scholarly journals Promoting Resilient and Healthy Cities for Everyone in an Urban Planning Context by Assessing Green Area Accessibility

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Rostang ◽  
Asa Gren ◽  
Adam Feinberg ◽  
Meta Berghauser Pont
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Healthy Cities ◽  
Population Groups ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
Health Gap

Rapid economic development and population growth has led to urban densification and massive land use changes, putting pressure on both ecosystems, and people. In this context, public health issues have become crucial for cities to address to ensure they remain livable and healthy for everyone. Since the health challenges of cities tend to manifest themselves differently among different population groups—e.g., groups of higher socioeconomic status tend to be correlated with better health than groups of low socioeconomic status—closing the health gap has become a priority for creating healthy cities for everyone. More greenness close to where people live and better accessibility to green areas has been shown to be useful for improving human health and for tackling health inequalities. This paper aims at developing a method for supporting urban planners and policymakers on where to geographically prioritize investments in green infrastructure to contribute to closing the health gap and promote community resilience through improving public health. Using the City of Stockholm as a pilot, we apply a GIS analysis to identify vulnerable population groups in relation to geotagged empirical human health- and socio-economic data. By then assessing vulnerable populations in relation to population numbers and accessibility to urban green areas, an Urban Green Opportunity Map (UGOM) was created, identifying focus areas where investment in green infrastructure will contribute most to closing the health gap and building community resilience.

scholarly journals The Value of Urban Nature in Terms of Providing Ecosystem Services Related to Health and Well-Being: An Empirical Comparative Pilot Study of Cities in Germany and the Czech Republic

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 341
Author(s):  
Ralf-Uwe Syrbe ◽  
Ina Neumann ◽  
Karsten Grunewald ◽  
Patrycia Brzoska ◽  
Jiři Louda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Urban Nature ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

The quality of life in our cities critically depends on the intelligent planning and shaping of urban living space, in particular urban nature. By providing a wide range of ecosystem services (ES), urban nature essentially contributes to the well-being of city dwellers and plays a major role in avoiding common diseases through its positive impact on physical and mental health. Health is one of the most important factors underlying human welfare and is, thus, vital to sustainable development. The ES of urban green space provide other social-cultural functions alongside public health, for example by fostering environmental justice and citizenship participation. Thus, they should always be considered when searching for solutions to urban problems. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of green areas in three selected cities on the health and well-being of people by self-reporting of green areas’ visitors. To this end, we posed the research question: which types and characteristics of urban green space are most appreciated by city dwellers? Based on our findings, we have drawn up recommendations for practices to promote better living conditions. We have also pinpointed obstacles to and opportunities for leisure time activities as well as ways of supporting the public health of citizens.

Dynamic evaluation of small urban green areas at local level using GEOBIA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana-Maria Popa ◽  
Diana Andreea Onose ◽  
Ionut Cosmin Sandric ◽  
Simona Raluca Gradinaru ◽  
Athanasios Alexandru Gavrilidis
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Urbanization Process ◽  
Dynamic Evaluation ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Areas ◽  
Green Areas

<p>Urban green infrastructure has various benefits known as ecosystem services such as regulating, cultural, provisioning and supporting services. Among the provided benefits there are decrease of air temperature, increasing humidity and mitigating urban heat island as regulating services; human-nature relations as cultural services; improving air quality, carbon sequestration as provisioning services and photosynthesis, nutrient and water cycling as supporting services. The high intensity of the urbanization process across the last decades coupled with weak legislative frameworks resulted both in large areas affected by urban sprawl and densification of the existing urban fabric. Both phenomenon generated loss in open spaces, especially green areas. In the context of the sustainable urbanization promoted by HABITAT Agenda, the knowledge related with the distribution, size and quality of urban green areas represents a priority. The study aim is to identify small urban green areas at local level at different time moments for a dynamic evaluation. We focused on small urban green areas since they are scarcely analysed even if their importance for the urban quality of life Is continuously increasing given the urbanization process. We used satellite imagery acquired by Planet Satellite Constellations, with a spatial resolution of 3.7 m and daily coverage, for extracting green areas. The images were processed using Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) techniques implemented in Esri ArcGIS Pro. The spatial analysis we performed generated information about distribution, surfaces, quality (based on NDVI) and dynamic of small urban green areas. The results are connected with the local level development of the urban areas we analysed, but also with the population consumption pattern for leisure services, housing, transport or other public utilities. The analysis can represent a complementary method for extracting green areas at urban level and can support the data collection for calculating urban sustainability indicators.</p>

scholarly journals Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen L. Wolf ◽  
Sharon T. Lam ◽  
Jennifer K. McKeen ◽  
Gregory R.A. Richardson ◽  
Matilda van den Bosch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Urban Forestry ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Future Research

The urban forest is a green infrastructure system that delivers multiple environmental, economic, social and health services, and functions in cities. Environmental benefits of urban trees are well understood, but no review to date has examined how urban trees affect human health. This review provides a comprehensive summary of existing literature on the health impacts of urban trees that can inform future research, policy, and nature-based public health interventions. A systematic search used keywords representing human health, environmental health, and urban forestry. Following screening and appraisal of several thousand articles, 201 studies were conceptually sorted into a three-part framework. Reducing Harm, representing 41% of studies, includes topics such as air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, heat exposure, and pollen. Restoring Capacities, at 31%, includes attention restoration, mental health, stress reduction, and clinical outcomes. Building Capacities, at 28%, includes topics such as birth outcomes, active living, and weight status. The studies that were reviewed show substantial heterogeneity in purpose and method yet indicate important health outcomes associated with people’s exposure to trees. This review will help inform future research and practice, and demonstrates why urban forest planning and management should strategically promote trees as a social determinant of public health.

scholarly journals Measuring health outcomes of OECD countries’ urban greenspace, with a special focus on Milan (Italy)

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Oradini-Alacreu ◽  
A Rebecchi ◽  
A G Mezzoiuso ◽  
R Croci ◽  
M Buffoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Oecd Countries ◽  
World Population ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Greenspace ◽  
Urban Green Areas ◽  
Green Areas

Abstract Background Urban world population has raised to 4.2 billion in 2018, with 2.5 billion more forecasted by 2050. Cities are places of opportunities but, at the same time, sites of environmental and social risk factors. Scientific evidence about urban green's environmental benefits is abundant, but Public Health outcomes are seldom carefully defined. The project aims at assessing the Public, Urban and Mental Health outcomes of urban green areas in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, and at exploring citizen urban greenspace perception in Milan, Italy. Methods A systematic review of literature was conducted according to the 2015 PRISMA statement. Two online databases (Medline and Embase), were consulted, and inclusion criteria were set, ruling in all OECD countries-based, English-written studies from 2000 to December 2019. Only objectively measurable health outcomes were deemed suitable for analysis. Based on the main review findings, a community-based survey was created, targeting residents of Milan and its suburban area to understand better how they benefit from the urban green areas in their city. The study is being carried out by an interdisciplinary team of medical doctors and architects. Results We grouped health outcomes into five separate domains, namely cardiovascular, obesity, respiratory, neoplasia and mental health. We found negative associations between disease prevalence and urban greenspace overall quantity. Size, perceived quality and accessibility were powerfully explanatory variables. Milan community-based survey drafting is underway. Results are still preliminary and will be presented by tables, graphs and plots. Conclusions Cities are increasingly becoming critical points for many emerging Public Health challenges. The results of our study may help urban planners, key stakeholders, policymakers and communities to preserve and increase existing green spaces, and to improve Urban Public Health. Key messages Urban greenspace is paramount to OECD cities’ current and future sustainability because of its significant impact on Public, Urban and Mental Health. Milan citizens show remarkable care for urban greenspaces integrity and development.

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 ANALYZING LONG-TERM AVAILABILITY OF URBAN GREEN SPACE BY SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IN MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA, USING OPEN DATA AND TOOLS

2020 ◽  
Vol XLII-3/W12-2020 ◽  
pp. 539-544
Author(s):  
J. E. Patiño
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Population Groups ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Long Term Trends

Abstract. The availability of green spaces is an important issue for urban populations worldwide, given the benefits that the green spaces provide for health, well-being, and quality of life. But urban green spaces are not always distributed equally for different population groups within cities. Latin America is the second most urbanized region of the world, but there are few published studies analysing the green space availability for different urban population groups, and less so analysing the long-term trends. This work presents an analysis of long-term availability of urban green spaces by different socioeconomic status population groups in Medellin city, Colombia, using open geospatial data and open software tools. The results indicate that disparities between different groups have been decreasing in the last years, but there are still efforts to do. Showing this kind of analysis based on open data and tools is essential as it opens the possibility for replicating it in other cities with scarce budgets.

Phytoremediation: Nature based solution for contaminated urban soils

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zorana Hrkic Ilic ◽  
Marijana Kapovic Solomun ◽  
Nada Sumatic
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Urban Population ◽  
Urban Soils ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

<p><strong>Abstract</strong>: Rapid growth of urban population and consequential increasing traffic, construction of buildings, roads, industrial areas, affects urban soils as well as urban environment in general. Urban soils differ from the natural soils by their disturbed structure resulting from waste disposal, construction sites, pollution from atmospheric deposition, traffic and industrial activities. Mismanagement of urban environment can cause severe contamination of green areas in cities, with serious health risk for urban population. To prevail those issues and improve the sustainability of urban green areas, innovative and nature based solutions (NBS) should gain more attention, particularly those easily applied such as tree-based phytoremediation. Unlike traditional remediation techniques that are expensive, very demanding and can cause secondary pollution, tree-based phytoremediation is NBS with wide spectrum of application. It is low-cost technique, based on urban green infrastructure (parks, alleys, community gardens) and has numerous benefits reflected throught sustainable management of urban soils and improvement of general environmental, health, social and economic conditions for urban population. Primarly, urban green infrastructure consist of different tree species capable to mitigate soil contamination, especially contamination with toxic heavy metals (HMs). Regeneration of urban ecosystems based on the role of tree species is connected to ability of trees to retain, uptake and decompose pollutants (including HMs) from contaminated urban soils, enabling their re-use process and turning them into green and environmental friendly areas. Taking into account advantages of phytoremediation technique, the aim of this paper is to present concentration of some HMs (cadmium, lead and zinc) in urban soils of cities accross Bosnia and Herzegovina and look into phytoremediation potential of common urban tree species: horse chestnut (<em>Aesculus</em> <em>hippocastanum</em> L.) and planetree (<em>Platanus</em> × <em>acerifolia</em> (Aiton) Willd.). Results showed high phytoremediation potential of above mentioned tree species, which opens space for further research and introduction of this NBS for remediation of many severely polluted urban soils, drawing attention to better-understood urban sustainability and importance of application of phytoremediation as NBS on local level.</p><p><strong>Key words</strong>: nature-based solutions, phytoremediation, urban soil, trees, heavy metals</p>

scholarly journals Greening Blocks: A Conceptual Typology of Practical Design Interventions to Integrate Health and Climate Resilience Co-Benefits

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Barron ◽  
Sophie Nitoslawski ◽  
Kathleen L. Wolf ◽  
Angie Woo ◽  
Erin Desautels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Space Design ◽  
Climate Resilience ◽  
Adaptation Response

It is increasingly evident that exposure to green landscape elements benefits human health. Urban green space in cities is also recognized as a crucial adaptation response to changes in climate and its subsequent effects. The exploration of conceptual and practical intersections between human health, green spaces, and climate action is needed. Evidence-based guidance is needed for stakeholders, practitioners, designers, and citizens in order to assess and manage urban green spaces that maximize co-benefits for both human health and climate resilience. This paper proposes interventions that provide strategic green space enhancement at the neighborhood and block scale. We propose eight tangible green space interventions and associated metrics to integrate climate resilience and population health co-benefits into urban green space design and planning: View from within, Plant entrances, Bring nature nearby, Retain the mature, Generate diversity, Create refuge, Connect experiences, and Optimize green infrastructure. These interventions represent a hierarchy of functional design concepts that respond to experiential qualities and physical/psychological dimensions of health, and which enhance resilience at a range of social scales from the individual to the neighborhood. The interventions also reveal additional research needs in green space design, particularly in neighborhood-level contexts.

scholarly journals STRUCTURE AND BIOMASS ANALYSIS OF URBAN VEGETATION IN SQUARES OF SANTA CECÍLIA DISTRICT, SÃO PAULO, SP

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Luis Dias Arratia ◽  
Andreza Portella Ribeiro ◽  
Cristiano Capellani Quaresma ◽  
Elaine Aparecida Rodrigues ◽  
Edgar Fernando de Lucca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Tree Density ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Average Height ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Areas ◽  
Green Areas

ABSTRACT Urban trees play an important role in urban planning and are directly linked to urban spaces that promote ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation and carbon stock. A useful methodology to quantify the above-ground (ABG) biomass, and consequently, the carbon stocks, in this green infrastructure is the allometric models made for tropical areas. This work aimed to evaluate the carbon stock in public squares within the central region of São Paulo city, thus contributing to the comprehension of São Paulo’s green infrastructure. To test the models, tree density and ABG biomass of approximately 7 ha of urban green areas in the center of São Paulo city were evaluated. The activities involved measuring the diameter at breast height (DBH) of the trees and the total height of all individuals with a DBH greater than 5 cm. The results showed that the public squares varied in size and number of trees. The average height of trees also varied along the squares, probably influencing the ABG biomass allocation. Also, the results showed that there was a considerable variation between the ABG biomass estimated along the models. Some squares stood out in absolute terms of ABG biomass accumulation. The size of the green area correlated only with the total number of individuals found (R2=0.44). The total ABG biomass, tree density, and ABG biomass density did not present a significant relationship with the size of the squares. This work demonstrates, for the first time, the attributes of tree communities in public squares of- São Paulo city and provides technical information for the management of public policies related to the protection and maintenance of urban green areas.

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