Closing the Gap Between Urban Planning and Urban Ecology: A South African Perspective

Ecological considerations should be an integral part of the decision-making processes of urban planners. Specifically, ecological aspects used in urban ecology, such as green infrastructure and ecosystem services, are substantiated by literature as strategies for improving quality of life, human health, and well-being. Studies dealing with such concepts in the Global South recently gained interest; however, these lack empirical evidence on the integration thereof in mainstream South African urban planning practice. This article conducts a preliminary investigation into the knowledge of ecological aspects of a sample of South African urban planners and their willingness to implement ecological aspects in urban planning practice. The new environmental paradigm scale is employed to determine the environmental worldview (ecocentric or anthropocentric) among respondent and how this relates to their knowledge of ecological aspects. The initial research sample consisted of a total of 283 questionnaires distributed. Although findings of this article are based on a low response rate (15%) of 42 documented responses, it did not affect the validity of the data collected in this context. The initial findings indicated that the environmental worldview of the sample of planners is only one factor influencing their perspective on incorporating ecological considerations. Low to moderate knowledge and awareness regarding ecological aspects such as ecosystem services, green infrastructure, and multi-functionality are argued to be main factors preventing integration in urban planning practice. Findings emphasize the need for context-based implementation strategies and broad recommendations are made for the planning profession as a point of departure to introduce or ingrain ecological considerations.

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An Exploratory Case-Study Approach to Understand Multifunctionality in Urban Green Infrastructure Planning in a South African Context

Frontiers in Sustainable Cities ◽

10.3389/frsc.2021.725539 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Burne Van Zyl ◽

Louis G. Lategan ◽

Elizelle J. Cilliers ◽

Sarel S. Cilliers

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Planning ◽

South African ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Well Being ◽

South African Context ◽

Planning Practice ◽

Infrastructure Planning ◽

African Context

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) intend to encourage liveable urban environments by 2030 with a main focus on strategies to achieve environmental and human well-being. In the same way, the multifunctionality principle of green infrastructure planning aims to develop and protect urban green spaces to provide several ecosystem services to increase human well-being whilst protecting the environment. With this in mind, this paper seeks to gather evidence on the nexus between multifunctionality and green infrastructure planning to achieve the SDGs within a South African context. The implementation of green infrastructure to this effect depends on creating awareness of different typologies of green infrastructure elements and the ecosystem services they provide to strengthen the implementation of the green infrastructure concept in urban planning practice. Within the aim of context-specific considerations to green infrastructure planning, green infrastructure typologies possible for implementation within a South Africa urban planning practice context are considerably more limited. A qualitative research approach is employed using case studies identifying specific examples to explore South African green infrastructure typologies and their multifunctionality. Different multifunctionality concepts are recognized by urban planners in South Africa. The research findings highlighted that multifunctionality achieved through green infrastructure planning should inform urban planning practice to promote the integration of ecological considerations. The paper ultimately provides a deeper insight into the expanding field of green infrastructure research in a South African context by underlining context-based multifunctional green infrastructure typologies and accordingly emphasizes, mainstreaming the ecosystem services concept as part of urban planning practice to address the SDGs locally.

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From City- to Site-Dimension: Assessing the Urban Ecosystem Services of Different Types of Green Infrastructure

Land ◽

10.3390/land9050150 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 150 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Patrycia Brzoska ◽

Aiga Spāģe

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Planning ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Green Roofs ◽

Well Being ◽

Urban Ecosystem ◽

Primary Data ◽

Small Scale ◽

Small Scale Structures

Cities have a wide variety of green infrastructure types, such as parks and gardens. These structures can provide important ecosystem services (ES) with a major impact on human well-being. With respect to urban planning, special consideration must be given to such green infrastructure types when implementing measures to maintain and enhance the quality of life. Therefore, generating knowledge on the urban ES of differently scaled green infrastructure types is important. This systematic literature review provides an overview of existing studies which have explicitly investigated the urban ES of differently spatial-scaled green infrastructure types. By reviewing 76 publications, we confirm rising academic interest in this topic. The most frequently assessed urban ES belong to the category Regulating and Maintenance. Only a few have considered individual small structures such as green roofs or single gardens; green spaces are often aggregated into one, mostly city-wide, object of investigation, with resulting oversimplifications. Moreover, generalizing methods are mostly applied. Simultaneously, many studies have applied methods to evaluate location-specific primary data. More research is needed on small-scale structures, in particular to consider site-, and thus location-specific, parameters in order to successfully implement the ES concept into urban planning and to obtain realistic results for ES assessments.

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China’s ecosystem services planning: will Shanghai lead the way? A case study from the Baoshan district (Shanghai)

Erdkunde ◽

10.3112/erdkunde.2021.04.02 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 75 (4) ◽

pp. 271-293

Author(s):

Harald Zepp ◽

Matthias Falke ◽

Franziska Günther ◽

Lars Gruenhagen ◽

Luis Inostroza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Planning ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Well Being ◽

Building Blocks ◽

Evaluation Framework ◽

Sustainable Urban Development ◽

Baoshan District

Ecosystem services (ES) are a fundamental component of well-being and sustainable urban development with tremendous potential to enhance urban planning. Recently, several studies have evaluated the environmental performance of urban plans using the ES approach. To strengthen this science-policy integration, it is still necessary to perform ES assessments within the urban planning practice as well as to collect empirical evidence on the impacts of envisioned planning measures on the supply of ES in urban environments across the world. In this research, we analyzed the state-of-the-art of China’s new environmental governance, which aims to change China’s land use policy and particularly the role of Green Infrastructure (GI) regarding urban planning and ES. We focused on the Shanghai Baoshan district Master Plan as a case study, and analyzed it under the lenses of the supply of ES using the matrix approach. We ascertained the supply of ES as delineated in the ecological network plan for 2035, and developed an evaluation framework based on CICES v5.1 and two expert workshops. Our approach used an integrated preliminary ES-assessment, and evaluated the consequences for the supply of ES in Baoshan district, which is adaptable to varying urban geographies. The results of our assessment show that, if realized as planned, the district will increase the overall supply of ES, especially regulating and cultural services, that play an important role within GI on the urban level. In general, the land use plans should include fine-grained information within building blocks to allow for even better assessing of the spatial structure of the supply of ES

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Estimating Air Pollution Removal and Monetary Value for Urban Green Infrastructure Strategies Using Web-Based Applications

Land ◽

10.3390/land10080788 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 788

Author(s):

Alessio Russo ◽

Wing Tung Chan ◽

Giuseppe T. Cirella

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Well Being ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Pollutant Removal ◽

Tree Canopy ◽

Tree Planting ◽

City Centre ◽

Online Tools ◽

Pollution Removal

More communities around the world are recognizing the benefits of green infrastructure (GI) and are planting millions of trees to improve air quality and overall well-being in cities. However, there is a need for accurate tools that can measure and value these benefits whilst also informing the community and city managers. In recent years, several online tools have been developed to assess ecosystem services. However, the reliability of such tools depends on the incorporation of local or regional data and site-specific inputs. In this communication, we have reviewed two of the freely available tools (i.e., i-Tree Canopy and the United Kingdom Office for National Statistics) using Bristol City Centre as an example. We have also discussed strengths and weaknesses for their use and, as tree planting strategy tools, explored further developments of such tools in a European context. Results show that both tools can easily calculate ecosystem services such as air pollutant removal and monetary values and at the same time be used to support GI strategies in compact cities. These tools, however, can only be partially utilized for tree planting design as they do not consider soil and root space, nor do they include drawing and painting futures. Our evaluation also highlights major gaps in the current tools, suggesting areas where more research is needed.

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Green Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Ecosystem Services: The Main Challenges for Russia’s Largest Cities

Land ◽

10.3390/land10121292 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1292

Author(s):

Oxana Klimanova ◽

Olga Illarionova ◽

Karsten Grunewald ◽

Elena Bukvareva

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Well Being ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Planning Policy ◽

Current State ◽

Decision Making Processes ◽

Process Of Urbanization ◽

High Level

Globally, the process of urbanization is transforming land use and, as a consequence, reducing the efficiency of ecosystem services (ESs), which ensure a healthy and comfortable urban environment. In cities, green infrastructure (GI) is a key source of urban ESs. Russia is a highly urbanized country: 70% of its population live in towns or cities. As cities continue to expand, they are swallowing unsealed lands that support ESs. In this paper, we present the results of an analysis of the current state and recent changes in urban GI in Russia’s 16 largest cities, including a biophysical evaluation of key urban ESs, using remote sensing data and freely available statistics. Our analysis identifies a weak correlation between GI area, ES volume, and favorable climate conditions as well as a stronger correlation between ESs and the increasing rate of urbanization. Considering Russia’s high level of urbanization, the key importance of ESs for the well-being of citizens, and ongoing reductions of urban GI, major revisions to urban planning policy are required. Indicators of urban biodiversity, GI, and ESs should be incorporated into decision-making processes. In particular, it is vital that the accounting and monitoring of GI and ESs are established in all of Russia’s larger cities.

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Influence of Blue-Green and Grey Infrastructure Combinations on Natural and Human-Derived Capital in Urban Drainage Planning

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13052571 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 2571

Author(s):

Sikhululekile Ncube ◽

Scott Arthur

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Significant Contribution ◽

Natural Capital ◽

Well Being ◽

Urban Drainage ◽

Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽

Key Factors ◽

Amenity Value ◽

Sustainable Drainage Systems

The natural capital and ecosystem services concepts describe the multiple benefits people get from nature. Urbanisation has been identified as one of the key factors influencing the decline of natural capital globally. Urbanisation has also been associated with a recent increase in urban flooding incidents in most cities globally. While the understanding of blue-green infrastructure in urban drainage is well established, little is said about its influence on natural capital. This study utilises the Natural Capital Planning Tool, Benefits Evaluation of Sustainable Drainage Systems tool and expert stakeholder interviews to assess the influence of blue-green and grey infrastructure as adaptation pathways in urban drainage, on natural capital and ecosystem services, and to determine how these contribute to other forms of human-derived capital. Key findings show that blue-green options can enhance natural capital and ecosystem services such as amenity value while also contributing to social and human capital. Although the assessed blue-green options contribute to regulating ecosystem services such as floods regulation, their most significant contribution is in cultural ecosystem services, especially amenity value. It is concluded that incorporating blue-green infrastructure in urban drainage adaptive approaches can mitigate natural capital losses and contribute to other forms of capital crucial for human well-being.

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Green areas in an urban area and provision of ecosystem services: a bibliometric and integrative review

Revista em Agronegócio e Meio Ambiente ◽

10.17765/2176-9168.2021v14supl.2.e9628 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (Supl. 2) ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Maycon Jorge Ulisses Saraiva Farinha ◽

André Geraldo Berezuk ◽

Luciana Virginia Mario Bernardo

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Planning ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Green Areas ◽

Man And Nature ◽

Bibliometric Review ◽

Process Of Urbanization

The process of urbanization is accomplished by changes in land use, that is, by the interaction between man and nature, so that there is a common loss of green areas in cities. However, the need and importance of green areas inside urban areas has been emphasized in order to provide quality to the provision of ecosystem services. Such services favor the quality of life and human well-being of people living in urban areas. Thus, nature-based solution practices have been encouraged as a form of innovation for urban planning and to overcome problems in cities. An integrative and bibliometric review on urban green areas and ecosystem service provision was proposed from 2009 to 2019. Among the results, there is a growing interest in the topic. There is recognition of the importance of green areas for population needs regarding human physical and mental health. In addition, the need for public actions in favor of urban planning involving the issue is recognized in order to provide equal access to existing areas and/or in areas that will be created.

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Integrating Green Infrastructure into Urban Planning: Developing Melbourne’s Green Factor Tool

Urban Planning ◽

10.17645/up.v6i1.3515 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 20-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Judy Bush ◽

Gavin Ashley ◽

Ben Foster ◽

Gail Hall

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Planning ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Policy Development ◽

Green Space ◽

Action Plan ◽

Green Roofs ◽

Urban Greenery ◽

Private Realm

As cities increase in size and density, the ecosystem services supplied by urban greenery and green infrastructure are increasingly vital for sustainable, liveable urban areas. However, retaining and maximising urban greenery in densifying cities is challenging. Governments have critical roles in addressing these challenges through policy development and implementation. While there has been significant attention on the quality and quantity of green space on public land, there is an increasing focus on policy mechanisms for integrating green infrastructure into the private realm, including green roofs, walls, facades, balconies and gardens. As part of City of Melbourne’s efforts to increase greening across the municipality, its 2017 Green Our City Strategic Action Plan includes specific focus on the private realm, and development of regulatory processes for green infrastructure. This article reports on a participatory research project to develop a Green Factor Tool for application to building development proposals in Melbourne. We focus on the transdisciplinary collaborations that brought together contributions from researchers, practitioners, policymakers and designers. We discuss how local research on green space contributions to provision of ecosystem services shaped the design of the tool and provided the tool’s rigorous evidence-base. Finally, we consider the roles of urban planning in retaining and maximising urban green spaces in densifying urban areas.

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KONSEP ECOLOGICAL CITY DALAM KERANGKA KONSEP EKOLOGI KOTA DAN KOTA BERKELANJUTAN

Jurnal Planologi ◽

10.30659/jpsa.v18i2.17978 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 226

Author(s):

Enni Lindia Mayona

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Ecology ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Urban Form ◽

Sustainable City ◽

City Environment ◽

Environmentally Sound ◽

And Function ◽

Community Spaces

ABSTRACTCity growth that continues to occur is unavoidable and affects the environment, so an ecological approach is needed to overcome it. One of the city concepts that has developed along with the historical perspective of urban ecology is the ecological city (ecocity). In the development of ecocity in several countries that carry the theme of sustainability city, both practice and concept do not explain the "process" to achieve the city's environmental sustainability goals. The purpose of this paper is to examine the theoretical position of the ecological city concept within the framework of urban ecology and sustainable cities. The method used is a literature review based on the development of the concept of ecocity, urban ecology and sustainable city. Based on the results of the study, it shows that in the urban ecology approach, ecocity can be concluded as a concept that balances the city's metabolism (ecology of cities) through the independence of the structure and function of the ecosystem where humans play a role in determining the process of adaptation and urban development. In the concept of a sustainable city along with the development of eco-form which represents ecological considerations in urban and community spaces, it shows that urban form is one of the elements that can be intervened in achieving sustainable city goals. Ecocity as an eco-form is in the challenge of conflict between aspects of the social environment where the conflict that occurs has shifted from development conflict to green conflict in a sustainable prism. The results of the study show that in the process of managing an environmentally sound city environment (ecocity) it is necessary to consider the integration of humans as social aspects in interaction with ecosystems (social-ecology) in city metabolism as the basis for providing ecosystem services and urban green infrastructure. Keywords: ecological city, city ecology, sustainable city, city metabolism ABSTRAKPertumbuhan kota yang terus terjadi tidak dapat dihindari dan berpengaruh terhadap lingkungan, sehingga dibutuhkan pendekatan ekologi untuk mengatasinya. Salah satu konsep kota yang berkembang seiring dengan perspektif sejarah ekologi kota (urban ecology) adalah ecological city (ecocity). Pada perkembangan ecocity di beberapa negara yang mengusung tema kota keberlanjutan baik praktek maupun konsep tidak menjelaskan “proses” untuk mencapai tujuan keberlanjutan lingkungan kota tersebut. Tujuan makalah ini adalah mengkaji kedudukan secara teoritis konsep ecological city dalam kerangka ekologi kota (urban ecology) dan kota berkelanjutan (sustainability city). Metode yang digunakan adalah review literatur berdasarkan perkembangan konsep ecocity, urban ecology dan sustainable city. Berdasarkan hasil kajian menunjukkan dalam pendekatan urban ecology, ecocity dapat disimpulkan sebagai konsep yang menyeimbangkan metabolisme kota (ecology of cities) melalui kemandirian struktur dan fungsi ekosistem dimana manusia berperan di dalam menentukan proses adaptasi dan perkembangan kota. Dalam konsep kota berkelanjutan seiring dengan perkembangan eco-form yang merepresentasikan pertimbangan ekologi di dalam ruang kota dan komunitas menunjukkan bentuk kota (urban form) merupakan salah satu unsur yang dapat diintervensi di dalam mencapai tujuan kota yang berkelanjutan. Ecocity sebagai eco-form berada di dalam tantangan konflik antara aspek lingkungan sosial dimana konflik yang terjadi mengalami pergeseran dari development conflict ke arah green conflict di dalam prisma berkelanjutan. Hasil kajian menunjukkan di dalam proses pengelolaan lingkungan kota yang berwawasan lingkungan (ecocity) perlu mempertimbangkan integrasi manusia sebagai aspek sosial dalam interaksi dengan ekosistem (sosial-ekologi) di dalam metabolisme kota sebagai dasar di dalam penyediaan ecosystem services dan infrastruktur hijau perkotaan.Kata Kunci : ecological city, ekologi kota, kota berkelanjutan, metabolisme kota

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Implications of Urban Sustainability, Socio-Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services

Current State and Future Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity - Advances in Environmental Engineering and Green Technologies ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-1226-5.ch003 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 31-53

Author(s):

José G. Vargas-Hernández ◽

Karina M. Pallagst

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Natural Capital ◽

Urban Sustainability ◽

Well Being ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Growth Strategies ◽

Green Growth ◽

Infrastructure Design ◽

Literature Reviews

This chapter aims to analyze the implications that urban sustainability, socio-ecosystems, and ecosystem services have as the bases to design the urban green growth strategies. The method used is the analytic based on the theoretical and conceptual literature reviews on the topics described. Urban sustainability and environmental performance integrates biodiversity and socio-ecosystems for the provision of better quality ecosystem services supported by green infrastructure design into the green projects aimed to achieve economic and environmental benefits. It is concluded that the ecosystem services and human well-being may suffer irreversible severe declines if sustainability is not built based on biodiversity of socio ecosystems, green infrastructure, and natural capital.

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