Experience Them, Love Them, Protect Them—Has the Pandemic Changed People’s Perception of Urban and Suburban Green Spaces and Their Conservation Targets?

Public green and open spaces fulfil various social, ecological, economic, and aesthetic roles, which complement each another, but can also compete with one another. COVID-19 pandemic catalysed multiple societal changes, including citizens’ perception, needs and expectations posed towards urban green spaces. This article discusses the extent to which the temporally and geographically changed patterns of experiencing these natural spaces also influenced users’ perception and behaviour as well as their appreciation of the conservation areas. The study is based upon two surveys carried out in the greater metropolitan region of Vienna, the capital city of Austria. A quantitative survey (representative online panel) among Viennese population (n=1012), as well as qualitive interviews with experts responsible for conservation areas, administrators of federal parks, along with NGOs representatives were carried out in spring and summer 2021. Our study shows the changed use of urban and suburban large green spaces and conservation areas: first, from the perspective of those responsible for the areas as well as the visitors. Both perspectives supplement one another. They highlight also changed perception of urban citizens towards green spaces during COVID-19 pandemic. An increased importance of time spent in nature (68%) and possibility to visit large green areas (67%) was reported by Viennese citizens. Also, higher recognition of green spaces located close to home was observed among 69% of the respondents. Thus, the presented study contributes to the ongoing international discussion on the transition of societal needs and its effects on urban green spaces induced by the pandemic. Presented results deliver solid arguments highlighting the need of urgent transformation towards a more sustainable, resilient and healthy urban space.

EVALUATION OF THE POTENTIAL OF GREEN ROOFS APPLIED TO AN URBAN FABRIC USING GIS AND REMOTE SENSING DATA CASE OF THE NADOR CITY / MOROCCO

Accelerated urban growth has affected many of the planet's natural processes. In cities, most of the surface is covered with asphalt and cement, which has changed the water and air cycles. To restore the balance of urban ecosystems, cities must find the means to create green spaces in an increasingly gray world. Green spaces provide the city and its inhabitants a better living environment. This article uses Nador city as a case study area, this project consists in studying the possibility for the roofs to receive vegetation. The first axis of this project is the quantification of the current vegetation cover at ground level by calculating the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) based on Satellite images Landsat 8, then the classification of the LiDAR point cloud, and the generation of a digital surface model (DSM) of the urban area. This type of derived data was used as the basis for the various stages of estimating the potential plant cover at the roof level. In order to study the different possible scenarios, a set of criteria was applied, such as the minimum roof area, the inclination and the duration of the sunshine on the roof, which is calculated using the linear model of angstrom Prescott based on solar radiation. The study shows that in the most conservative scenario, 21771 suitable buildings that had to be redeveloped into green roofs, with an appropriate surface area of 369.26Ha allowing a 63,40% increase in the city's green space by compared to the current state contributing to the improvement of the quality of life and urban comfort. The average budget for the installation of green roofs in a building with a surface area of 100 m2 varies between 60000dh and 170000dh depending on the type of green roofs used, extensive or intensive. These results would enable planners and researchers in green architecture sciences to carry out more detailed planning analyzes.

Urban Noise and Surrounding City Morphology Influence Green Space Occupancy by Native Birds in a Mediterranean-type South American Metropolis

Urban green spaces provide natural habitat for birds in urban landscapes, yet the effects of noise and surrounding urban morphology on bird community structure and distribution are not well understood in Latin America, the second most urbanized region in the world. Santiago of Chile is the single city belonging to the Mediterranean ecosystem in South America and is subject to extensive urbanization as seen throughout Latin America. We examined the role of 65 urban green spaces (6 large: PAR and 59 small: SGS) in harboring native birds during winter 2019, analyzing the quality of green areas in terms of vegetation (i.e. NDVI, native vegetation, and tree cover), exotic bird species, noise levels, and surrounding urban matrix (i.e. building height and cover). Significantly higher noise levels were detected in SGS, along with significantly greater exotic bird (n=4) richness and abundance than PAR, which possessed significantly greater native bird (n=25) richness and abundance. Native birds were more abundant than exotic birds in green spaces with average noise levels < 52 dB and average NDVI > 0.5. Occupancy models indicate that green space occupancy by 50% of modeled native bird species was influenced by maximum noise levels, playing a larger role than vegetation (30%) and the urban matrix (0%). We stress the importance of developing networks of large green spaces in rapidly urbanizing regions, with abundant tree cover, surrounded by smaller urban morphology, and regulating noise levels to ensure the conservation of native bird communities in cities, particularly those that are threatened.

Householders Attitude, Preferences, and Willingness to Have Home Garden at Time of Pandemics

The value of home gardens has become more apparent among tenants forced into isolation in difficult and uncertain times arising since the COVID-19 pandemic started at the beginning of 2020. While gardens make a significant contribution to the social and ecological environment of cities, most studies have focused on public green spaces. Investigating householder preferences for gardens during and after the mandatory lockdown period in the UAE is required. The main objective of this study is to analyze the householder’s attitude, preferences, and willingness to have home gardens during the pandemic and after. The data were collected via an online survey of randomly selected respondents. A logistic econometrical model was utilized to analyze the factors affecting respondent preferences regarding having a garden. According to the results, the probability of having a garden increases among respondents who produce some crops, have attained Msc/PhD. level, a backyard, and a larger space to cultivate. It decreases among those who are married, find it hard to take care of a garden, and face a weed problem. In conclusions, it is highly recommended for householders to have home gardens, which can provide a quality lifestyle and enhance leisure time during the pandemic and after.

Effects of Air Pollutants on Mortality of Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with Green Spaces Exposure: A Large Observational Study

With increasing air pollution, the association between green space exposure and health outcomes is a global health concern. The relationship between air pollution and the survival of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are exposed to residential greenness is yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to determine this relationship in Seoul between 2002 and 2015. A time-varying survival analysis was conducted to investigate the association between long-term exposure to air pollutants and mortality in 29,602 patients with CKD living in residential environments with small and large green infrastructure. The low and high index groups were defined using continuous and percentile thresholds of the satellite data—the derived average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index within 250 m and 1,250 m of residence, respectively. During the observation, 3,863 (14%) deaths occurred. The effect of air pollution exposure on mortality was worse in the low index group than in the high index group. Particularly, exposure to SO2 was associated with increased mortality risk, regardless of the greenness threshold. Consistent results were observed in co-pollutant models. High greenery exposure significantly reduced the risk of air pollution related mortality. Our results emphasize the need for creating environmental infrastructures that include green spaces.

Self-Reported Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Stewardship Organizations and Their Activities in Southeast New England, USA

In many communities, regions, or landscapes, there are numerous environmental groups working across different sectors and creating stewardship networks that shape the environment and the benefits people derive from it. The make-up of these networks can vary, but generally include organizations of different sizes and capacities. As the Covid-19 pandemic (2020 to the present) shuts down businesses and nonprofits, catalyzes new initiatives, and generally alters the day-to-day professional and personal lives, it is logical to assume that these stewardship networks and their environmental work are impacted; exactly how, is unknown. In this study, we analyze the self-reported effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on stewardship groups working in southeast New England, USA. Stewardship organizations were surveyed from November 2020 to April 2021 and asked, among other questions, “How is Covid-19 affecting your organization?” We analyzed responses using several qualitative coding approaches. Our analysis revealed group-level impacts including changes in group capacity, challenges in managing access to public green spaces, and altered forms of volunteer engagement. These results provide insights into the varied effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and government responses such as stay-at-home orders and social distancing policies on stewardship that can inform the development of programs to reduce negative outcomes and enhance emerging capacities and innovations.

Investigation of The Sufficiency of Antalya 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.