Public green areas and urban environmental quality of the city of São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.

M. A. Bertini,M. I. S. Lima,R. R. Rufino,A. T. Fushita

doi:10.1590/1519-6984.01515

M. A. Bertini, M. I. S. Lima + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.01515

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Abstract

Assess the state of public green areas, their importance and influence on environmental quality and living in urban centers is an arduous task considering the conceptual and scientific regarding quantification and data analysis methods divergence. In this study, we aimed to determine two indicators of public green areas relative to the percentage of public green areas (PPGA) and the public green areas index (PGAI) in the urban area of São Carlos, SP. The study area was organized into administrative regions (ARs), using satellite images, topographical maps of 1:10,000 Geographic and Cartographic Institute (1990) and data provided by the Municipality of São Carlos. The results show that public green areas comprise 6.55% of the municipality, with a public green areas index (PGAI) of 18.85 m2/inhabitant, indicating good urban environmental quality when compared to rates of 15 m2/capita for public green areas for recreation, suggested by the Brazilian Society of Urban Forestry. The differences between the administrative regions are concern with situations from 4.16 to 36.30 m2/inhabitant. In this context, it is recommend specific public policies and popular participation in the process of continuous improvement for increasing public green areas in the less favored regions. The Genebrino method applied to indicators of public green areas (GPGA - amount of public green areas divided by population density), showed a commendable goal above 40% for urban environmental quality.

Highlights

IntroductionUrban space is a scene of constant change where not always the interests of society converge with the need to interact with nature, or even with the concern to preserve the urban forest fragments, whether public or private.This divergence between the built and natural scenarios happens due to the inefficiency of public policies in the planning of cities, reflecting the poor environmental and quality of life (Matias et al, 2008).The search for solutions to municipalities is a process where must be considered the social and environmental dimension, and the use and occupation of the territory, beyond the conditions and characteristics present in urban space (Peres and Pugliesi, 2012).Vieira (2004) highlights the concern about the quality and maintenance of urban green areas that are not always proportional to the expansion of urban growth areas.The removal of urban vegetation interferes with the climate and the quality of life of the human population, causing an increasing thermal discomfort, by increasing temperature (Shams et al, 2009). Barbosa and Vecchia (2009) attribute to the density of buildings, paving the ground and lower rates of woody vegetation the formation of heat islands, especially in the areas of trade and service
To estimate the public green areas index (PGAI), which is a parameter dependent on population density, we considered the green areas for collective use, represented by wooded common areas with free access to the population in leisure activities, excluding private green areas and those not were contained in administrative regions (ARs) (Equation 2)
The use of techniques allied to the Geographical Information System (GIS) remote sensing helped to diagnose problem areas in relation to urban vegetation deficit

Summary

Introduction

Urban space is a scene of constant change where not always the interests of society converge with the need to interact with nature, or even with the concern to preserve the urban forest fragments, whether public or private.This divergence between the built and natural scenarios happens due to the inefficiency of public policies in the planning of cities, reflecting the poor environmental and quality of life (Matias et al, 2008).The search for solutions to municipalities is a process where must be considered the social and environmental dimension, and the use and occupation of the territory, beyond the conditions and characteristics present in urban space (Peres and Pugliesi, 2012).Vieira (2004) highlights the concern about the quality and maintenance of urban green areas that are not always proportional to the expansion of urban growth areas.The removal of urban vegetation interferes with the climate and the quality of life of the human population, causing an increasing thermal discomfort, by increasing temperature (Shams et al, 2009). Barbosa and Vecchia (2009) attribute to the density of buildings, paving the ground and lower rates of woody vegetation the formation of heat islands, especially in the areas of trade and service. Urban space is a scene of constant change where not always the interests of society converge with the need to interact with nature, or even with the concern to preserve the urban forest fragments, whether public or private. This divergence between the built and natural scenarios happens due to the inefficiency of public policies in the planning of cities, reflecting the poor environmental and quality of life (Matias et al, 2008). The removal of urban vegetation interferes with the climate and the quality of life of the human population, causing an increasing thermal discomfort, by increasing temperature (Shams et al, 2009).

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