Green Infrastructure Planning Research Articles

Using public participation gis to understand texas coastal communities’ perceptions and preferences for urban green space development in connection to their perceptions of flood risk

Urban green spaces, a form of green infrastructure, provide cities with a number of opportunities to build urban resilience to withstand a wide range of urban challenges, such as land-use change, climate change, biodiversity loss, and physical and mental health. Despite their benefits to communities, urban green spaces are among the most valuable and attractive areas for development and are most susceptible to urban development. Therefore, careful planning of the green space network is needed,requiring diverse voices from not only city policymakers and planning experts but also local residents. This study investigated residents’ perceptions and preferences for green space development and its association with perceived flood risk. Data were collected from residents residing in two Texas Gulf Coast cities via a Public Participation Geographic Information System (PPGIS) platform. Our analyses revealed that Texas Gulf Coast residents assigned a full spectrum of landscape values to their existing urban green spaces with aesthetic and recreation values being most frequently identified. Notably, across the city landscape, urban green spaces that were most favored by residents tended to be green spaces with water bodies, large in scale and offered a broader array of facilities/amenities. These spaces were also identified as flood-prone areas, presenting opportunities for green space improvement, flood protection, and preservation. In addition, we observed a significant association between residents’ risk perception and the number of locations across the city landscape they perceived as posing the greatest flooding threat. Our findings illustrate a need to promote multiple landscape values of urban green spaces, especially in its ability to protect the city from future flooding. This research highlights how PPGIS can support green infrastructure planning as well as enhance public participation in green infrastructure planning processes.

Mapping pollen allergenicity from urban trees in Valencia: A tool for green infrastructure planning

Urban trees provide many benefits to citizens but also have associated disservices such as pollen allergenicity. Pollen allergies affect 40% of the European population, a problem that will be exacerbated with climate change by lengthening the pollen season. The allergenic characteristics of the urban trees and urban parks of the city of Valencia (Spain) have been studied. The Value of Potential Allergenicity (VPA) was calculated for all species. The most abundant allergenic trees with a very high VPA were the cypresses, followed by Platanus x hispanica and species of genera Morus, Acer and Fraxinus, with a high VPA. On the contrary, Citrus x aurantium, Melia azedarach, Washingtonia spp., Brachychiton spp. and Jacaranda mimosifolia were among the most abundant low allergenic trees. VPA was mapped for the city and a hot spot analysis was applied to identify areas of clustering of high and low VPA values. This geostatistical analysis provides a comprehensive representation of the VPA patterns which is very useful for urban green infrastructure planning. The Index of Urban Green Zone Allergenicity (IUGZA) was calculated for the main parks of the city. The subtropical and tropical flora component included many entomophilous species and the lowest share of high and very high allergenic trees in comparison with the Mediterranean and Temperate components. Overall, a diversification of tree species avoiding clusters of high VPA trees, and the prioritization of species with low VPA are good strategies to minimize allergy-related impacts of urban trees on human health.

Proposed spatial decision support system for delineating ecological corridors in green infrastructure planning constrained by lack of data: a case study in Galicia, Spain

In response to the constant loss of biodiversity in European ecosystems, which is partly due to the impacts of climate change, the European Commission urges member states to include Green Infrastructure (GI) in their land-use plans. However, although the European Commission establishes the fundamental principles to be applied, the ambiguity of some terms generates a certain degree of complexity regarding the delineation of GI elements, especially Ecological Corridors (ECs). Thus, a straightforward methodology for delineating GI elements is required. Here, we propose a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) that could help non-expert planners identify areas with a high potential to function as ECs and that could thus facilitate the inclusion of these areas in regional GI plans. Probability distribution maps were constructed by fitting a maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to publicly available data on selected focal species. The maps were combined with other variables that negatively affect species mobility and later inserted in a graph theory tool to determine the least-cost path that would serve as the basis for delineating ECs. The method was applied to the design of an EC network in Galicia (NW Spain), and use of the system as a tool to help spatial decision-making was evaluated. Despite some limitations, the method yielded promising results that could help non-expert planners to establish the basis for delineating EC networks and other GI elements.

Landscape and soundscape quality promote stress recovery in nearby urban nature: A multisensory field experiment

Cities have different benefits and risks, but are often stressful environments to live in. Everyday contact with nearby nature can be a crucial way to alleviate stress and increase the well-being of citizens. However, there is still limited evidence on how nature-health benefits vary according to the type and quality of natural environments. This study integrated multiple landscape and soundscape objective and perceived assessments to examine stress recovery in different types of neighbourhood nature. We used a field randomised experiment (n=45) to analyse effects of various random and fixed factors on restoration including: environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, wind, air quality), personal characteristics (e.g. age, gender, perceived health, nature connectedness), presence of other people and environmental quality (e.g. Perceived Environmental Aesthetic Qualities Scale and Perceived Sound Affective Quality scale). We found that physiological and psychological restoration is significantly greater in sites with higher visual (% visual natural elements) and acoustic (Normalized Difference Soundscape Index (NDSI)) naturalness i.e. the beach and forest, compared to the urban park (control site). Perceived landscape and soundscape quality were strongly associated with stress recovery, and these results were more pronounced for the soundscape. This highlights that soundscape quality assessments deserve more systematic attention in urban green infrastructure research and planning. Finally, we found important early evidence of reduction in Electrodermal activity (EDA) only within 3 minutes of nature exposure especially in the forest.

Towards the intentional multifunctionality of urban green infrastructure: a paradox of choice?

Decades of research on multifunctional Green Infrastructure (GI) has yet to translate into holistic implementation in the built environment. This oversight stems from assumptions that many ecosystem services occur passively and thus potential synergies are overlooked during planning and design. This study offers specific guidance for coordinating GI planning, design, and construction by examining the current state of academic literature on these aspects. It identifies 15 GI elements (e.g., green roofs) and 15 objectives (e.g., biodiversity) to collectively consider before implementation. The literature tends to isolate discussions of “engineered” GI elements with water-related objectives, while more “natural” GI are linked to biodiversity and human well-being. Coordinating across GI objectives and elements remains imperative, but evaluating too many options risks a paradox of choice. This study recommends short-term adherence to principles of adaptive design and, in the long-term, reemphasizes multifunctionality assessments, inter and transdisciplinary collaboration, and political will.

Modeling benefits and tradeoffs of green infrastructure: Evaluating and extending parsimonious models for neighborhood stormwater planning

Green infrastructure is often proposed to complement conventional urban stormwater management systems that are stressed by extreme storms and expanding impervious surfaces. Established hydrological and hydraulic models inform stormwater engineering but are time- and data-intensive or aspatial, rendering them inadequate for rapid exploration of solutions. Simple spreadsheet models support quick site plan assessments but cannot adequately represent spatial interactions beyond a site. The present study builds on the Landscape Green Infrastructure Design (L-GrID) Model, a process-based spatial model that enables rapid development and exploration of green infrastructure scenarios to mitigate neighborhood flooding. We first explored how well L-GrID could replicate flooding reports in a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, USA, to evaluate its potential for green infrastructure planning. Although not meant for prediction, L-GrID was able to replicate the flooding reported and helped identify strategies for flood control. Once evaluated for this neighborhood, we extended the model to include water quality through the representation of dispersion and settling mechanisms for two pollutant surrogates—total nitrogen and total suspended solids. With the extended model, Landscape Green Infrastructure Design Model-Water Quality (L-GrID-WQ), we examined benefits, costs, and tradeoffs for different green infrastructure strategies. Bioswales were slightly more effective than other green infrastructure types in reducing flooding extent and downstream runoff and pollution, through increased infiltration and settling capacity. Permeable pavers followed in effectiveness and are suggested where spatial constraints may limit the installation of bioswales. Although green infrastructure supports both flooding and pollution control, small tradeoffs between these functions emerged across spatial layouts: strategies based on only curb-cuts better controlled pollution, while layouts that followed the path of water flow better controlled flooding. By illuminating such tradeoffs, L-GrID-WQ can support green infrastructure planning that prioritizes unique concerns in different areas of a landscape.

Integrating landscape ecology in urban green infrastructure planning: A multi-scale approach for sustainable development

In response to the growing global recognition of the need to achieve sustainable development, significant efforts are underway to actively integrate nature into the urban environment by implementing green infrastructure. However, due to rapid urban growth, there is a need for novel approaches that integrate ecological knowledge and methods into urban green infrastructure design and development. Traditionally, the planning of green infrastructures in large metropolises has primarily approached from a unique city scale perspective. Here, we advocate for a multi-scale approach, encompassing both spatial and temporal dimensions. This is because by considering space, time, and scale, it is possible to identify relevant elements and constraints at each level and integrate them in an overall solution.This paper combines methodologies and concepts derived from the fundamentals of landscape ecology and proposes their integration into the planning of functional green infrastructures within an urban context. We explore distinct strategies to integrate nature into large cities through three perspectives: urbanism, landscaping, and ecology. The approach used assumes the necessity of a multi-scale framework to establish an integrated and sustainable green system, exemplified by the case study of the city of Madrid (Spain).Considerable progress has been made in the planning of a green belt within Madrid city. However, this initiative has focused primarily on a large-scale, leading to a minimal impact on the city core. To address this limitation, the proposed solution employs a multi-scale approach. By developing a connected network, we aim to provide a comprehensive plan for the integration of green infrastructure throughout the whole urban area.

Modeling the Land Cover Change in Chesapeake Bay Area for Precision Conservation and Green Infrastructure Planning

This study developed a precise land cover model to predict the shifts from pervious to impervious surfaces in the Chesapeake watershed. Utilizing 1 m resolution longitudinal land cover data from the Conservation Innovation Center (CIC), our model achieved impressive balanced accuracies: 98.96% for Portsmouth, 99.88% for Isle of Wight, and 95.76% for James City. Based on the analysis of feature importance, our model also assessed the influence of local socioeconomic and environmental factors, along with their spatial lags as represented by natural splines. These outcomes and findings are crucial for land use and environmental planners, providing them with tools to identify areas of urban expansion and to devise appropriate green infrastructure strategies, while also prioritizing land conservation. Additionally, our model offers insights into the socioeconomic and environmental drivers behind land cover changes. Its adaptability at the county level and reliance on widely available data make it a viable option for other municipalities within the Chesapeake basin to conduct similar analyses. As a proof-of-concept, this project underscores the potential of precision conservation in facilitating both land preservation and the advancement of green infrastructure planning, thus serving as a valuable resource for policymakers and planners in the region.

Novel method for ecosystem services assessment and analysis of road-effect zones

To explore the cumulative ecological effects of roads in ecologically fragile areas, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) tool was applied to assess the spatiotemporal changes in habitat quality, water yield, and soil erosion in road-effect zones of the Western Sichuan Plateau, China. Then, generalized estimating equations were formulated to analyze the impact of synergies among road attributes, climate, topography, land cover, and other factors on ecosystem service changes. The results showed that the habitat quality within the road-effect zones was mostly affected by road grade and structure, and water yield and soil erosion were attributed to the factors of road structure, rainfall, and topography. Roadbed sections had the greatest negative impact on ecosystem services, followed by bridge sections and tunnel sections. Overall, the results of this study address habitat encroachment and soil and water loss in ecologically fragile areas, contributing to knowledge on green infrastructure planning.

A GIS-based green infrastructure planning framework for water sensitive spatial planning

A GIS-based green infrastructure planning framework for water sensitive spatial planning

Assessing cultural ecosystem service potential for green infrastructure planning in a peri-urban landscape: An expert-based matrix approach

Assessing cultural ecosystem service potential for green infrastructure planning in a peri-urban landscape: An expert-based matrix approach

Evolution Model, Mechanism, and Performance of Urban Park Green Areas in the Grand Canal of China

Urban park green areas are part of territorial space planning, shouldering the mission of providing residents with high-quality ecological products and public space. Using a combination of several measurement models such as the BCG (Boston Consulting Group) matrix, ESDA (Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis), MLR (Machine Learning Regression), GWR (Geographically Weighted Regression), and GeoDetector, this paper presents an empirical study on the changes in Urban Park Green Areas (UPGAs) in the Grand Canal of China. By quantitatively measuring the spatio–temporal evolution patterns of UPGAs, this study reveals the driving mechanisms behind them and proposes policy recommendations for planning and management based on performance evaluation. The spatio–temporal evolution of UPGAs and their performance in China’s Grand Canal are characterized by significant spatial heterogeneity and correlation, with diversified development patterns such as HH (High-scale–High-growth), HL (High-scale–Low-growth), LH (Low-scale–High-growth), and LL (Low-scale–Low-growth) emerging. The evolution performance is dominated by positive oversupply and positive equilibrium, where undersupply coexists with oversupply. Therefore, this paper recommends the implementation of a zoning strategy in the future spatial planning of ecological green areas, urban parks, and green infrastructure. It is also recommended to design differentiated construction strategies and management policies for each zoning area, while promoting inter-city mutual cooperation in the joint preparation and implementation of integrated symbiosis planning. Furthermore, the spatio–temporal evolution of the UPGAs in the Grand Canal of China is influenced by many factors with very complex dynamic mechanisms, and there are significant differences in the nature, intensity, spatial effects, and interaction effects between different factors. Therefore, in the future management of ecological green areas, urban parks, and green infrastructure, it is necessary to interconnect policies to enhance their synergies in population, aging, industry and economy, and ecological civilization to maximize the policy performance.

A transdisciplinary multiscaled approach to engage with green infrastructure planning, restoration and use in sub-Saharan Africa

The systematic integration of green infrastructure (GI) concepts in urban planning shows promise to reduce environmental hazards; while creating sociocultural benefits. However, cities in sub-Saharan Africa face rapid urbanisation and are challenged by the degradation of existing GI, increasing their vulnerability to climatic risks. This paper presents the findings of a transdisciplinary research project that investigated GI planning in the City of Tshwane, South Africa, over two years. The researchers conducted a community survey, an on-the-ground rapid assessment of multifunctional benefit provisions, first-hand observations of local stormwater systems, reviewed policy documents and conducted semi-structured interviews with metro officials. To integrate the above findings, four design studios and eight co-creation workshops were held that explored GI spatial planning in the city. The researchers examined the uptake of GI planning principles, and the challenges, opportunities and local proposals for GI applications, and here synthesised some main conclusions. Despite many well-known challenges, GI opportunities include creating socioeconomic incentives for stronger human-nature relations, providing for multifunctional benefits and anchoring GI in local communities. Interactive research can facilitate increased local awareness and engagement, but access to GI benefits is physically constrained and socially determined by knowledge, networks and safety factors. Based on the above findings, the researchers propose locally adapted planning strategies to enhance GI: creating opportunities for GI access and co-ownership, encouraging multifunctional, safe and flexible GI, supporting multiscale GI integration, and strengthening collaborative governance. A joint GI vision can reinforce city ownership along with flexible and creative design alternatives that are rooted in local communities.

Potential Impacts of Green Infrastructure on NOx and PM10 in Different Local Climate Zones of Brindisi, Italy

This study delves into Green Infrastructure (GI) planning in Brindisi, Italy, evaluating its influence on urban air quality and thermal comfort. Employing an LCZ-centered Geographic Information System (GIS)-based classification protocol, the prevalence of LCZ 6 (Open low-rise) and LCZ 2 (Compact mid-rise) is highlighted. Despite generally low PM10 levels in Brindisi, intermittent NOx spikes surpassing WHO and EU standards pose health risks. Within LCZ 2, diverse GI interventions (green walls, hedges, trees) were tested, with green walls emerging as the most effective, albeit falling short of expectations, while trees exhibited adverse air quality impacts. LCZ 6 demonstrated enhanced air quality attributed to wind patterns, GI, and urban canyon improvements. Thermal comfort analysis consistently revealed positive outcomes across various GI types, reducing discomfort by a minimum of 10%. The study emphasized GI’s favorable comfort impact on sidewalks but cautioned against trees in street canyons with aspect ratios exceeding 0.7, heightening pollutant levels and implying increased exposure risks. Conversely, street canyons with lower aspect ratios displayed variable conditions influenced by prevailing regional wind patterns. In conclusion, the integrated assessment of LCZ and GI holds promise for informed urban planning, guiding decisions that prioritize healthier, more sustainable cities. This underscores the crucial need to balance GI strategies for optimal urban development, aligning with the overarching goal of promoting urban well-being and sustainability.

A lack of focus on data sharing, stakeholders, and economic benefits in current global green infrastructure planning

Green infrastructure (GI) is increasingly popular in solving urban environmental challenges and enhancing ecosystem services. Yet the research status and challenges of GI planning have not been comprehensively benchmarked to date. We explored the GI types, actions, goals, and spatiotemporal characteristics of GI planning cases worldwide based on the available literature. The challenges of GI planning were also investigated by the cases included in this manuscript. Additionally, the urban governance solutions to address these challenges were proposed. We found that multi-type GI planning is the most popular. Data sharing, stakeholder participation, economic benefits and research funding for GI planning research were generally inadequate, although they have improved trend over time. Multiple-goal GI planning frequently has higher levels of data sharing, stakeholder participation and economic benefits than GI planning that just takes into account one purpose. We conclude that the future transformation of GI planning requires efficient data sharing mechanisms, effective co-design among stakeholders, systematic business models, and available research funding.

Planning and Design Strategies for Green Stormwater Infrastructure from an Urban Design Perspective

With the rapid advancement of ecological civilization construction, prioritizing green stormwater infrastructure to address urban stormwater management issues has become an important strategy for ecological priority and green development in sustainable urban development. Green stormwater infrastructure, as a major facility in the construction of sponge cities, can reduce the generation and external discharge of runoff and play a purification role. However, there are various types of green stormwater infrastructure, each with different control effects and applicable conditions. Therefore, to facilitate the planning, design, acceptance, assessment, and monitoring evaluation of sponge city green stormwater infrastructure, this study proposes the “sponge equivalent” method. By comparing the control effects of different facilities with bioretention facilities, the method standardizes the effects, making them easier to understand and apply. Taking a typical area of Beijing and its urban roads as examples, the study analyzed and applied planning and design control strategies. The results show that for a residential area of 1 km2, to achieve the annual runoff total control rate target of 85%, the method of converting runoff volume control equivalents, using bioretention pools as a benchmark, allows for the calculation of various combinations of areas of different types of green stormwater infrastructure, such as sunken green spaces, permeable paving bricks, green roofs, and water storage tanks. This optimizes the planning index of Beijing, which mandates stormwater detention facilities for new projects with a hardened surface area of 2000 m2 or more. The sponge equivalent method can optimize the planning and design control strategy of green stormwater infrastructure, allowing for rapid assessment and application of the design scale of green stormwater infrastructure in areas during the planning and design stage, providing theoretical and technical support for ecological and green urban stormwater management. The application of this research method helps promote green development and ecological priority in urban sustainable development strategies, and the conclusions provide valuable references for decision-makers and practitioners in related fields.

Predicting tree failure to define roles and guidelines in risk management, a case study in São Paulo / Brazil

Tree failure can pose significant challenges to green-infrastructure planning for potentially jeopardizing ecosystem services provision, infrastructure safety, and citizens’ well-being. The city-wide disturbance caused by the loss of over 2000 trees annually in São Paulo, Brazil, impelled local authorities to collect detailed field-data on tree failure from 2016 to 2018 at the city center, a hotspot of tree failure, and then engage with the academia to support risk management. We aimed at building predictors and defining guidelines to reduce branch, trunk, and root failure based on species, wood status, root collar constrictions, conflicts with overhead cables, pruning methods, and site characteristics of 456 trees using Classification Trees and Bagging. These algorithms commonly used in decision-making yielded up to 70% accuracy, identifying wood status, root collar constrictions, and pruning as the main predictors. Branch failure represents 46% of the dataset. In the absence of wood degradation, branches were the most likely mode of failure. Root failure comes next representing 33% of the dataset, common to trees without wood degradation but with constricted root collars by pavement, compacted soil, or girdling roots. Root failure also dominates in trees with clear signs of wood decay and trunk cavities. Trunk failure only represents 21% of the events, common to trees with wood decay and subject to poor pruning practices. Thus, effective management of trees requires a collaborative approach to collecting data, analyzing, and establishing roles and guidelines. This study points to the role of local authorities in undertaking a detailed assessment of trees’ wood status throughout the city, while the municipality and private companies responsible for their management must adopt appropriate pruning practices. Lastly, those engaged in planting trees must guarantee enough space for the root collar to grow. Neglecting these guidelines can incur the cost of twice as much damage to the city.

“The Urban Poor and Vulnerable Are Hit Hardest by the Heat”: A Heat Equity Lens to Understand Community Perceptions of Climate Change, Urban Heat Islands, and Green Infrastructure

As the global temperature and rapid urbanization continue to rise, urban heat islands (UHIs) also continue to increase across the world. Following the heat equity concept, UHIs disproportionately impact disadvantaged or overburdened communities. Green infrastructure (GI) has been at the forefront of UHI mitigation efforts, including nature-based solutions like parks, pervious open spaces, wooded areas, green roofs, rain gardens, and shade trees. In this paper, we use a heat equity lens to analyze community perceptions of the intersection of climate change, UHI, and GI in Camden, New Jersey—a post-industrial city with a history of environmental injustices. Based on a mixed-methods analysis of survey responses (n = 107), 11 years of relevant X (formerly Twitter) posts (n = 367), and geospatial data, we present community perceptions of and connections between climate change, UHI, and GI and discuss major themes that emerged from the data: perceived heat inequity in Camden triggers negative emotions; a public knowledge gap exists regarding climate change-UHI-GI connections; and perceived inequitable distribution of GI and certain GI planning and maintenance practices may negatively impact UHI mitigation strategies. We argue these themes are useful to urban planners and relevant professionals while planning for heat equity and mitigating UHI effects in disadvantaged urban communities like Camden.

Heterogeneous effects of the availability and spatial configuration of urban green spaces on their cooling effects in China

The impacts of the availability and spatial configuration of urban green spaces (UGS) on their cooling effects can vary with background climate conditions. However, large-scale studies that assess the potential heterogeneous relationships of UGS availability and spatial configuration with urban thermal environment are still lacking. In this study, we investigated the impacts of UGS availability and spatial configuration on urban land surface temperature (LST) taking 306 cities in China as a case study covering a multi-biome-scale. We first calculated the availability of surrounding UGS for urban built-up pixels in each city using a distance-weighted approach, and its spatial configuration was quantified through the Gini coefficient. Then, we employed various regression models to explore how the impacts of UGS availability and the Gini coefficient on LST varies across different LST quantiles and between day- and nighttime. The results revealed that UGS availability was negatively associated with both daytime and nighttime LST, while the Gini coefficient showed a positive impact solely on daytime LST, indicating that an adequate and equally distributed UGS contributes to lower environmental temperatures during the daytime. Furthermore, the impact of UGS availability on LST decreased during both day- and nighttime with increased background LST quantiles. Whereas the impact of the Gini coefficient increased only with daytime LST quantile levels, with its effect remaining almost insignificant during the night. Our findings provide new insights into the impacts of UGS on urban thermal environment, offering significant implications for urban green infrastructure planning aiming at lowering the urban heat island.

Multi-objective decision-making for green infrastructure planning: Impacts of rainfall characteristics and infrastructure configuration

Rapid urbanization has caused significant water-related problems in urban areas, including flooding and pollution. Green infrastructure has emerged as an effective solution within the realm of nature-based approaches to address these problems. However, there is a need for multi-objective decision-making in green infrastructure planning to strike a balance among various benefits, including those related to the anthroposphere and hydrosphere. Unfortunately, the impacts of rainfall characteristics and infrastructure configuration on multi-objective optimization outcomes are not well understood. To bridge this knowledge gap, a multi-objective optimization tool was developed in this study considering area, location, and hydrological linkages across green infrastructures. This tool combines the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm 2. The proposed tool was implemented in a district-scale research region characterized by seven different rainfall patterns and four return periods. The results show that the proposed tool, integrated with the calibrated and validated SWMM, can provide rational configuration solutions for the target region. Rainfall characteristics significantly affect the cost-efficiency curve and layout of the green infrastructure, given their diverse nature. Solutions optimized by this approach yield optimal economic and environmental benefits. Notably, solutions incorporating hydrological linkages exhibit reduction rates approximately twice as high as those without such linkages. These findings may provide a workable theoretical basis for nature-based solutions and valuable guidance for urban water management.