scholarly journals Lawns in Cities: From a Globalised Urban Green Space Phenomenon to Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Ignatieva ◽  
Dagmar Haase ◽  
Diana Dushkova ◽  
Annegret Haase
Keyword(s):  
International Workshop ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Lawns

This opinion paper discusses urban lawns, the most common part of open green spaces and urban green infrastructures. It highlights both the ecosystem services and also disservices provided by urban lawns based on the authors’ experience of working within interdisciplinary research projects on lawns in different cities of Europe (Germany, Sweden and Russia), New Zealand (Christchurch), USA (Syracuse, NY) and Australia (Perth). It complements this experience with a detailed literature review based on the most recent studies of different biophysical, social, planning and design aspects of lawns. We also used an international workshop as an important part of the research methodology. We argue that although lawns of Europe and the United States of America are now relatively well studied, other parts of the world still underestimate the importance of researching lawns as a complex ecological and social phenomenon. One of the core objectives of this paper is to share a paradigm of nature-based solutions in the context of lawns, which can be an important step towards finding resilient sustainable alternatives for urban green spaces in the time of growing urbanisation, increased urban land use competition, various user demands and related societal challenges of the urban environment. We hypothesise that these solutions may be found in urban ecosystems and various local native plant communities that are rich in species and able to withstand harsh conditions such as heavy trampling and droughts. To support the theoretical hypothesis of the relevance of nature-based solutions for lawns we also suggest and discuss the concept of two natures—different approaches to the vision of urban nature, including the understanding and appreciation of lawns. This will help to increase the awareness of existing local ecological approaches as well as an importance of introducing innovative landscape architecture practices. This article suggests that there is a potential for future transdisciplinary international research that might aid our understanding of lawns in different climatic and socio-cultural conditions as well as develop locally adapted (to environmental conditions, social needs and management policies) and accepted nature-based solutions.

scholarly journals Investigation of The Sufficiency of Antalya Parks

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (sp) ◽  
pp. 2449-2457
Author(s):  
Orhun Soydan ◽  
Nefise Çetin
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Spatial Analyses ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Functional Value ◽  
Neighborhood Boundaries ◽  
Nature Parks

Urban green spaces are areas established to meet the recreational needs of urban people. Although green spaces vary from country to country and region in terms of plan and design features, they were basically created to allow people to meet with nature. Parks are the basic components of urban landscapes that provide environmental and social functional value. Urban parks, in particular, provide spaces for outdoor physical activities. In order to take advantage of the opportunities of activities in the parks, users must have convenient access to these resources. One of the most important aspects for researching the use and potential benefits of urban green spaces is the assessment of their geographic accessibility. The widespread use of smart city systems and the gradual expansion of their usage areas increase the importance of spatial analysis. Spatial analyses are used in today’s urban management in the processes of determining social needs, identifying current problems, and putting forward solutions. When spatial analyses are used together with GIS, the field of application develops even more, and it supports local governments in responding to the changing demands of the society for a better life. In the study, the adequacy and accessibility of 160 city parks in Konyaaltı District of Antalya Province were examined. In terms of the adequacy of the parks, the area value of 10 m2 per person determined with the Construction Plan numbered 3194 was taken as basis. In terms of accessibility, distance values of 200, 400, 800, 1,200 meters were examined. Neighborhood boundaries and population information were obtained from the relevant units, and Arc-GIS software was used in the analysis. It was determined that the parks in Konyaaltı district were insufficient in terms of adequacy and accessibility. Finally, suggestions were made in terms of increasing the adequacy of the parks and ensuring accessibility.

scholarly journals Seasonality and social factors, but not noise pollution, influence the song characteristics of two leaf warbler species

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257074
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Deoniziak ◽  
Tomasz S. Osiejuk
Keyword(s):  
Social Factors ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Bird Song ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Willow Warbler ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Song Divergence ◽  
The Common

Changes in the acoustic signalling of animals occupying urban ecosystems is often associated with the masking effects of noise pollution, but the way in which they respond to noise pollution is not straightforward. An increasing number of studies indicate that responses can be case specific, and some species have been found to respond differently to high levels of natural versus anthropogenic noise, as well as different levels of the latter. While the perception of noise between species may vary with its source, amplitude and temporal features, some species may possess broader environmental tolerance to noise pollution, as they use higher frequency vocalizations that are less masked by low-frequency urban noise. In this study, we explored the song variation of two closely related leaf warblers, the Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita and the Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus, inhabiting urban green spaces and nonurban forests. The main goal of our study was to evaluate the impact of moderate levels of noise pollution on the songs of species which use higher frequency vocalizations and large frequency bandwidth. Previous studies found that the Common Chiffchaff modified their song in response to intense noise pollution, while no such data is available for the Willow Warbler. However, the majority of urban green spaces, which serve as wildlife hot spots in urban environments are usually polluted with moderate noise levels, which may not mask the acoustic signals of species that communicate with higher frequency. We analysed the spectral and temporal song parameters of both warblers and described the ambient noise present in males’ territories. Additionally, we looked at the social and seasonal aspects of bird song, since there is more than just noise in urban ecosystems which may affect acoustic communication. We found no evidence for noise-related bird song divergence in either species, however, we showed that social factors, time of day and season influence certain Common Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler song characteristics. Lack of noise-related bird song divergence may be due to the relatively low variation in its amplitude or other noise features present within the song frequency range of the studied species. Similar results have previously been shown for a few songbird species inhabiting urban ecosystems. Although in many cases such results remain in the shadow of the positive ones, they all contribute to a better understanding of animal communication in urban ecosystems.

scholarly journals Using Remote Sensing in Monitoring the Urban Green Spaces: A Case Study in Qorveh, Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-15
Author(s):  
Aynaz Lotfata
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Land Development ◽  
Urban Land ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Space Distribution ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces

Urban green spaces are important to the physical activity, mental wellbeing, and health of urban residents. In medium-sized cities in Iran, urban green spaces have been ignored during the past decades. In this study, remote sensing and geographic information system was used to investigate the green space distribution in the built-up areas. Accordingly, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) were used to estimate urban green spaces distribution within the urban landscapes to measure the urban land use effect. The geospatial analysis results presented a lack of green spaces in built-up areas. Also, 16.8% of the total area of Qorveh city is considered as a dysfunctional urban fabric that 39.4% of the city’s population live in this area. This study highlighted the usage of green space index with geospatial analyses in illustrating the urban green spaces’ importance for planning. For the future urban land development scenarios, this approach could be used linking with regional planning approaches.

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.

Social inequalities in the associations between urban green spaces, self-perceived health and mortality in Brussels: Results from a census-based cohort study

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 102603
Author(s):  
Lucía Rodriguez-Loureiro ◽  
Lidia Casas ◽  
Mariska Bauwelinck ◽  
Wouter Lefebvre ◽  
Charlotte Vanpoucke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Health And Mortality

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.

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