Abstract
Green spaces in cities have a positive impact on the health of the urban population. They decrease urban heat Island effects. Hence, green and open space should not be considered a luxury but an integral part of urban planning. However, the green spaces in Colombo city, Sri Lanka are declining at a rapid rate. Therefore this study investigates the reasons behind the decline of green space and high density housing developments in Colombo. Considered as a “green space” if the land cover has vegetation, the study found that 90% of small condominium developments (number of units ranging from 15 to 65) and 50% of large condominium developments (over 65 units) had less than 1% of green space on site. The reason for lack of green space was found to be high plot coverage, high FAR, small site extent and the absence of landscape, communal space and green buffer requirements in the current planning and building regulations for condominium developments.
Highlights
High density high-rise housing in Colombo can be attributed to high population growth, decrease in family size, growth in household income, rapid urbanization, scarcity of land and high land price, security, convenience and location (Ariyawansa and Udayanthika,2012).In Sri Lanka, ownership of high-rise residential units, buildings and developments are regulated by the 1973 apartment ownership law and subsequent amendments by the act No 45 of 1982, 4 of 1999 and 39 of 2003
Sample selection for the survey of green space This study was a joint project by the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) of Sri Lanka and the Department of Architecture of the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka in order to investigate the impact of condominium developments on sustainability
The Colombo city and its suburbs were selected as the geographical area of the study as most condominiums are constructed within this area
Summary
High density high-rise housing in Colombo can be attributed to high population growth, decrease in family size, growth in household income, rapid urbanization, scarcity of land and high land price, security, convenience and location (Ariyawansa and Udayanthika,2012). In order to better understand the impact of the local regulations on improving green space, the study reviews the Master Plan for the Western Region - 2030 and planning schemes of two international cities, Melbourne and Singapore. The following planning tools were reviewed in the above regulations in order to develop the parameters for analyzing green space in condominiums in Colombo and its suburbs. The minimum site extent for condominium development allowed by the planning regulations in a country determines that adequate space is available for the common facilities including green space. The Melbourne City Planning Scheme requires under clause 58, for every high rise housing development with 40 or more units to provide a minimum area of communal open space of 2.5m2 per unit or 250m2, whichever is lesser.
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