scholarly journals Public Perception of Biodiversity: A Literature Review of Its Role in Urban Green Spaces

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Archana Bele ◽  
Ujwala Chakradeo
Keyword(s):  
Public Perception ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Quality Of Life ◽  
Triangular Relationship

Abstract The significance of biodiversity in the survival of human beings and enhancing the urban quality of life is evident from the empirical measurements and qualitative studies carried out across the globe. Despite its importance and value, burgeoning population and growing urbanization are posing a serious threat to biodiversity leading to biodiversity homogenization and ecosystem fragmentation. Moreover, studies reveal that management practices of biodiversity hardly take into account perception, needs, and knowledge of urban residents regarding biodiversity. Urban green spaces have a major role to play in the conservation of urban biodiversity. However, the triangular relationship between biodiversity, urban green spaces, and public perception is still unexplored. With this aim, the paper attempts to compile, analyze, and synthesize the empirical findings to understand the state-of-the-art knowledge regarding public perception of biodiversity in urban green spaces. The search strategy acquired for the selection of papers resulted in 43 papers from 22 different countries of the world. The paper focuses upon an inclusive definition of urban green spaces, thus encompasses a wide variety of urban and peri-urban green spaces, parks, gardens, and waterfront urban spaces. The analysis of literature pattern reveals a recent increase in studies related to biodiversity perception over the last 10 years. It indicates a strong geographic bias in publications as well. Studies of animals including birds, insects, and reptiles are found scarce compared to plant species. The study could identify potential variables affecting human biodiversity perception which include species literacy, visitation rate, preferences, recreational, health, and restorative benefits, vegetation characteristics, nature connectedness, and conservation support. The paper also proposes a framework for understanding biodiversity perception in urban green spaces that can assist in improving our understanding of the relationship between human interactions and natural environments and framing strategies for urban development, landscape planning, and community health promotions.

scholarly journals The Socioeconomic Welfare of Urban Green Areas and Parks; A Literature Review of Available Evidence

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7863
Author(s):  
Antonios Kolimenakis ◽  
Alexandra D. Solomou ◽  
Nikolaos Proutsos ◽  
Evangelia V. Avramidou ◽  
Evangelia Korakaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Urban Policy ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green Areas ◽  
Green Areas

Urban green areas present a lucid example for the harmonious co-existence of the artificial and natural environments best illustrated by their interdependence and interconnection in urban spaces. Urban green areas are essential for the health and wellbeing of citizens. The present study aimed to investigate those multiple benefits for citizens that arise through the existence of urban green areas, as well as important policy dimensions that should be considered when designing the expansion of urban green spaces in urban development. The study was based on a literature review to examine for available evidence on the benefit levels derived by the existence of urban green areas. An extended literature review was followed by a structured review, based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, which partly followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was conducted in two databases, and a total of 1674 articles and abstracts were identified through the database searches. After removing 114 duplicates, 1560 records were initially screened based on title and abstract. Following inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 articles were incorporated in the structured review and a total of 47 in the extended review. The extended literature review identified 33 additional articles examining aspects of benefits that did not fall under the pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria used in the structured review, such as health benefits and other social parameters associated with urban green spaces. The selected studies were allocated in five principal groups according to study types: three of the them consisted of studies employing “willingness to pay” (WTP) methods, five were based on property values, two studies assigned monetary values, while another two assigned CO2 values, and, finally, two studies were based on qualitative criteria. The results indicated benefits to citizens and increased welfare levels gained by the existence of urban green areas. The conducted review revealed a number of findings and recommendations that could direct future research and urban policy. Those hints could assist local authorities as well as stakeholders in order to measure and assess the benefits of green spaces and urban parks and promote measures and programs to assist their further deployment.

scholarly journals Mapping Public Urban Green Spaces Based on OpenStreetMap and Sentinel-2 Imagery Using Belief Functions

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 251
Author(s):  
Christina Ludwig ◽  
Robert Hecht ◽  
Sven Lautenbach ◽  
Martin Schorcht ◽  
Alexander Zipf
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Quality Of Life ◽  
Shafer Theory ◽  
Sentinel 2

Public urban green spaces are important for the urban quality of life. Still, comprehensive open data sets on urban green spaces are not available for most cities. As open and globally available data sets, the potential of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and OpenStreetMap (OSM) data for urban green space mapping is high but limited due to their respective uncertainties. Sentinel-2 imagery cannot distinguish public from private green spaces and its spatial resolution of 10 m fails to capture fine-grained urban structures, while in OSM green spaces are not mapped consistently and with the same level of completeness everywhere. To address these limitations, we propose to fuse these data sets under explicit consideration of their uncertainties. The Sentinel-2 derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was fused with OSM data using the Dempster–Shafer theory to enhance the detection of small vegetated areas. The distinction between public and private green spaces was achieved using a Bayesian hierarchical model and OSM data. The analysis was performed based on land use parcels derived from OSM data and tested for the city of Dresden, Germany. The overall accuracy of the final map of public urban green spaces was 95% and was mainly influenced by the uncertainty of the public accessibility model.

Best Management Practices for Irrigating Lawns and Urban Green Spaces with Reclaimed Water

EDIS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary G. Lusk ◽  
Don Rainey
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Reclaimed Water ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Home Lawns ◽  
Soil And Water

The purpose of this article is to present some sound recommendations, known as best management practices (BMPs), for irrigating lawns and other green spaces with reclaimed water (RW). These BMPs are for homeowners and landscaping professionals who use RW to irrigate home lawns or other irrigated green spaces in urban landscapes. Written by Mary G. Lusk and Don Rainey and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Soil and Water Sciences; 4 pages.

scholarly journals Characterization of Visitors’ Perception of Landscape Heterogeneity in Urban Green Spaces

Urban Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Alice Meyer-GrandBastien ◽  
Françoise Burel ◽  
Emmanuelle Hellier ◽  
Benjamin Bergerot
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Planning And Management ◽  
Current Context

In the current context of global urbanization, interdisciplinary research is needed to identify planning and management practices in urban green spaces (UGS) that would enhance both biodiversity and visitors’ well-being. The perception of landscape heterogeneity, a core ecological concept, has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on visitors’ psychological restoration. In order to apply these findings within UGS to planning and management practices, we need to characterize visitors’ perception of landscape heterogeneity. We gathered data on 390 visitors’ perception of landscape heterogeneity. Our results highlighted that visitors perceive landscape heterogeneity through the mixing of different heights of three vegetation strata and flower areas. Planning and management practices should enhance this landscape aspect within UGS to simultaneously promote biodiversity and visitors’ psychological well-being.

scholarly journals Urban Green Spaces—An Underestimated Resource in Third-Tier Towns in Poland

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 453
Author(s):  
Marcin Feltynowski ◽  
Jakub Kronenberg
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
Interconnected System ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces

Urban green spaces are frequently presented as being important for urban quality of life and urban development in general, but more detailed interpretations and discussions are typically confined to large urban centers, the so-called first- and second-tier cities. Not enough attention has been paid to smaller urban units, the third-tier towns. The main goal of this article is to investigate the share and types of urban green spaces in five selected towns in Poland. We compare different sources of data based on satellite imagery and land-use maps with those used in public statistics, to check whether town authorities are managing all potential green spaces or only a selected part of them. We find that the predominantly used data, based on what is classified as “urban green space” for the purposes of public statistics, obscure the complexity of urban green spaces and focus on the narrowly understood formally managed public green spaces (which occupy 3.5–5.7% of town areas). Meanwhile, based on other sources, such as the national land-use map (BDOT10k), Urban Atlas, and satellite imagery (Landsat 8), what is considered to be green space turns out to cover 50–80% of the town area. The latter large numbers are associated with the predominance of arable land, grasslands, and forests, overlooked in any green space management practices based on data and definitions adopted for the purposes of public statistics. The situation found in our five case study towns resembles that identified in larger cities in Poland, and it exhibits the inadequacy of public statistics definitions and the related management practices, hindering the management of urban green spaces as an interconnected system of urban green infrastructures.

scholarly journals A Study on Practicing Qigong and Getting Better Health Benefits in Biophilic Urban Green Spaces

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1692
Author(s):  
Shih-Han Hung ◽  
Wan-Yu Chou ◽  
Chun-Yen Chang
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Flow Experience ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Valid Data ◽  
Data Points ◽  
Biophilic Elements

In natural spaces, people experience traditional environmental Qi (TEQ), which supports healthy environmental energy flow, and helps them gain an overall improved Qi experience from practicing Qigong. However, what kind of urban green spaces support Qigong? This study provides an analysis that measures TEQ, Qi experience, flow experience, restorative experience, and preference when practicing Qigong in different urban green spaces. A total of 654 valid data points were collected. The results indicate that subjects practicing “breathing” among trees, meadows, and waterscapes perceived higher TEQ, Qi experience, flow experience, and restorative experience, and preferred it to the environment of plazas. In addition, practicing Qigong in environments featuring biophilic elements, such as plants (meadows and trees), elicits flow experience and Qi experience in the built environment. Water, an important biophilic element, also produces better TEQ and restorative experiences, and is preferred by human beings. These results make a connection between Qigong, experiences, and biophilic urban green spaces, and offer suggestions for users to gain health benefits while exercising in urban areas.

scholarly journals When It Rains, It Pours: Integrating Citizen Science Methods to Understand Resilience of Urban Green Spaces

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany Pudifoot ◽  
Macarena L. Cárdenas ◽  
Wouter Buytaert ◽  
Jonathan D. Paul ◽  
Claire L. Narraway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Infiltration Rate ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Flow Diagram ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces

Urban green spaces are often promoted as nature-based solutions, thus helping to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. Estimating the potential environmental benefits provided by urban green space is difficult because of inconsistencies in management practices and their heterogeneous nature. Collecting data across such a spectrum of contexts at a large scale is costly and time consuming. In this study, we explore a novel integrated method for citizen scientists to assess the flood mitigation potential of urban green spaces. In three European cities, citizen scientists measured infiltration rate and associated soil characteristics in managed and unmanaged urban green spaces. The results show that simple citizen science-based measurements can indicate the infiltration potential (i.e., high vs. low) of soil at these sites. Infiltration rate was best predicted by measurements of soil compaction, soil color, air temperature, and level of insolation (i.e., high vs. low). These simple, fast methods can be repeated over time and space by citizen scientists to provide robust estimates of soil characteristics and the infiltration potential of soils that exist in similar temperate urban areas. A classification flow diagram was constructed and validated that allows citizen scientists to carry out such tests over a wider geographical region and at a higher frequency than would be available to research scientists alone. Most importantly, it allows citizens to take actions to improve infiltration in their local green space and support local flood resilience.

scholarly journals DIFFERENCE IN PERCEPTION OF URBAN GREEN SPACES BETWEEN DANCHI AND APARTMENT RESIDENTS IN TOKIWADAIRA, MATSUDO CITY, JAPAN (Perbedaan dalam Persepsi Ruang Hijau Perkotaan di antara Penghuni Kompleks Rumah Susun dan Apartemen di Tokiwadaira, Kota Matsudo, Jepang)

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Prita Indah Pratiwi ◽  
Minseo Kim ◽  
Katsunori Furuya
Keyword(s):  
Elderly People ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Survey Analysis ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces

AbstractIn Japan, where most of the population now comprises elderly people, various social problems have emerged, including lack of workers, inadequate care for elderly people, lower birthrate, the abandonment of local areas, and lack of community. In highly populated urban areas, city planners propose sustainable landscape planning but sometimes ignore the public, eliminating their sense of place. This study aimed to clarify the differences in green space perception between residents of danchi and apartments in Tokiwadaira, Matsudo, to learn what residents’ attributes may influence their perceptions, and to formulate factors of recognition and awareness of urban green spaces. The research was conducted in three stages: a recognition and awareness survey, analysis, and interpretation. A Mann-Whitney U test and Welch’s t test were applied to examine significant differences in perception level; a Chi-square test was applied to examine the relationship between residents’ attributes and volunteering activity; finally, factor analysis was applied to characterize residents’ recognition and awareness of nature and green spaces. The results demonstrated three significant differences regarding the benefits of green spaces between danchi and apartment residents, and five significant differences in their interest in green spaces. The attributes influencing danchi residents’ perceptions were gender and age, while those influencing apartment residents were age, existence of children, employment status, length of stay, and existence of green spaces. The three factors accounting for residents’ interest in green spaces and nature were: high recognition and awareness, moderate recognition and awareness, and low recognition and awareness. The results may prove useful as guidance for specific local governments in relation to urban green space planning and design. AbstrakDi Jepang di mana sebagian besar penduduknya terdiri atas orang lanjut usia, berbagai masalah sosial telah terjadi, seperti kurangnya tenaga kerja, perawatan bagi orang lanjut usia yang rendah, kelahiran anak-anak yang rendah, terabaikannya daerah setempat, dan kurangnya komunitas. Di daerah perkotaan yang berpenduduk padat, perencana kota mengusulkan perencanaan lanskap berkelanjutan, tetapi terkadang mengabaikan publik dan menghilangkan makna tempat mereka. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperjelas perbedaan persepsi ruang hijau antara penghuni di kompleks rumah susun semi publik dan apartemen di Tokiwadaira, Matsudo, untuk mengetahui atribut penghuni yang dapat mempengaruhi persepsi mereka, dan untuk merumuskan faktor-faktor pengenalan dan kesadaran akan ruang hijau perkotaan. Penelitian ini dilakukan dalam tiga tahap: survei kesadaran dan pengenalan, analisis, dan interpretasi. Uji Mann-Whitney U dan Welch's t digunakan untuk menguji perbedaan level persepsi yang signifikan antara penghuni danchi dan apartemen. Uji Chi-square digunakan untuk menguji hubungan antara atribut penghuni dan kegiatan sukarela, terakhir analisis faktor digunakan untuk mengkarakterisasi pengenalan dan kesadaran penghuni terhadap alam dan ruang hijau. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat tiga perbedaan signifikan mengenai manfaat ruang hijau di antara penghuni danchi dan apartemen, dan lima perbedaan signifikan terhadap minat ruang hijau. Atribut yang mempengaruhi persepsi penduduk danchi adalah gender dan usia, sedangkan hal-hal yang mempengaruhi penghuni apartemen adalah usia, keberadaan anak, status pekerjaan, lama tinggal, dan keberadaan ruang hijau. Tiga faktor yang menentukan minat penghuni terhadap alam dan ruang hijau di antaranya: pengenalan dan kesadaran yang tinggi, pengenalan dan kesadaran yang sedang, serta pengenalan dan kesadaran yang rendah. Hasil penelitian ini dapat berguna sebagai panduan perencanaan dan desain ruang hijau kota untuk pemerintah lokal.

scholarly journals Comparison On Sustainable Urban Landscape Management: Insight From Urban Green Space Governance In England, Malaysia And Singapore

2019 ◽  
Vol 266 ◽  
pp. 06006
Author(s):  
Faiza Darkhani ◽  
Osman Mohd Tahir ◽  
Roziya Ibrahi
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Proper Management

In order to achieve high-quality urban landscape management, it is important to have a proper management system. Some developing countries are facing a decline of green spaces due to lack of proper management. This paper aims to identify best management practices and provide a comparison regarding the governance of urban landscape management in the context of three countries: England, Malaysia and Singapore. It also highlights the importance of establishing more appropriate programs in order to achieve the goal of sustainability. The findings show that good and proper planning as well as programs and activities in the local government system can enhance and increase urban green space in a landscape. The contribution of this paper is to increase the local authority’s knowledge of managing the landscape and decreasing the deterioration and decline of urban green spaces in a landscape.

scholarly journals What Characteristics of Urban Green Spaces and Recreational Activities Do Self-Reported Stressed Individuals Like? A Case Study of Baoji, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Gao ◽  
Rui Song ◽  
Ling Zhu ◽  
Ling Qiu
Keyword(s):  
Green Space ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Stress Recovery ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Restorative Environment

Several studies have revealed the positive effects of green space and certain activities on counteracting the physical and mental pressure felt by human beings. However, how self-reported stressed people perceive restorative green spaces, their preferences for specific characteristics and activities, and what characteristics of urban green space can induce various types of activities for stress recovery has not been fully examined in the high-density cities of China. Using an on-site questionnaire survey conducted in the People’s Park (PP) in Baoji, China, this study is the first to consider the relationship among eight sensory dimensions, activity types and stress recovery in Chinese green space. Results showed that the highest-stressed respondents were more likely to spend their time in multi-layered woodlands adjacent to water, with more experiences of serene but less about prospect. They preferred serene dimension more, while the culture and social dimensions were least preferred. Sports and leisure activities and quiet activities were the most popular among highest-stressed respondents, which were positively related to the serene and nature dimensions, respectively. Results suggested that the most restorative environment for stress recovery can be regarded as multi-layered woodlands adjacent to water with more serene and nature, less prospect and few or no culture and social dimensions.

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