Role Of Urban Green Spaces Research Articles

What shapes plant and animal diversity on urban golf courses?

Recent concern over increasing loss of biodiversity has prompted considerable interest in the role of urban green spaces as reservoirs of local biodiversity. This study assessed the diversity of three indicator taxa - plants, ants and birds - on golf courses spanning a wide range of environmental variation in terms of climate, elevation, course age, size and connectivity to native woodland. Species richness and community composition was further compared between contrasting on-course habitat types that reflect different management intensities. We identified a set of taxon-specific environmental correlates indicating an intricate interplay of landscape- and local-scale variables that affect local species diversity. Our results show that floristic diversity is positively associated with the amount of rainfall, whereas ant and bird diversity are related to local-scale factors, particularly the number of trees and the size of water features on a site. The amount of on-course native habitat was a strong predictor of plant and ant diversity and was also associated with the number of unique species at the site level; this reinforces the value of remnant habitat patches as local biodiversity reservoirs that represent mini hot-spots in an otherwise species-poor urban landscape. Community composition for all three taxa differed markedly between non-playing and playing areas, with boundary and remnant habitats generally having more diverse, species-rich communities. Our results suggest that local floral and faunal biodiversity on urban golf courses can be enhanced by creating woody non-playing areas and, especially, by preserving, restoring or expanding remnant habitats.

A planning framework to evaluate demands and preferences by different social groups for accessibility to urban greenspaces

The role of urban greenspaces is widely considered having positive implications for health and providing a complete set of ecosystem services in cities. This paper presents a planning framework for urban greenspaces that considers demands and preferences for accessibility of different social groups (e.g. children and elderly people). It is designed to achieve different objectives in terms of planning and design of greenspaces and to be used in different urban contexts. The framework is structured in four phases that take place during a planning process of greenspaces: the definition of the objectives, the modelling of accessibility to the new or existing greenspaces, the interpretation of results and the definition of planning decisions. In the framework, accessibility to greenspaces is assessed through spatially explicit GIS-based indicators that combine socio-economic and land-use data with the road network information, so to take into account the interactions between social demands and the presence of greenspaces in cities. Two applications of the planning framework are proposed for the cities of Catania (Italy) and Nagoya (Japan), characterized by different configurations of greenspaces, high urban density urban and presence of particular social groups. Planning implications highlighted by the two case studies are presented and discussed.

Exploring the impact of green space health on runoff reduction using NDVI

This study examines the impact of green space health on local flooding based on the analysis of eighty-two watersheds in four Texas metropolitan statistical areas: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. The runoff records in October 2007 and October 2012 were selected for the assessment. The study met the methodological challenge posed by comparison by using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) datasets produced based on the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery of the 250-m resolution as a proxy to represent the health of green space. Two linear regression models were employed to explain the variation in mean daily runoff depth in 2007 and 2012, while controlling multiple contextual variables.Results indicate that watersheds containing healthier green spaces were likely to generate lower amounts of runoff in both periods. Standardized coefficients of green space health also show that the NDVI is a powerful and significant predictor to explain variation in runoff. These findings illustrate the important role of urban green spaces in attenuating local flooding and may provide planners and decision-makers with a method to consider, using this kind of objective greenery index in further developing local and regional green infrastructure and land-use plans.

The role of urban green spaces in care facilities for elderly people across European cities

Urban green spaces (UGS) are increasingly acknowledged for their importance for the well-being of urban populations. However, studies are lacking the consideration of the demand and use of UGS by different population groups and connecting UGS with social infrastructure. In an era of worldwide urbanization and ageing, this European study sheds light on the role of UGS for care facilities for elderly. 126 care facilities from 17 cities in Austria, Germany, Norway, Poland, Romania and Slovenia took part in an online survey. Administrations of care facilities gave insights on the (1) importance of gardens related to care facilities for the quality of life for the seniors, (2) importance of UGS outside of care facilities for the quality of life for the seniors and (3) the consideration of natural and age-friendly designs and management of ecosystem disservices of UGS. The results emphasize not only the importance of UGS for the quality of life of seniors residing in care facilities, but also for the staff and visitors. UGS contribute to physical activities, recreation, and social interactions. The study found that in particular facilities with an own garden are highly aware of the benefits UGS provide. The study holds important lessons for UGS planning, management and design not only to focus on the quantitative supply of UGS, but also to consider age-sensitive amenities in and access to UGS of high quality for seniors.

Urban parks: Visitors’ perceptions versus spatial indicators

Urban green spaces and their role in the quality of life of residents have been studied across multiple disciplines, based on empirical measurements or qualitative studies – however, the relation, and its strength, between spatial indicators of urban green spaces and visitors’ perceptions of green spaces are less known. Addressing this knowledge deficit, the present research uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to link subjective evaluations of the physical environment and objective spatial indicators, to examine the correlation between the perceived and objective characteristics of five urban parks in the city of Szeged, Hungary. A questionnaire survey was used to collect residents’ subjective perceptions of the parks, while objective – which is to say measurable and mappable – spatially explicit indicators of the respective green spaces were calculated using GIS. The subjective evaluations of the parks were matched to the objective indicators using a multiple regression analysis. The statistical analysis yielded two moderate and two minor correlations between the human perceptions of the investigated green spaces and the nine objective environmental indicators examined. These results showed that subjective evaluations and objective data reveal different aspects of the same reality. Therefore, the recommendations from this study are to collectively use human perceptions and objective environmental indicators, both of which are fundamental for adequately capturing the role of urban green spaces in quality of life.

The Influence of Urban Landscape Spatial Patterns on Single-Family Property Values.

Many empirical studies assessing the economic benefits of urban green space have continually documented that green space tends to increase both value and sale price of nearby residential properties. Previous studies, however, have not fully captured the quality of neighborhood level landscape spatial patterns on housing prices. To fill this literature gap, this study examined the association between landscape spatial patterns of urban green spaces and single-family home sale transactions using a spatial regression model. The research was conducted through the analysis of 11,326 housing transaction records from 2010 to 2012 in Austin, TX, USA. Variables measuring the structural, locational and neighborhood characteristics of housing were coupled with Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing and FRAGSTATS to calculate several landscape indices measuring the quality of existing landscape spatial patterns. After controlling for any spatial autocorrelation effects, we found that that larger tree and urban forest areas surrounding single-family homes positively contributed to property values, while more fragmented, isolated and irregularly shaped landscape spatial patterns resulted in the inverse. The results of this research increase awareness of the role of urban green spaces while informing community design/planning practices about the linkages between landscape spatial structure and economic benefits.

Role of urban green spaces for saproxylic beetle conservation: a case study of tenebrionids in Rome, Italy

Forested urban areas provide many important ecosystem services and their preservation is considered of paramount importance. Although urban forest are known to host a high diversity of saproxylic beetles (i.e. those associated with dead wood), contributions dealing with the role of urban green spaces for their conservation are lacking. We investigated the importance of urban green spaces for saproxylic and non-saproxylic tenebrionid beetles in urban Rome. Based on species vulnerability scores we calculated two indices of area prioritisation, the Biodiversity Conservation Concern (BCC) and the Biodiversity Conservation Weight (BCW) for saproxylic and non-saproxylic species. Site area and forest surface correlated positively with saproxylic richness, whereas site isolation correlated negatively with non-saproxylic richness. BCC and BCW values for saproxylic species were positively correlated with distance from the city centre. For non-saproxylic species, BCW values were negatively correlated with distance from adjacent areas. These results suggest that saproxylic beetles require large areas covered by forest, but are not strongly influenced by isolation, which is important for non-saproxylic species. Non-saproxylic tenebrionids have limited dispersal capabilities, which explains their sensitivity to isolation, but are generally eurytopic species frequently found even in the city centre. By contrast, most saproxylic species are able to fly, but are mainly found in peripheral areas with large and relatively well preserved forest fragments. Maintaining and possibly enhancing connectivity among green spaces is important for the conservation of non-saproxylic species, whereas preserving large forest surfaces, especially in peripheral areas, is needed for the conservation of saproxylic species.

City “Green” Contributions: The Role of Urban Greenspaces as Reservoirs for Biodiversity

Urbanization poses important environmental, social, and ecological pressures, representing a major threat to biodiversity. However, urban areas are highly heterogeneous, with some greenspaces (e.g., urban forests, parks, private gardens) providing resources and a refuge for wildlife communities. In this study we surveyed 10 taxonomic groups to assess their species richness and composition in six greenspaces that differ in size, location, management, and human activities. Species richness differed among taxonomic groups, but not all differed statistically among the studied greenspaces (i.e., sac fungi, bats). Plants, basidiomycetous and sac fungi, and birds showed intermediate assemblage composition similarity (<54%). The composition of assemblages of copro-necrophagous beetles, grasshoppers, amphibians, and bats was related to the specific traits of greenspaces, mainly size and location. The species richness contribution of each greenspace considering all studied taxonomic groups was highest in the largest greenspace that is located at the southeastern border of the city, while the lowest contribution was recorded in the smallest ones, all of them closer to the city’s center. Our results shed some light on the way in which different taxonomic groups respond to an array of neotropical urban greenspaces, providing an important basis for future studies.

Understanding Relationships between Health, Ethnicity, Place and the Role of Urban Green Space in Deprived Urban Communities.

Very little is known about how differences in use and perceptions of urban green space impact on the general health of black and minority ethnic (BME) groups. BME groups in the UK suffer from poorer health and a wide range of environmental inequalities that include poorer access to urban green space and poorer quality of green space provision. This study used a household questionnaire (n = 523) to explore the relationship between general health and a range of individual, social and physical environmental predictors in deprived white British and BME groups living in ethnically diverse cities in England. Results from Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) segmentation analyses identified three distinct general health segments in our sample ranging from “very good” health (people of Indian origin), to ”good” health (white British), and ”poor” health (people of African-Caribbean, Bangladeshi, Pakistani origin and other BME groups), labelled ”Mixed BME” in the analyses. Correlated Component Regression analyses explored predictors of general health for each group. Common predictors of general health across all groups were age, disability, and levels of physical activity. However, social and environmental predictors of general health-including use and perceptions of urban green space-varied among the three groups. For white British people, social characteristics of place (i.e., place belonging, levels of neighbourhood trust, loneliness) ranked most highly as predictors of general health, whilst the quality of, access to and the use of urban green space was a significant predictor of general health for the poorest health group only, i.e., in ”Mixed BME”. Results are discussed from the perspective of differences in use and perceptions of urban green space amongst ethnic groups. We conclude that health and recreation policy in the UK needs to give greater attention to the provision of local green space amongst poor BME communities since this can play an important role in helping address the health inequalities experienced by these groups.

The role of urban green space for human well-being

Most people in Europe live in urban environments. For these people, urban green space is an important element of well-being, but it is often in short supply. We use self-reported information on life satisfaction and two individual green space measures to explore how urban green space affects the well-being of the residents of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. We combine spatially explicit survey data with spatially highly disaggregated GIS data on urban green space. We observe a significant, inverted U-shaped effect of the amount of and distance to urban green space on life satisfaction. According to our results, the amount of green space in a 1km buffer that leads to the largest positive effect on life satisfaction is 35ha or 11% of the buffer area. In our sample, 75% of the respondents have less green space available.

Taking the High Line: elevated parks, transforming neighbourhoods, and the ever-changing relationship between the urban and nature

The popularity and impact of the High Line in New York mirrors the complex reality of contemporary provision of public space. The development of the project, its relationship to its surroundings and the evolving trend of elevated parks are analyzed in relation to the role of urban green space and impacts of Landscape Urbanism.The High Line shows the way to a new role for urban green space by utilizing abandoned infrastructure. In analysing the narrative of the High Line, this article stresses the importance of understanding localities and connectivity. Based on observations as well as a review of the literature and media, the article concludes that great landscaping does not create great places without careful consideration of the surrounding community and residents.

The effect of urban density, green spaces and mobility patterns in cities’ environmental quality: An empirical study of the metropolitan area of Thessaloniki

It has been proved that urban development patterns affect in various ways cities? environmental quality. To this purpose, one of the factors that have been examined is the role of urban green spaces, in balancing the effects of human activities in dense urban landscapes. One of the major external costs of dense urban environment is smog and greenhouse gas emissions that are heavily related to existing mobility patterns. High levels of concentration of such emissions along with high urban density are considered to be the main reason for cities? environmental degradation. In this context this paper presents the results of a study investigating how urban green spaces can improve air quality, in major transportation axis within the city of Thessaloniki. In order to do so, urban density along the axis, green space per capita, green space spatial distribution, mobility patterns and transport emissions volumes are being considered. Comparison of these indices among the transportation axis under study indicates that there is a positive relation between building density, urban density and volume of emissions observed, while a dispersed rather than a concentrated pattern of green spaces could better help improve cities? environmental quality.

Spatial dynamics of aboveground carbon stock in urban green space: a case study of Xi’an, China

Greenhouse gas emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major factors causing global climate change. Urban green space plays a key role in regulating the global carbon cycle and reducing atmospheric CO2. Quantifying the carbon stock, distribution and change of urban green space is vital to understanding the role of urban green space in the urban environment. Remote sensing is a valuable and effective tool for monitoring and estimating aboveground carbon (AGC) stock in large areas. In the present study, different remotely-sensed vegetation indices (VIs) were used to develop a regression equation between VI and AGC stock of urban green space, and the best fit model was then used to estimate the AGC stock of urban green space within the beltways of Xi’an city for the years 2004 and 2010. A map of changes in the spatial distribution patterns of AGC stock was plotted and the possible causes of these changes were analyzed. Results showed that Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) correlated moderately well with AGC stock in urban green space. The Difference Vegetation Index (DVI), Ratio Vegetation Index (RVI), Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI) and Renormalized Difference Vegetative Index (RDVI) were lower correlation coefficients than NDVI. The AGC stock in the urban green space of Xi’an in 2004 and 2010 was 73,843 and 126,621 t, respectively, with an average annual growth of 8,796 t and an average annual growth rate of 11.9%. The carbon densities in 2004 and 2010 were 1.62 and 2.77 t/hm2, respectively. Precipitation was not an important factor to influence the changes of AGC stock in the urban green space of Xi’an. Policy orientation, major ecological greening projects such as “transplanting big trees into the city” and the World Horticultural Exposition were found to have an important impact on changes in the spatiotemporal patterns of AGC stock.

The Effects of Public Green Spaces on Residential Property Value in Beijing

A number of empirical studies in Euro—American region consistently demonstrate that, parks and open space have a positive impact on property values. However, this effect has not been investigated in Beijing, China. And the public and city managers often ignore or underestimate the role of urban green spaces. This paper surveyed the relationship between the average house prices of 76 residential areas and 14 parks in Beijing, and measured the total benefits of 18 070 ha public green spaces on residential property value, by using the inventory data of urban green spaces (2009) and GIS techniques. Results showed that the residential property values located 850–1604 meters away from parks achieved a 0.5% to 14.1% increase in sales price. The overall benefit of Beijing's public green spaces on residential property was 2.86 billion CNY (1 USD=6.83 CNY), and the average benefit of per hectare public green space was 0.16 million CNY, corresponding to 1.8–3.9 times of the maintenance cost of green space in Beijing. Therefore, there is chance for local governments to increase property tax revenues due to the creation and maintenance of urban green spaces.

The Role of Urban Green Spaces for The Sustainable City, Jammu (J&K)

The Role of Urban Green Spaces for The Sustainable City, Jammu (J&K)

Influence of urban green spaces on the conservation of bryophyte diversity: The special role of Japanese gardens

Urban green spaces play a critical role in the maintenance of biodiversity in urban areas. However, bryophyte (moss) diversity in urban areas has received little attention. This study examined the role of urban green spaces in maintaining and enhancing bryophyte diversity. Four sites in Kanazawa City, northwestern Japan, were selected for the study based on differences in the utilization and maintenance practices: a Japanese garden, an urban park, a secondary forest, and a lawn. Bryophyte species richness and environmental characteristics were measured in sample plots 5m in diameter (ca. 78.5m2) along transects spanning the length and width of each green space. Bryophyte species richness was especially high in the garden relative to that observed in the other green spaces. Multiple linear regression models determined that bryophyte species richness was significantly correlated with increased areas of water and rocks, increased areas of restricted entry, and the presence of maintenance practices; grass cover, on the other hand, was negatively correlated with bryophyte species richness. The results suggest that high bryophyte species richness in the gardens is related to the diversity of environments created by the design and maintenance practices for keeping the garden looking beautiful. These design and maintenance practices can be applied to the creation of green space for the conservation of bryophyte diversity. Furthermore, the placement of logs and creation of patches with lower maintenance intensity can enhance the conservation of bryophyte diversity.

Sustainable management of urban pollution: an integrated approach

This paper presents a new decision-support framework and software platform for an integrated assessment of options for sustainable management of urban pollution. The framework involves three steps: (1) mapping the flow of pollutants associated with human activities in the urban environment; (2) modelling the fate and transport of pollutants; and (3) quantifying the environmental, health and socio-economic impacts of urban pollution. It comprises a suite of different models and tools to support sustainability appraisals including life cycle assessment, substance flow analysis, source and pollutants characterisation, pollutant fate and transport modelling, health impact analysis, ecological impact assessment, and multi-criteria decision analysis. The framework can be used at different levels, from simple screening studies to more detailed assessments. The paper describes the decision-support framework and outlines several case studies to demonstrate its application. The software tool is available free of charge at www.pureframework.org. Practical applications: The PUrE framework and software platform can be applied to assess and compare the sustainability of different technologies, products, human activities or policies. Example applications of the framework have so far included sustainability comparisons of technologies for thermal treatment of municipal solid waste; generation of electricity from coal and biomass; environmental and health impacts of a mixture of pollutants in Sheffield; the role of urban green space in reducing the levels of particulate matter in London and the impacts of environmental policy on legacy pollution in Avenmouth.

The role of urban green space and trees in relation to climate change.

Abstract Urban areas are particularly susceptible to climate change. For instance, effects of increasing temperatures on public health and energy demands for cooling of buildings are further intensified by the urban heat island effect, and the current sewer infrastructure is not designed to handle predicted rainstorm events. Urban green spaces can play a role in climate change mitigation approaches, but in particular with regard to climate change adaptation . This includes moderation of urban temperatures as well as linking green spaces and stormwater management. However, climate change also influences the growth conditions of urban vegetation, and as beneficial effects depend on vital and lush plants, establishment and management practices of urban plantings have to adapt to climate change challenges as well. While environmental, social and economic benefits of urban green space are well established, there is still a significant lack of knowledge for the site adapted planning and design of a green infrastructure in a given location to meet the challenges of climate change.

The role of urban greenspaces in fauna conservation: the case of the iguana Ctenosaura similis in the ‘patios’ of León city, Nicaragua

Private urban greenspaces, called ‘patios’ in Latin America, can act as important refuges for wildlife in scattered growing cities of the tropics. We studied the presence and abundance of the black spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis) in patios of Leon city (Nicaragua). Forty patios were structurally characterized and abundances of iguanas were determined through surveys of inhabitants supported by observations of specimens and burrows. Patio area and maximum tree height were variables positively related with presence and abundance of iguanas and presence of burrows. The permeability of fences for iguana movements and the presence of preferred trees for food were also related to presence and abundance of iguanas. Stepwise selection model for abundance of iguanas included number of preferred trees, maximum tree height and permeability of fences. The presence of iguanas was only explained by maximum tree height. Our results show that the indigenous-root types of patios offer the most adequate conditions for the establishment and maintenance of iguana populations among the studied cases. In the light of these results, management practices to preserve the Ctenosaura similis populations in urban patios are suggested.