Abstract
A growing research interest around the role of social innovation for the socio-ecological transition has emerged argueing that social innovation plays a key role in the economic and social development of European cities (Moulaert 2000) and that the self-organized management of commons beyond state and market forces is possible (Ostrom 2007). Yet, looking more specifically at green spaces as a common good in European cities, the role of citizen participation / civil society´s self-organisation in their governance remains underresearched.
Thus, the research investigates in a comparative mixed-methods case study approach if and under what conditions civil society´s self-organization is a transition driver in the field of green spaces in European cities. It provides an analysis of actors, processes and contributions of citizen-driven activities within green space governance and urban food production to answer two questions : how can citizen groups contribute to maintain existing green spaces which are available and accessible for all and which are possibly expanded whilst assuring biodiversity and allowing their diverse use for local needs at the same time, and which policy framework allows for a constructive collaboration between local politics, administration, economic actors and citizens, enabling innovative solutions in the field of green space governance, urban food production and participative urban development.