From Explicit Insights to Tacit Learning: A Multiframework Analysis of NBS Evaluation in Malaysian Sponge City Planning

This article re‐analyses expert survey data from two Malaysian case sites where sponge city concepts were newly introduced to examine learning‐related patterns within a participatory evaluation of nature‐based solutions (NBSs). The study applies an integrative analytical framework combining Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle, Pahl‐Wostl's Triple‐Loop Learning, and Wenger's Communities of Practice to interpret cognitive, institutional, and practice‐oriented dimensions of expert responses. The recoding analysis suggests a predominance of Abstract Conceptualization and Practice‐oriented dimensions, indicating a strong emphasis on codified technical reasoning. Indicators associated with reflective, relational, and higher‐order institutional learning appeared less frequently. While these patterns cannot be interpreted as direct evidence of social learning, they provide insight into the types of learning orientations that structured expert‐based evaluation methods may be more likely to capture. The findings highlight both the strengths and limitations of survey‐based participatory approaches. Structured evaluations can support systematic technical assessment and knowledge synthesis but may provide more limited insight into experiential, relational, and context‐specific forms of knowledge. Methodologically, the study demonstrates the potential value of using multiple learning frameworks as a diagnostic reinterpretation tool for participatory evaluation data. More broadly, the results contribute to discussions on how expert‐led assessment processes shape the forms of knowledge that become visible within climate adaptation planning.