Development of a methodology for the characterization of urban and periurban green spaces in the context of supra-municipal sustainability strategies

Abstract

Periurban landscapes should be interpreted as multifunctional spaces enabling them to be valued according to environmental, economic and social criteria. This article proposes a methodology for the characterization of urban and periurban green spaces in the context of strategies which enable planning processes for cities of the future to be devised. Firstly, the green belt is characterized and evaluated and its resilience and dynamic analyzed. Subsequently, different supra-municipal tools are compared and a summary of various existing methodologies and programs is produced, making it possible to develop a matrix for diagnosing projects for green spaces and periurban natural spaces and evaluating their potential as a Green Infrastructure in the context of Open Space Strategies. The application of this method in the characterization of periurban space emphasizes elements of scenic beauty whose incorporation in the said strategies does not require large investments but instead an effort in terms of promoting such places. The drafting of this Open Spaces Strategy offers a cross-disciplinary planning tool with which to take action using a landscape reading scale. This comprehensive view makes it possible to optimize efforts and investments and involve the whole community at all levels of operation through processes of citizen participation. As a result, a systematic and collective diagnostic tool is obtained for characterizing the urban and periurban green belt, which can be applied to the various periurban spaces in accordance with the multifunctionality demanded by supra-municipal strategies.