The institutional challenge to co-deliver migrant integration and urban greening—evidence from Haizhu Wetland Park Project in Guangzhou, China

Abstract We aim to investigate the governance challenges of many Chinese urban governments to co-deliver migrant integration and urban green space provision. In specific, we examine the existing institutional arrangements applied in the Haizhu Wetland Park Project in Guangzhou and the consequential marginality. Why is it challenging for many urban governments to take social marginality into account in the conservation of urban green spaces? We approach this research question with the concepts of marginality, complex social-ecological systems, and institutional fit. We construct a conceptual framework to identify and explain the types of marginality emerged and to analyze the institutional fit in the case study. Our analysis reveals a segregative effect in the current institutional arrangements. On the one hand, they are cost-efficient in ecological restoration and urban green space conservation; on the other, not effective in addressing migrant integration and wellbeing. Current institutional arrangements segregate these two interconnected issues, leading to the marginalization of urban migrants. The current institutional segregativity reveals the degree of challenge to balance the pursuits between social equity and ecological benefits. For more collaborative and inclusive urban governance, future research is needed to understand whether the lacking integration of urban migrants is an institutional blind spot.