Fatourehchi Shabestari, AkramRuth van Roon, Marjorie2023-06-132023-06-132019978-88-99243-93-7https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14235/298Despite the importance of cultural ecosystem services in decision-making processes, the application of an appropriate methodology for valuation of cultural ecosystem services among communities with the same and common cultural values has been underestimated. This has become a challenge for urban planners, social and environmental groups and other stakeholders. Urban development projects have a great impact on ecosystem services that are of fundamental importance to communities. As a growing population demands more space for ambitious urban projects, these demands present substantial challenges to urban ecosystems particularly in areas with crucial environmental, and cultural values. The concept of ecosystem services contributes to a better understanding of the values people attach to nature, based on how they can benefit from the ecosystem services. This provides us with an applicable framework for the investigation into the importance of ecosystem services in human life well-being, enhancing dynamic social and cultural relations as a prominent basis for planning and management. Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) are included in basic categories by presenting some important explanations for the necessity of an ecosystem framework. The values defined as cultural values have been elusive in part due to their complicated characteristics of intangibility and incommensurability in a valuation process. A lack of appropriate methodology and tool for valuation of CES has resulted in underestimating these values in the decision-making procedure. This paper firstly investigates CES and Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a possible valuation tool. Secondly, because of the importance of potential participation within the procedure, it investigates a sense of ownership that might result from PAR. Thus, the process aims to explore why this participatory-based approach can be defined as a reasonable tool for cultural ecosytem valuation by giving local people a greater knowledge of cultural values, and in-depth awareness of the consequences of socio-environmental actions in planningenCultural Ecosystem ServicesParticipatory Action ResearchSense of OwnershipArticle1323-1336