- to post- enhancement works |
| POS | Level of positive perception of site enhancement works |
| NCAP | Neighbourhood capacity (prior to enhancement works) |
| LQ | Landscape quality (prior to enhancement works) |
| REL | Relations between residents and local government bodies (e.g. council, contractors, police) |
| SOP | Change in 'sense of place' from pre- to pos- enhancement works |
| FIN | Financial cost of enhancement works at each site, relative to industry standard |
Vol = Volunteer
UoE = University of Exeter
Ha = hectares
Missing values shown as blank cells
Code/software
Microsoft Excel. Can also be saved as a .csv file to open in / be imported into other software.
Access information
Data was derived from the following sources:
- MHCLG [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government], 2019. English indices of deprivation 2019. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019 (accessed 23/08/22).
- ONS [Office for National Statistics], 2022. Local Area Report for areas in England and Wales. Available at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?search=cornwall (accessed 23/08/22).
- MS4N [Making Space for Nature] Team, 2021. Making Space for Nature in Cornish Towns: Project Strategy. Cornwall Council, Truro, UK. Available at www.cornwall.gov.uk/spacefornature (accessed 27/6/24).
- Crosher, I., Gold, S., Heaver, M., Heydon, M., Moore, L., Panks, S., Scott, S., Stone, D. & White, N., 2019. The Biodiversity Metric 2.0: Auditing and accounting for biodiversity value: technical supplement (Beta version, July 2019). Natural England. 10.13140/RG.2.2.29888.69123. Associated tools for calculations available at: https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5850908674228224 (accessed 20.10.25).
Note
Please see the Supplementary Information (Appendices) attached to the published article for more details and context. These appendices are referred to in column headings (row 2) in this dataset.
| Appendix 2.1 Excerpt from the Local Government mail-drop questionnaire |
|---|
| Appendix 2.2 Excerpt from the University of Exeter (UoE) maildrop questionnaire |
| Appendix 3.1 Interview schedule for site users |
| Appendix 3.2 Interview schedule for volunteer stewards / gardeners |
| Appendix 3.3 Participant information sheet and consent form |
| Appendix 4 Fieldwork summary |
| Appendix 5 Socio-demographics of interview participants |
| Appendix 6 Landscape appraisal template |
| Appendix 7 NVivo thematic coding sheet |
| Appendix 8 Data sources |
| Appendix 9.1 Constituent scores for the outcome ‘likelihood of ongoing effective stewardship’ |
| Appendix 9.2 Outcome and condition scores as imported into R package ‘SetMethods’ |
| Appendix 10 R script and outputs for the QCA using the 'SetMethods' package |