In Germany, strengthening of »green infrastructure« including ecosystem services in urban areas is a political consensus and is promoted by the EU, among others. In China, recent environmental policies of the central government directly address ecosystem services. Nevertheless, the implementation in regional and local planning in both countries faces major challenges. On the one hand, hardly any explicit regulations have been institutionalised so far, and on the other hand, planners and politicians adhere to established paradigms and planning routines. In addition, both countries are faced with the task of adapting the acquired knowledge and methodological skills to practical requirements. This happens in a practice-oriented research approach. The project provides methods, which make »green infrastructure« more noticeable and visible and applies them to specific case studies. Moreover, the need for basic data becomes apparent. There is a clear imbalance between the two countries in the availability of freely available data (e.g. high-resolution geodata).

IMECOGIP combines the expertise of scientists from various disciplines and research fields: Urban Ecology, Ecosystem Services Science, Landscape Architecture, Biogeography, Human Geography and Urban Sociology (Urban Governance), Geomatics. The Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services by Haines-Young & Potschin provides the conceptual framework for the ES-assessment of different plans in our toolbox. The toolbox is designed as an open GIS-based programme package. It is supplemented by ecosystem service profiles as part of a methodological manual, which explains both the scientific principles, the necessary data and framework conditions for their application, as well as programme-related details. In addition, there are illustrative case studies. Pilot areas in the metropolis Ruhr and in Shanghai support the method development. They show the lack of basic data and gave occasion to extensive data collection (Big Data) in the field with high-resolution satellite data. A science-policy dialogue was established as an interdisciplinary collaboration and exchange format. This format serves as the cooperation basis of the transdisciplinary network between research institutions, planning authorities and companies.

The IMECOGIP toolbox will allow comprehensive analyses of ecosystem services in urban areas in large parts of Europe and Eastern China. A detailed manual explaining functions, methods, and technical features to interested users in administration, politics and science will ensure the applicability and transferability of the toolbox. Online materials and peer-reviewed journal articles in English guarantee the visibility of the solutions developed for »urban green« assessments. Besides, institutional reforms in Chinese environmental planning underline a broader acceptance with regard to sustainable urban developments. The project therefore focuses on cooperation agreements with public administrations and leading consulting agencies. Moreover, the open source solution for the developed methodological package is designed to provide a long-lasting added value. This makes it possible for practitioners everywhere to design their own flexible applications in administration and business.