Green space policies are important for revitalizing communities, reducing financial burdens of healthcare, and increasing quality of life. Most policies focus on community benefits, and reducing negative effects of urban development, such as surface runoff and the urban heat island effect.
Historically, access to green space has favored wealthier, and more privileged communities, thus recent focus in urban greening has increasingly focused on environmental justice concerns, and community engagement in the greening process.
Green spaces have greatly expanded and resulted in over half of the world’s population to be in urban locations. as the population continues to grow, this number is predicted to be at two-thirds of people living in urban areas by 2050.
The benefits that green spaces provides to citizens can be broken into four basic forms: recreation, ecology, aesthetic value, and positive health impacts. Psychological benefits gained by visitors to green spaces increased with their biodiversity indicating that ‘green’ alone is not sufficient; the quality of that green is important as well.
Recreational Benefits
Green spaces are often appreciated for the recreational opportunities it provides. Recreation in open green spaces may include active recreation (such as organized sports and individual exercise) or passive recreation, which may simply entail being in the open space. Research shows that when open spaces are attractive and accessible, people are more likely to engage in physical activity. Time spent in an open green space for recreation offers a reprieve from the urban environment and a break from over-stimulation. Studies done on physically active adults middle aged and older show there are amplified benefits when the physical activities are coupled with green space environments. Such coupling leads to decreased levels of stress, lowers the risk for depression as well as increase the frequency of participation in exercise. Casual group walks in a green environment (nature walks) increase one’s positive attitude and lower stress levels as well as risk of depression.
Ecological Benefits
The conservation of nature in an urban environment has direct impact on people for another reason as well. A Toronto civic affairs bulletin entitled Open green Spaces: Luxury or Necessity makes the claim that “popular awareness of the balance of nature, of natural processes and of man’s place in and effect on nature – i.e., “ecological awareness” – is important. As humans live more and more in man-made surroundings – i.e., cities – he risks harming himself by building and acting in ignorance of natural processes.” Beyond this man-nature benefit, urban open spaces also serve as islands of nature, promoting biodiversity and providing a home for natural species in environments that are otherwise uninhabitable due to city development.
By having the opportunity to be around green spaces, people gain a higher appreciation for the nature around them. As Bill McKibben mentions in his book The End of Nature, people will only truly understand nature if they are immersed within and around it. He follows in Henry David Thoreau’s footsteps when he isolated himself in the Adirondack Mountains to get away from society and the overwhelming ideals it carries. Even there he writes how society and human impact follows him as he sees airplanes buzzing overhead or hears the roar of motorboats in the distance.
Aesthetic Benefits
The aesthetic value of green open spaces is self-evident. People enjoy viewing nature, especially when it is otherwise extensively deprived, as is the case in urban environments. Therefore, green spaces offer the value of “substituting gray infrastructure. One researcher state how attractive green space neighborhood contribute to positive attitudes and social norms that encourage walking community values. Properties near green open spaces tend to have a higher value. One study was able to demonstrate that, “a pleasant view can lead to a considerable increase in house price, particularly if the house overlooks water (8–10%) or green spaces (6–12%). Certain benefits may be derived from exposure to virtual versions of the natural environment, too. For example, people who were shown pictures of scenic, natural environments had increased brain activity in the region associated with recalling happy memories, compared to people that were shown pictures of urban landscapes.
Health Benefits
The World Health Organization considers green spaces as important to human health. These areas have a positive impact on mental and physical health. green spaces often include trees or other shrubbery that contribute to moderating temperatures and decreasing air pollution. Perceived general health is higher in populations with a higher percentage of green spaces in their environments. Green spaces access has also been directly related to reductions in the prevalence and severity of chronic diseases resulting from sedentary lifestyles to improvements in mental well-being, and to reductions in population-wide health impacts from climate change.
green infrastructure and air quality
While green infrastructure can help communities manage storm water, using vegetated systems like green roofs and tree barriers can also help improve air quality and reduce urban heat island effects. These practices shade building surfaces, deflect radiation from the sun, and release moisture into the atmosphere.
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