The Challenge of Innovation Diffusion: Nature-Based Solutions in Poland

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are currently seen and discussed as innovations, including within the European Commission. We assume that this should result in their broader popularity and implementation in EU countries. We analyse the diffusion of NBS in Poland, a post-socialist country, in the case of which less has been written on NBS and urban green and blue infrastructure than in West European countries. In spite of the above assumption, we indicate that the rate of NBS acceptance in Poland is relatively low and their visibility is limited. Our study uses Amoeba, a tool for understanding, mapping and planning for innovation diffusion and cultural change processes to understand the reasons for this situation and to seek the methods of its improvement. We focus on two case studies, green roofs and ecological corridors, and analyse the roles played by different stakeholders, their attitudes towards these innovations and their influence on NBS diffusion in Poland, as well as the interactions between them.