Urban Green Infrastructure and Green Open Spaces: An Issue of Social Fairness in Times of COVID-19 Crisis

Florian Reinwald,Rosemarie Stangl,Daniela Haluza,Ulrike Pitha

doi:10.3390/su131910606

Florian Reinwald, Rosemarie Stangl + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910606

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Abstract

At the time of the restrictions and lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, it became apparent how difficult it is for city dwellers to adhere to the prescribed behavioural measures and the protective distance in densely built urban areas. Inner-city parks and green spaces were heavily used for recreational purposes and were thus periodically overcrowded. These observations highlight the need for green open spaces in urban areas, especially in exceptional situations regarding pandemics and climate-related heat periods. Green open spaces and greened buildings help cities and the population cope with the consequences of climate change and have a decisive positive effect on human health and well-being. This paper aims to outline which social issues are related to the availability of green infrastructure close to home and which health consequences need to be considered. The COVID-19 challenges could offer a chance and an opportunity to increase the resilience of cities and their inhabitants in various terms. A cross-disciplinary team of authors (public health, urban and landscape planning, landscaping and vegetation technologies science) describes and discusses challenges and opportunities that arise from this crisis for cities from an inter-disciplinary perspective, concluding that urban green infrastructure helps in two ways: to adapt to climate change and the challenges posed by COVID-19.

Highlights

Published: 24 September 2021Starting in December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has changed life as we knew it globally [1]
Regarding the street open spaces, many inner-city sidewalks have less than two metres of width; it is spatially difficult to keep a personal distance of one metre
As several studies [74,75,76] pointed out the chances to reflect health issues in strategic environmental assessment more holistically, and opportunities for integrating climate change adaptation, we suggest considering the complex but promising connections between social equality, health, well-being, and green space when conducting health or environmental impact assessments [77]

Summary

Introduction

Published: 24 September 2021Starting in December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has changed life as we knew it globally [1]. The pandemic has challenged healthcare delivery and led to dramatic preventive action in all affected countries to slow down the expansion of the virus. Recommended preventive measures include frequent hand washing and disinfection, face masks, social distancing, working from home, and self-isolation for people suspected to be infected [2]. At the time of the restrictions and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, innercity parks and green spaces were heavily used for recreational purposes, and were periodically overcrowded, contradicting social distancing rules. The pandemic, in addition to the manifold negative impact, raised awareness for the need to increase the resilience of cities and their inhabitants. In this context, resilience is understood to mean the resistance

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