Nature-based solutions provide a variety of benefits in growing cities, ranging from stormwater treatment to amenity provision such as aesthetics. However, the decision-making process involved in the installation of such green infrastructure is not straightforward, as much uncertainty around the location, size, costs and benefits impedes systematic decision-making. We developed a model to simulate decision rules used by local municipalities to install nature-based stormwater treatment systems, namely constructed wetlands, ponds/basins and raingardens. The model was used to test twenty-four scenarios of policy-making, by combining four asset selection, two location selection and three budget constraint decision rules. Based on the case study of a local municipality in Metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, the modelled uptake of stormwater treatment systems was compared with attributes of real-world systems for the simulation period. Results show that the actual budgeted funding is not reliable to predict systems’ uptake and that policy-makers are more likely to plan expenditures based on installation costs. The model was able to replicate the cumulative treatment capacity and the location of systems. As such, it offers a novel approach to investigate the impact of using different decision rules to provide environmental services considering biophysical and economic factors.

基于自然的解决方案在不断发展的城市中提供了各种好处，从雨水处理到诸如美感之类的便利设施，不一而足。但是，安装这样的绿色基础设施所涉及的决策过程并不简单，因为围绕位置，规模，成本和收益的不确定性阻碍了系统的决策。我们开发了一个模型来模拟当地市政当局用来安装基于自然的雨水处理系统（即人工湿地，池塘/流域和雨林）的决策规则。该模型通过组合四个资产选择，两个位置选择和三个预算约束决策规则来测试二十四个决策场景。基于澳大利亚墨尔本都会区的一个城市的案例研究，在模拟期间，将模型化的雨水处理系统的使用量与实际系统的属性进行了比较。结果表明，实际的预算资金无法可靠地预测系统的使用情况，并且决策者更有可能根据安装成本来计划支出。该模型能够复制累积处理能力和系统位置。因此，它提供了一种新颖的方法来研究考虑到生物物理和经济因素而使用不同决策规则来提供环境服务的影响。该模型能够复制累积处理能力和系统位置。因此，它提供了一种新颖的方法来研究考虑到生物物理和经济因素而使用不同决策规则来提供环境服务的影响。该模型能够复制累积处理能力和系统位置。因此，它提供了一种新颖的方法来研究考虑到生物物理和经济因素而使用不同决策规则来提供环境服务的影响。