Urban oases: the social-ecological importance of small urban green spaces
Global challenges around biodiversity loss, climate change, and public health are heightening the importance of urban green spaces for supporting ecosystem services and human wellbeing. Trees, parks and forests integrated across cityscapes are proposed strategies to combat climate change and promote...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Ecosystems and People |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2024.2315991 |
| _version_ | 1826919235142549504 |
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| author | Monika Egerer Peter Annighöfer Sophie Arzberger Stefanie Burger Yannik Hecher Vera Knill Birgit Probst Michael Suda |
| author_facet | Monika Egerer Peter Annighöfer Sophie Arzberger Stefanie Burger Yannik Hecher Vera Knill Birgit Probst Michael Suda |
| author_sort | Monika Egerer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Global challenges around biodiversity loss, climate change, and public health are heightening the importance of urban green spaces for supporting ecosystem services and human wellbeing. Trees, parks and forests integrated across cityscapes are proposed strategies to combat climate change and promote human health for current and future cities. This is true for small urban green spaces, perhaps just < 1 ha in size. Depending on their structure and size, these spaces can provide structural vegetation complexity, promote species diversity, regulate temperatures and offer human thermal comfort. These spaces also provide recreation opportunity, nature experience, sense of belonging, and restoration to people. As cities densify, it is crucial to understand where these dimensions intersect in theory and practice to design and manage small green spaces in particular, as these systems may be easier than large green spaces to implement in urban planning. In this paper, we narratively review known biophysical and ecological properties of green spaces that support biodiversity, promote temperature regulation and climate resilience, and may ultimately benefit residents’ health through different use activities and multisensory experiences that promote restoration and wellbeing. Furthermore, we review how stakeholder engagement and participatory processes can guide equitable green space provision and design, and we use case studies and our own research as examples. In doing so, this paper aims to further the understanding of the social-ecological importance of small urban green spaces and calls for inter- and transdisciplinary research that generates insight to design, manage and protect these places in a changing climate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:20:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e490436b77c346b0b8309e09a6f33243 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2639-5908 2639-5916 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-17T13:05:54Z |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosystems and People |
| spelling | doaj.art-e490436b77c346b0b8309e09a6f332432024-12-27T07:00:22ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEcosystems and People2639-59082639-59162024-12-0120110.1080/26395916.2024.2315991Urban oases: the social-ecological importance of small urban green spacesMonika Egerer0Peter Annighöfer1Sophie Arzberger2Stefanie Burger3Yannik Hecher4Vera Knill5Birgit Probst6Michael Suda7Urban Productive Ecosystems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, GermanyForest and Agroforestry Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, GermanyForest and Agroforestry Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, GermanyUrban Productive Ecosystems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, GermanyUrban Productive Ecosystems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, GermanyForest and Environmental Politics, TUM School of Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, GermanyForest and Environmental Politics, TUM School of Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, GermanyForest and Environmental Politics, TUM School of Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, GermanyGlobal challenges around biodiversity loss, climate change, and public health are heightening the importance of urban green spaces for supporting ecosystem services and human wellbeing. Trees, parks and forests integrated across cityscapes are proposed strategies to combat climate change and promote human health for current and future cities. This is true for small urban green spaces, perhaps just < 1 ha in size. Depending on their structure and size, these spaces can provide structural vegetation complexity, promote species diversity, regulate temperatures and offer human thermal comfort. These spaces also provide recreation opportunity, nature experience, sense of belonging, and restoration to people. As cities densify, it is crucial to understand where these dimensions intersect in theory and practice to design and manage small green spaces in particular, as these systems may be easier than large green spaces to implement in urban planning. In this paper, we narratively review known biophysical and ecological properties of green spaces that support biodiversity, promote temperature regulation and climate resilience, and may ultimately benefit residents’ health through different use activities and multisensory experiences that promote restoration and wellbeing. Furthermore, we review how stakeholder engagement and participatory processes can guide equitable green space provision and design, and we use case studies and our own research as examples. In doing so, this paper aims to further the understanding of the social-ecological importance of small urban green spaces and calls for inter- and transdisciplinary research that generates insight to design, manage and protect these places in a changing climate.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2024.2315991Davide GenelettiUrban green infrastructureOne Healthurban biodiversityurban healthclimate change |
| spellingShingle | Monika Egerer Peter Annighöfer Sophie Arzberger Stefanie Burger Yannik Hecher Vera Knill Birgit Probst Michael Suda Urban oases: the social-ecological importance of small urban green spaces Ecosystems and People Davide Geneletti Urban green infrastructure One Health urban biodiversity urban health climate change |
| title | Urban oases: the social-ecological importance of small urban green spaces |
| title_full | Urban oases: the social-ecological importance of small urban green spaces |
| title_fullStr | Urban oases: the social-ecological importance of small urban green spaces |
| title_full_unstemmed | Urban oases: the social-ecological importance of small urban green spaces |
| title_short | Urban oases: the social-ecological importance of small urban green spaces |
| title_sort | urban oases the social ecological importance of small urban green spaces |
| topic | Davide Geneletti Urban green infrastructure One Health urban biodiversity urban health climate change |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2024.2315991 |
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