scholarly journals A Methodology for Assessing the Implementation Potential for Retrofitted and Multifunctional Urban Green Infrastructure in Public Areas

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Fluhrer ◽  
Jochen Hack
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Global South ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Runoff Reduction ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

Green Infrastructures (GI) are considered key to reconcile ecological and social benefits by providing multiple functions. The concept is increasingly promoted and guidelines for its implementation have been developed in many countries and regions of the Western Hemisphere. However, for other parts of the world, especially for countries with less developed infrastructures, promotion, guidance for decision-making and manuals for GI are often lacking. But the state of infrastructure development and often unplanned character of settlements in the Global South differ and result in specific constraints as well as demands to GI that need to be addressed explicitly. This study presents a methodological approach to explicitly address the specific conditions and physical limitations to GI development in urban areas of the Global South. A four step methodology was developed to assess the implementation potential for retrofitted and multifunctional urban green infrastructure in public areas. An initial site analysis (1) and the definition of design criteria as well as general strategies (2) to achieve the different dimensions of multi-functionality are the basis to derive spatial typologies (3) for GI elements and finally the spatial suitability assessment for potential placements (4). An application of the methodology to a study area in the metropolitan region of San José, Costa Rica, shows exemplarily that the potential to improve the hydrological conditions (up to 34% of surface runoff reduction), ecological conditions (increase of green space by 2,2 %, creation of 1500 m length of roadside greenery and two new habitat types), and social conditions (2.200 m of road type upgrading) of multi-functionality of the site through Green Infrastructures. These assessment results of different multi-functionality dimension can serve as a guidance for GI promotion and implementation in urban areas of the Global South.

scholarly journals A Methodology for Assessing the Implementation Potential for Retrofitted and Multifunctional Urban Green Infrastructure in Public Areas of the Global South

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 384
Author(s):  
Tanja Fluhrer ◽  
Fernando Chapa ◽  
Jochen Hack
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Global South ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
San Jose ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Runoff Reduction ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) provides multiple functions that combine ecological and social benefits. UGI is being increasingly promoted and implemented in the Global North. In other parts of the world, such as in the Global South, infrastructures for UGI implementation and promotion are sparse. The state of infrastructure development and informal settlements in the Global South present different constraints and demands that should be explicitly addressed. This study presents an approach to addressing the specific conditions and physical limitations of UGI development in urban areas of the Global South. A four-step methodology was developed to assess the implementation potential for retrofitted and multifunctional urban green infrastructure in public areas. This methodology consists of (1) an initial site analysis, (2) defining design criteria and general strategies, (3) exploring the different dimensions of multifunctionality as the basis for deriving spatial typologies, and (4) assessing spatial suitability for potential placements for UGI elements. The methodology was applied to a study area in the metropolitan region of San José, Costa Rica. The results indicate the potential to improve the hydrological (up to 34% of surface runoff reduction), ecological (an increase of green space by 2.2%, creation of 1500 m length of roadside greenery and two new habitat types), and social conditions (2200 m of road type upgrading) of the site through UGIs. This assessment of different multifunctionality dimensions can serve as a guide for future UGI promotion and implementation in urban areas of the Global South.

scholarly journals People’s Avoidance of Neighboring Agricultural Urban Green Infrastructure: Evidence from a Choice Experiment

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6930
Author(s):  
Shinsuke Kyoi
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Econometrics ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Choice Experiment ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Ishikawa Prefecture ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

This study evaluates people’s preferences regarding the proximity of their residence to agricultural urban green infrastructure (UGI), such as agricultural land and satoyama, and discusses the availability of these types of land as UGI. UGI is vital for reducing the negative environmental impacts of urban areas, as these impacts are too large to ignore. In this study, we conducted an online survey and a choice experiment to investigate people’s perceptions regarding the proximity of their residence to agricultural UGI (AUGI). The respondents of the choice experiment were 802 inhabitants of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, which has rich agricultural resources. To examine explicitly the spatial autocorrelation of people’s preferences, in this study, we used the spatial econometrics method. The main empirical findings are that people prefer agricultural land far away from their residence—more than 1000 m, not within 1000 m—which reflects the not-in-my-backyard phenomenon. Meanwhile, people’s preferences regarding proximity to satoyama are complicated and their preferences are positively spatially autocorrelated. The results indicate that policymakers and urban planners should manage and provide AUGI far away from residential areas; otherwise, they must address people’s avoidance of neighboring AUGI.

Urban Green Infrastructure in the Global South

2021 ◽  
pp. 107-143
Author(s):  
Stephan Pauleit ◽  
Alexis Vasquéz ◽  
Sreetheran Maruthaveeran ◽  
Li Liu ◽  
Sarel S. Cilliers
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Global South ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

scholarly journals Citizen Science Data to Measure Human Use of Green Areas and Forests in European Cities

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 779
Author(s):  
Vito Emanuele Cambria ◽  
Thomas Campagnaro ◽  
Giovanni Trentanovi ◽  
Riccardo Testolin ◽  
Fabio Attorre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Explanatory Models ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
European Cities ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

Understanding and explaining the use of green spaces and forests is challenging for sustainable urban planning. In recent years there has been increasing demand for novel approaches to investigate urban green infrastructure by capitalizing on large databases from existing citizen science tools. In this study, we analyzed iNaturalist data to perform an assessment of the intentional use of these urban spaces for their value and to understand the main drivers. We retrieved the total number of observations obtained across a set of 672 European cities and focused on reporting from mapped green areas and forests. We used two separate multivariate explanatory models to investigate which factors explained variations in the number of observations for green areas and forests. We found a relatively heterogeneous use of these two urban green spaces. Gross domestic product was important in explaining the number of visits. Availability and accessibility also had positive relationships with the use of green areas and forests in cities, respectively. This study paves the way for better integration of citizen science data in assessing cultural services provided by urban green infrastructure and therefore in supporting the evaluation of spatial planning policies for the sustainable development of urban areas.

scholarly journals Green Infrastructure Development in Urban Areas: Case Studies of Samutsakhon, Krathumbaen and Banphaeo Municipalities in Samut Sakhon Province

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Waralak Khongouan ◽  
Putpunnin Khamwachirapithak
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Pilot Projects ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Governmental Agencies ◽  
The People ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure ◽  
Park Area

Though the development of green infrastructure in parks in Samut Sakhon province has been continuously implemented, there are still no research studies that have explicitly demonstrated the parks’ potential, nor any public opinions toward the development of urban green infrastructure in the parks that would be productive for the planning to efficiently improve and provide urban green infrastructure. As a result, this study had the following objectives: 1) To analyze the potential and networks of urban green infrastructure in parks in Samut Sakhon province, 2) To analyze the satisfaction of using the services and requirements of the urban green infrastructure development in the parks in Samut Sakhon province, and 3) To propose development guidelines in urban green infrastructure for the parks of Samut Sakhon province. The research instruments comprised a questionnaire, and the data were analyzed by using a scalogram. The results found that high-potential parks were not large in size, but they had all the complete components, as well as green infrastructure featured in the attributes of patch, matrix, and mosaic. Nevertheless, the green infrastructure development featured in the attribute of the corridor had disappeared in several sites of the green infrastructure in the parks. Likewise, the green networks of the parks, specifically those in the high-potential category, were not successive by walking. For this reason, the people were mostly satisfied with the convenient accessibility of the parks, but there were the requirements of paving the footpath, improving the landscape, and adding a variety of activities in the parks. Therefore, the development guidelines of urban green infrastructure in the parks should formulate more areas in the attribute of the corridor at the riverside and on the streets, conserve and increase the park areas by allowing public participation in the management, as well as apply urban planning measures to obtain the park area. In addition, a footpath and bike lane should be safely constructed in the high-potential parks. Simultaneously, the landscape should be adjusted in the low- and moderate-potential parks by launching pilot projects in the parks of the governmental agencies. 

scholarly journals A method of linking functional and structural connectivity analysis in urban green infrastructure network construction

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Liu ◽  
Ting-Ting Huang ◽  
Xi Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Structural Connectivity ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Large Contribution ◽  
Spatial Pattern Analysis ◽  
Least Cost Path ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

AbstractAccelerated urbanization and population growth lead to the fragmentation of urban green space and loss of biodiversity. There are few studies on the integration of structural and functional connectivity to solve this problem. Our study aims to draw up a methodology to synthesize two methods of connectivity evaluation, accordingly, to construct an urban green infrastructure (UGI) network which is of great significance to maintain the stability of the urban ecosystem. Taking Beijing as a study area, we first used Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) to identify the source patches, then combined with the graph theory-based landscape metrics to discuss the effect of different diffusion distances on the regional landscape connectivity and classify the importance level of the source patches. Finally, we used both least-cost path (LCP) and circuit theory to construct network and identify pinch areas in corridors for network optimization. The results show that (1) the landscape connectivity of the study area is obviously polarized. Source patches in mountain and hilly areas have good ecological bases and large areas, and the density of corridors is relatively high, which makes a large contribution to the overall landscape connectivity; Source patches in plain areas are severely fragmented, and there are only a small number of potential corridors connecting urban areas and suburban areas. (2) The UGI network is composed of 70 source patches and 148 potential corridors. The diffusion distance that is most beneficial to improve landscape connectivity is 20–25 km. (3) 6 pinch areas that are of great significance for improving the connectivity of the landscape present the coexistence of high migration resistance and large optimization potential, and urgently need to be restored first. This study provides a method to combine the structural and the functional analysis to construct a UGI network and formulate more scientifical protection strategies for planning departments.

scholarly journals Young urban trees as important structures in the cultural heritage of cities – a case study from Prague

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ales Rudl ◽  
Ivo Machar ◽  
Lubos Uradnicek ◽  
Ludek Praus ◽  
Vilem Pechanec
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Young Tree ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Field Mapping ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

Abstract Urban trees generate numerous ecosystem services, and these are often closely associated with the species, age and size of trees as well as with their vitality. Generally, the focus of urban and regional planning is aimed at very large trees, because very large trees are considered to be key green structures in an urban green infrastructure. However, there is a significant knowledge gap related to the importance of young trees in cities, despite their value in urban green spaces, greenways, parks, gardens, urban forests, and as components of green roofs and green walls. This study is the result of field mapping young trees in the urban area of the famous European historical city of Prague. Field mapping revealed a total of 40 individual young trees, or young tree groups, with cultural value in the study area of Prague. The results of this empirical study indicate that young trees (not just very large and old trees) can be very important structures for the provision of cultural ecosystem services in cities, and that they can be viewed as living cultural symbols. This is a new aspect in the awareness of the environmental and social roles of urban trees. This case study from Prague suggests that (i) young trees in urban areas need more attention from researchers and (ii) should be incorporated into urban planning as an important component of urban green infrastructure.

scholarly journals Planning Strategy for the Reduction of Runoff Using Urban Green Space

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2238
Author(s):  
Byungsun Yang ◽  
Dong Kun Lee
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Reduction Rate ◽  
Area Ratio ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Runoff Reduction

Urban green space plays an important role in treating stormwater. In a highly dense urban environment, it is difficult to create large areas of green space. To utilize green space in urban areas effectively, locating an effective green space type is important. In this study, we examined the effect of green space on runoff reduction by comparing different green space setting scenarios. By changing the green space area ratio, green space structure, street tree type, and rainfall duration and amount, we compared the runoff rates. The results showed that the green space area ratio was more effective when more than 10% of the area was green space, and the runoff reduction rate was decreased more effectively when the tree canopy LAI (leaf area index) value increased from 2 to 2.5 than when the LAI value was higher. Green space was more effective at lower intensities of rainfall events. Different green space structures cause other effects on evaporation and soil infiltration. Each strategy needs to be implemented correctly for green infrastructure policy purposes.

scholarly journals Urban Green Infrastructure and Green Open Spaces: An Issue of Social Fairness in Times of COVID-19 Crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10606
Author(s):  
Florian Reinwald ◽  
Daniela Haluza ◽  
Ulrike Pitha ◽  
Rosemarie Stangl
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

At the time of the restrictions and lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, it became apparent how difficult it is for city dwellers to adhere to the prescribed behavioural measures and the protective distance in densely built urban areas. Inner-city parks and green spaces were heavily used for recreational purposes and were thus periodically overcrowded. These observations highlight the need for green open spaces in urban areas, especially in exceptional situations regarding pandemics and climate-related heat periods. Green open spaces and greened buildings help cities and the population cope with the consequences of climate change and have a decisive positive effect on human health and well-being. This paper aims to outline which social issues are related to the availability of green infrastructure close to home and which health consequences need to be considered. The COVID-19 challenges could offer a chance and an opportunity to increase the resilience of cities and their inhabitants in various terms. A cross-disciplinary team of authors (public health, urban and landscape planning, landscaping and vegetation technologies science) describes and discusses challenges and opportunities that arise from this crisis for cities from an inter-disciplinary perspective, concluding that urban green infrastructure helps in two ways: to adapt to climate change and the challenges posed by COVID-19.

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