Bridging the Gap: Embedding Ecosystem Services Into Urban Development Plans for Resilient Cities

ABSTRACT Urban areas increasingly face environmental and socio‐economic challenges resulting from rapid urbanization and the degradation of natural systems. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of Ecosystem Services (ES), many Urban Development Plans (UDPs) remain rigid and context‐insensitive, limiting their capacity to support ecological resilience. This study aims to identify barriers to integrating ES into UDPs and to propose a practical framework for embedding ES principles into urban planning. To ensure methodological coherence and analytical rigor, the study focused exclusively on a qualitative meta‐synthesis of 47 articles. Using this approach, and complemented by a series of focus group sessions with 12 experts, the research categorizes challenges into three thematic domains: structural, epistemic, and economic. The findings reveal institutional weaknesses in regulatory frameworks, limited organizational flexibility, and insufficient expert capacity as key barriers. Based on these insights, a 10‐step framework anchored in the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) is proposed to guide planners in aligning ecological, social, and governance priorities. Using Iran as a case study, the paper demonstrates how this structured, participatory model can enhance policy coherence, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive management. The proposed framework offers a replicable pathway for embedding ES into urban planning processes, supporting more resilient and sustainable urban futures.