Urban Green Spaces for Sustainable Community Development

Author(s):  
José G. Vargas-Hernández ◽  
Karina Pallagst ◽  
Justyna Anna Zdunek-Wielgołaska

This chapter aims to analyze the strategic management innovation in sustainable management of urban green spaces for neighborhood and community development. The report is intended to review the available theoretical and empirical literature on urban green spaces in the main related topics of community and neighborhood development, sustainable management, and strategic management innovation. The research methods employed are the analytical from a functionalist approach moving later into the critical analysis and finally from a holistic or integrative point of view. Finally, this chapter adopts a provocative and prescriptive strategic management approach of urban green spaces by presenting some research gaps and suggesting future research.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7863
Author(s):  
Antonios Kolimenakis ◽  
Alexandra D. Solomou ◽  
Nikolaos Proutsos ◽  
Evangelia V. Avramidou ◽  
Evangelia Korakaki ◽  
...  

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Fors ◽  
Frederik Aagaard Hagemann ◽  
Åsa Ode Sang ◽  
Thomas B. Randrup

This systematic review contributes to the research field of user participation by suggesting a new holistic approach comprising a cyclic process model for long-term participation in the strategic management of urban green spaces, including analysis, design, and implementation phases, each followed by an evaluation. User participation in urban green spaces is encouraged in international conventions. Such initiatives aim to involve citizens more closely in decisions regarding local spaces, based on the premise that this will create better, more inclusive, and sustainable local environments. However, a social inclusion perspective is largely absent in the growing body of European scientific literature on urban green spaces. Further, user participation processes are often carried out within projects, with uncertainties about which strategic management phase (planning, design, construction, and/or maintenance) to emphasize and about the long-term sustainability of project-based participation. Therefore, the literature was examined for tools for participation with the focus on participation of local users in the strategic management of urban green spaces, and in particular, marginalized groups. A systematic review based on peer-reviewed scientific papers revealed the necessity for adapting participation processes to the known needs of different participant groups, including those of marginalized groups often excluded in the past. Local authorities have several pathways to socially inclusive and long-term participation. These include choosing and employing a suitable participation approach, anchoring repeated project-based participation in existing municipal long-term strategies, continuously supporting participating users and evaluating ongoing participation processes, and employing a mix of participation types and approaches. The “cyclic process model for long-term participation in strategic management of UGS” presented in this paper could guide such efforts.


Author(s):  
Abdullah Akpınar

This study investigates associations between characteristics of urban green spaces (UGSs) and adolescents’ self-reported green exercise (GE), general health, and body mass index (BMI). Data were collected through face-to-face personal interviews with 384 adolescents ages 13–19 between 1 March and 31 May, 2018 in UGSs in Aydın, Turkey. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine associations controlling for confounding factors. Stratified analyses were also conducted to determine differences between boys and girls. Positive associations with the duration of GE included many trees, lawns, soccer fields and basketball courts, play equipment, and self-reported general health. Whereas increased BMI was associated with increased benches/ seating, lawns and exercise trails were positively associated with self-reported general health. Negative relationships with increased BMI included many trees, open areas, and outdoor fitness equipment. Increased distance from UGSs was negatively associated with the frequency of GE. In stratified analyses, positive associations between boys’ duration of GE and self-reported general health were found. Whereas soccer fields and basketball courts were associated with girls’ frequency of GE, exercise trails and play equipment were correlated with girls’ self-reported general health. Negative associations with the boys’ frequency of GE included increased BMI and screen time. Whereas increased distance from UGSs was negatively associated with girls’ frequency of GE, many trees, lawns, exercise trails, play equipment, open areas, flowerbeds, and outdoor fitness equipment were negatively correlated with girls’ increased BMI. Findings suggest that adolescents’ GE and health could be promoted with many trees, lawns, flowerbeds, open areas, play and outdoor fitness equipment, exercise trails, and soccer fields and basketball courts. Findings of this study should be tested with longitudinal or intervention studies in future research.


Author(s):  
Marion Porcherie ◽  
Nyan Linn ◽  
Anne Roué Le Gall ◽  
Marie-Florence Thomas ◽  
Emmanuelle Faure ◽  
...  

This scoping study aims to explore the relationships between urban green spaces (UGSs) and the onset, remission and recovery of cancer. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews (protocol published in 2018). Eligibility criteria for papers were: (1) to be concerned with UGSs, (2) reporting effects of UGSs on cancer-related outcomes including direct or indirect measures, (3) reporting randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, case studies, observational studies, non-comparative studies, (4) in English or French. The search covered primary studies in the published and unpublished (grey) literatures searching by hand and electronic databases (MEDLINE, Green File, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and ScienceDirect). Among 1703 records screened by two reviewers independently, 29 were included for qualitative synthesis. We classify the cancers concerned and the effects reported i.e., protective effect, risk or without association. The most investigated cancers are bladder, breast and lung cancer. Our study also identified contributing factors and their mediating effects between UGSs and cancer. Even though the strength of the evidence of the associations between UGSs and cancer is still weak due to the low number of studies and their design, results highlight the wide variety of possible mediating factors between the use of green spaces and cancer occurrence, remission and/or prevention. Knowledge gaps and future research perspectives should be oriented to qualitative research on protective factors with an attention to equity in UGS access and use.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shruti Lahoti ◽  
Mohamed Kefi ◽  
Ashish Lahoti ◽  
Osamu Saito

Faced with a lack of fine grain data availability, in rapidly emerging urban centers of developing nations, the study explored a mapping methodology to create thematic map of public urban green space (UGS). Using GIS, a thematic map of Nagpur city, India was prepared. The objective was to prepare spatial data that are relevant for planners and policy makers, with detailed UGS typologies and to update the status of overall availability and distribution of hierarchical recreational green spaces in the city. The spatial and non-spatial data with added attributes gathered through fieldwork resulted in a holistic dataset, with high accuracy of thematic map (0.93 kappa coefficient). The recorded status of different typologies as well as the distribution of recreational UGS shows disparity in the distribution of UGS. The eastern part of the city grossly lacks UGS provisions, which is compensated by the western part with larger availability of natural green spaces. The mapping methodology is novel and effective for recording qualitative status, analyzing their spatial distribution and prioritizing the provisions of UGS. Future research integrating these spatial data with more qualitative research can provide a holistic view on benefits of UGS provisions and thus facilitate effective UGS governance aiming towards better green infrastructure and hence broader urban sustainability.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 58-66
Author(s):  
O. C. Ajewole ◽  
G. M. Adebo ◽  
B. O. Fadipe

 The attitude of urban dwellers is essential to the sustainable management of green spaces and parks in their environment.  The study was carried out to examine various ways of raising fund, preferred mode of contribution and determinants of mode of contribution of the respondents to sustainable management of urban green spaces and parks.  A total of 120 respondents were purposively selected based on the existence of green spaces and parks in six local government areas of Lagos state, Nigeria, Frequency counts, percentages and multivariate Probit regression model were used to analyze the data.  The result shows that voluntary donations and Tax were rated by 40.8% of the respondents respectively as the most viable way of generating funds for sustainable management and maintenance of urban green spaces and park in Lagos state. Also, 46.67% of the respondents were willing to donate or pay cash as their means of contributing to sustainable management of green spaces and parks, while 6.67% were not willing to donate or render any assistance for sustainable management of green spaces and parks. The study affirmed that the Sex, Marital status, and average monthly income of the respondents  had  positive and significant influence on the respondents’ contribution to sustainable management of urban green space and parks, while educational  level had a negative  influence on the mode respondents’ contribution to sustainable management of green spaces and parks.


Author(s):  
Filiz Çelik

Urban green spaces can be a comprehensive tool to ensure the sustainability of cities. The sustainability of green areas in planning, design, implementation, maintenance and operation processes contributes to the sustainable development of cities as well. There are many ways to ensure that green areas are sustainable from a social, economic and ecological point of view. These include the construction and use of compost under recycling and re-evaluation. The wastes generated as a result of periodic maintenance in urban green areas are disposed together with other wastes in solid waste storage area. However, the use of organic wastes in composting can ensure that green areas are sustainable by reducing both recycling and periodic maintenance costs of green areas. The aim of this study is to improve the idea of recycling and re-evaluation of organic wastes which are emerged in green areas by composting and using them in green areas. For this purpose, a model for composting and replacing fertilizer from organic wastes emerged in green areas of Konya was proposed. Thus, the costs of green areas with very high design, implementation and maintenance expenses will be reduced and they will be sustainable within themselves. The sustainability of urban green spaces will also contribute to Konya's urban sustainability.


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