Role Of Green Areas Research Articles

Gender-specific preferences regarding urban green areas

Development of urban green areas and awareness of their value among citizens and local authorities is rapidly growing. This trend is not only the result of the coronavirus pandemic, but also reflects a belief in the role of green areas in reducing the negative effects of climate change and supporting overall well-being. As a consequence, more and more local governments are promoting local policies focused on the development of urban green areas with the participation of citizens. Using data collected in Zielona Góra, Poland, this study explores the gender patterns and differences in use and preferences according to the development of urban green areas. The main goals of the study were (1) to evaluate the possible relationship between gender and preferred types of visited green areas and transport modes used to reach them and (2) to explore the differences in expectations regarding the spatial development of green areas among men and women. The result of the study shows that women more often than men visit green areas closer to their place of residence and more often indicate playgrounds and other forms of greenery of an aesthetic function as proposed green areas. Furthermore, there are also differences regarding the means of transport used and preferable distance to green areas. Women visibly prefer green areas within the city centre, mostly use individual means of transport, and are more likely to travel on foot than men. Men prefer more distant green areas and mostly travel longer distances.

Study of Air Polluted by Microparticles in the City of Apatity, Murmansk Region

Surface layers of apatite-nepheline ores mill tailings were analyzed. During the snowless period in2022, the dynamics of PM2.5 and PM10 dust concentrations in the atmosphere air of Apatity, Murmansk Region, was studied. Excess of MAC of sparingly solubles were detected. Mineralogical analysis of tailings and dust samples were carried out, the presence of nepheline and sodalite was detected, which confirms the involvement of tailing dumps of apatite-nepheline processing plants in air pollution. It was concluded that, in addition to the tailing dump, transport and other industrial sites have a significant impact on the atmosphere air, since airborne dust samples contain small particles of oxidized iron, plastic, glass, and metal scale. The role of green areas in buffer zones and within the boundaries of urban development was emphasized.

The Perception of Urban Forests in Post-Mining Areas: A Case Study of Sosnowiec-Poland.

Sustainable development policy emphasizes, among other things, the role of green areas in urban space. This remark applies in particular to post-industrial and post-mining cities. One of the elements of shaping the sustainable development of post-mining cities is that forests are often anthropogenic forest ecosystems growing in previously mining areas, one of the most characteristic elements of their spatial development. This article examines the role of urban forests in the post-mining area in Sosnowiec, located in the core of the Katowice conurbation in southern Poland. This article aimed to show the social perception of forests in post-mining areas among the local community and the features of urban forests. The social dimension of the interaction between humans and the environment is related to the issue of urban planning. Research was implemented based on quantitative, qualitative (CATI survey), and cartographic methods. The results indicate the significant role of forests in post-mining areas depending on their location in the settlement areas in a post-industrial city. The research emphasizes that residents perceive forests in post-mining areas of cities as an essential and expected recreational space. Notably, half of them do not see any threats therein. It is also expected that these areas will be better developed for recreational purposes in the future.

Analysis of Urban Greening Scenarios for Improving Outdoor Thermal Comfort in Neighbourhoods of Lecce (Southern Italy)

This study analyses the interactions and impacts between multiple factors i.e., urban greening, building layout, and meteorological conditions that characterise the urban microclimate and thermal comfort in the urban environment. The focus was on two neighbourhoods of Lecce city (southern Italy) characterised through field campaigns and modelling simulations on a typical hot summer day. Field campaigns were performed to collect greening, building geometry, and microclimate data, which were employed in numerical simulations of several greening scenarios using the Computational Fluid Dynamics-based and microclimate model ENVI-met. Results show that, on a typical summer day, trees may lead to an average daily decrease of air temperature by up to 1.00 °C and an improvement of thermal comfort in terms of Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) by up to 5.53 °C and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) by up to 0.53. This decrease is more evident when the urban greening (in terms of green surfaces and trees) is increased by 1266 m2 in the first neighbourhood and 1988 m2 in the second one, with respect to the current scenario, proving that shading effect mainly contributes to improving the urban microclimate during daytime. On the contrary, the trapping effect of heat, stored by the surfaces during the day and released during the evening, induces an increase of the spatially averaged MRT by up to 2 °C during the evenings and a slight deterioration of thermal comfort, but only locally where the concentration of high LAD trees is higher. This study contributes to a better understanding of the ecosystem services provided by greening with regard to microclimate and thermal comfort within an urban environment for several hours of the day. It adds knowledge about the role of green areas in a Mediterranean city, an important hot spot of climate change, and thus it can be a guide for important urban regeneration plans.

Budżet obywatelski jako narzędzie poznania preferencji społecznych w zakresie kształtowania krajobrazu

Artykuł dotyczy budżetu obywatelskiego (BO), rozumianego jako jedna z form partycypacji społecznej, dzięki której mieszkańcy mogą w sposób bezpośredni (przez głosowanie) wpływać na wydatki z budżetu swojego miasta, gminy czy województwa. Celem pracy jest wykazanie, że BO jest cennym narzędziem poznania preferencji społecznych w zakresie kształtowania krajobrazu. W toku postępowania badawczego przeprowadzono ogólną analizę BO w Polsce, a następnie na przykładzie projektów wybranych w kolejnych edycjach BO Lublina rozpoznano, jakie są potrzeby mieszkańców wobec kształtowania krajobrazu ich miasta. W szczególności zwrócono uwagę na ich stosunek do poprawy estetyki miasta i roli obszarów zielonych w mieście. Wykazano, że choć wśród projektów BO zdobywających największe poparcie dominują zadania infrastrukturalne (dotyczące dróg czy sportu), to coraz większe zainteresowanie zyskują projekty związane z estetyką i zielenią.

Places for Green Areas in the Spaces of the Modern City

The aim of the work is to answer the question about the place for green areas in the spaces of the modern city. Presented considerations are based on field studies carried out by the author, supplemented by photographic documentation, and the analysis of available iconographic materials and literature. The research covered areas “reclaimed by nature” and included in the structure of selected European cities. Discovering (by planners) the potential inherent in these areas, both natural and cultural, brought a number of excellent spatial and functional solutions. We find examples of such solutions in the spaces of many European cities. These are, for example, parks created in the former railway areas of Berlin; in Madrid, the reconstruction of the city ring road, which allowed for the reclaiming of the areas on the Manzanares River and the creation of a several-kilometre long park on the waterfront. It became commonplace (especially in large cities) that space for green areas is created on roofs and walls of buildings, and more and more often, in small undeveloped areas where Packet Parks are created. At the end of the 20th century, a phenomenon known as “urban gardening” emerged very clearly in the spaces of cities. As a result of socio-ecological initiatives in various parts of the urban structures, also social gardens are created. These vary in terms of size and are diversified in terms of the spatial and functional solutions applied. The analysed natural spaces are places of rest, relaxation, but also educational and cultural events; they are included in the green structure of cities and they become their integral part. Clearly visible is also significant participation of local communities in creating these spaces and taking responsibility for their use. Presented examples indicate a clear change in thinking about the role of green areas in urban space and the benefits it can give to city dwellers. The positive social, ecological, spatial, functional and compositional effects obtained in these projects may be an inspiration to create non-standard solutions for transformations of other urban structures.

Zielona infrastruktura na obszarach wiejskich jako instrument polityki ochrony środowiska UE

The concept of green infrastructure is currently indicated as the key tool for the inclusion of territorial aspects of biodiversity protection into the other economic sectors, including agriculture. In the strategic documents regarding green infrastructure, the European Union highlights the need to promote this concept through the main EU policies, including agricultural policy. The aim of this article is to identify the legal basis for the creation and operation of green infrastructure in the EU, especially in rural areas and recognize tools to implement this concept into the agricultural policy, and then attempt to evaluate how this concept affects the European policy on agriculture. The author indicates that green infrastructure has great potential for application in the theoretical dimension, as well as a tool for spatial planning and the environment policy. It allows for a new approach and perception of the role of green areas in spatial planning and regional policy. These possibilities have been already recognized by the European Union. The emerging influence of the concept of green infrastructure on the European policy on agriculture could be noticed, but it has no decisive character (even if analyzing only ecological determinants of its spatial dimension). The implementation of green infrastructure into agricultural policy is indirect and legal instruments have not been developed yet. In this regard, the author calls for a broader inclusion of this issue.

The planning of urban green areas and its protective importance in resort cities (case of Georgian resorts)

Abstract The article discusses the problem of green areas reduction and degradation in Southern Georgia, for three resort cities located in Samtskhe-Javakheti region. These cities are well known balneological and climatic resorts of Georgia - Akhaltsikhe, Borjomi and Abastumani. In the frames of this study, the actual conditions of urban green areas and neighboring to tourism and recreation zones forests are mentioned, by comparing these three resorts. Case study for natural disasters of last time - heavy rainflows case is analyzed. The protective role of green areas planting for this case is estimated. For each city planning concepts of green areas are worked out and recommendations for sustainable development of urban landscapes are concluded.

The Role of Green Areas in Improving the Environmental Performance of Urban Communities (Analysis and evaluation of the Green Belt Project for the city of Hodeidah in Yemen as an example)

Desert development represents a challenge to Egypt, due to the unique conditions prevailing in the desert. Desert environment differs from that of a valley. Each has its on peculiar nature and characteristics: altitude, scarcity of water resources (rainwater, groundwater), soil properties, flora, and the extreme sensitivity of the ecological desert system with its delicate balances. The entrance environmental proper framework for the development of communities desert - The paper aims research to identify plant species suitable for urban environment in desert areas to identify the climatic characteristics of the desert areas and characterized by heat and severe drought and scarcity of rain and the intensity of solar radiation and blowing dust storms laden with sand and then addresses the importance of plants in the urban environment which is to provide shade and use windbreaks, and noise control and air movement around and inside the building and achieving privacy and block unwanted views. then the search ends examine and determine the types of plants suitable for the desert environment.

Role of green spaces in spatial and functional conception of block 23 in Bela Crkva

In this paper we examine the possibilities of improving urban settlement structure by interpolation of passive protection concepts against global climate changes, as a measure of bioclimatic design and town planning. As a kind of passive protection concept described in this paper, the way of applying green areas in urban fabric planning is pointed out. The research applies the method of analyses of subject matter - existing legislation, planning documents, professional literature, the available foreign practice, as well as scanning in situ. The case study shows the concept of planning solution to the block 23 in Bela Crkva, with special emphasis on the role of green areas. It points to the specific position of the block in the urban fabric, where the planned use - housing - is located in proximity to the existing use - industry. Then we analyze the possibility to affirm the existing, spontaneously developed agriculture activity in the block, through some planning guidelines, based on the presented comparative examples of urban agriculture in foreign countries.

Green Areas, the Most Significant Indicator of the Sustainability of Cities: Research on Their Utility for Urban Planning

This work summarizes a very extensive study conducted in the city of Valencia, Spain, on the role of green areas in the comfort of the city. Previously, the environmental parameters that make up th...