Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are the services of nature and landscapes that generate positive effects on human well-being, e.g. through recreation, interaction with nature and landscapes, and aesthetic experiences. They can provide various individual and societal benefits, making them an important field of action for spatial planning and policy. To date, there has been a lack of suitable indicators and methods for mapping and evaluating cultural ecosystem services at a national level, which could usefully inform spatial planning and policy making with regard to better consideration of CES. The project "Valuing cultural ecosystem services in Germany" developed and applied a concept for a nationwide assessment, evaluation, and mapping of (1) the capacity of the landscape to supply CES for recreation, in particular for leisure and weekend recreation, (2) the relevant recreation infrastructures, as well as for (3) a spatial representation of the demand for these services (spatial analysis). At the same time, a nation-wide representative empirical study was carried out surveying the actual use of landscapes and their elements in the context of leisure and weekend recreation, among other things.

Four core results were achieved in the context of the spatial analysis:

1. A nationwide evaluation of the aesthetic quality of the landscape as a backdrop for recreational activities,
2. an evaluation of the landscape quality for recreational activities (CES capacity),
3. a spatial assessment of the utilization pressure on the landscape, which takes into account the accessibility of potential areas for recreation and population density, and
4. an overlay of capacity and utilization pressure, from which discrepancies and congruencies between the two can be derived.

The empirical study generated nationwide representative data on participation rates, and frequencies of leisure and weekend recreation, on landscape preferences for corresponding activities, as well as economic values of marginal changes in recreational landscapes.

‘KÖSL 2.0’ builds upon those results. The set of indicators for the nationwide mapping and assessment of cultural ecosystem services will be further developed and, where possible, simplified. Development potentials identified in the previous project will be implemented. This includes e.g. a further development of the description of supply-demand relationships towards a single indicator representing the level of CES supply provided by the landscape or the supply level of settlements or the population. With the help of a corresponding indicator, areas with good or less good supply can be identified nationwide. At the same time, new indicators will be developed, for example for coastal and marine services for recreation and tourism. An indicator that takes into account the special features of oceans and coastal areas for CES supply has so far been lacking for the national level. The results can usefully inform planning and policymaking and contribute to Germany's reporting obligations under Target 2, Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy.