Green Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Ecosystem Services: The Main Challenges for Russia’s Largest Cities
Globally, the process of urbanization is transforming land use and, as a consequence, reducing the efficiency of ecosystem services (ESs), which ensure a healthy and comfortable urban environment. In cities, green infrastructure (GI) is a key source of urban ESs. Russia is a highly urbanized country...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/12/1292 |
| _version_ | 1797503085812121600 |
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| author | Oxana Klimanova Olga Illarionova Karsten Grunewald Elena Bukvareva |
| author_facet | Oxana Klimanova Olga Illarionova Karsten Grunewald Elena Bukvareva |
| author_sort | Oxana Klimanova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Globally, the process of urbanization is transforming land use and, as a consequence, reducing the efficiency of ecosystem services (ESs), which ensure a healthy and comfortable urban environment. In cities, green infrastructure (GI) is a key source of urban ESs. Russia is a highly urbanized country: 70% of its population live in towns or cities. As cities continue to expand, they are swallowing unsealed lands that support ESs. In this paper, we present the results of an analysis of the current state and recent changes in urban GI in Russia’s 16 largest cities, including a biophysical evaluation of key urban ESs, using remote sensing data and freely available statistics. Our analysis identifies a weak correlation between GI area, ES volume, and favorable climate conditions as well as a stronger correlation between ESs and the increasing rate of urbanization. Considering Russia’s high level of urbanization, the key importance of ESs for the well-being of citizens, and ongoing reductions of urban GI, major revisions to urban planning policy are required. Indicators of urban biodiversity, GI, and ESs should be incorporated into decision-making processes. In particular, it is vital that the accounting and monitoring of GI and ESs are established in all of Russia’s larger cities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:45:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fd6f67ed500249ea933332d0daff3905 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:45:28Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-fd6f67ed500249ea933332d0daff39052023-11-23T09:10:16ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2021-11-011012129210.3390/land10121292Green Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Ecosystem Services: The Main Challenges for Russia’s Largest CitiesOxana Klimanova0Olga Illarionova1Karsten Grunewald2Elena Bukvareva3Department of World Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, RussiaDepartment of World Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, RussiaLeibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (Dresden), 01217 Dresden, GermanyBiodiversity Conservation Center, 117312 Moscow, RussiaGlobally, the process of urbanization is transforming land use and, as a consequence, reducing the efficiency of ecosystem services (ESs), which ensure a healthy and comfortable urban environment. In cities, green infrastructure (GI) is a key source of urban ESs. Russia is a highly urbanized country: 70% of its population live in towns or cities. As cities continue to expand, they are swallowing unsealed lands that support ESs. In this paper, we present the results of an analysis of the current state and recent changes in urban GI in Russia’s 16 largest cities, including a biophysical evaluation of key urban ESs, using remote sensing data and freely available statistics. Our analysis identifies a weak correlation between GI area, ES volume, and favorable climate conditions as well as a stronger correlation between ESs and the increasing rate of urbanization. Considering Russia’s high level of urbanization, the key importance of ESs for the well-being of citizens, and ongoing reductions of urban GI, major revisions to urban planning policy are required. Indicators of urban biodiversity, GI, and ESs should be incorporated into decision-making processes. In particular, it is vital that the accounting and monitoring of GI and ESs are established in all of Russia’s larger cities.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/12/1292air pollution removalecosystem assessmentfood securityheat mitigationurban green areasurban recreation |
| spellingShingle | Oxana Klimanova Olga Illarionova Karsten Grunewald Elena Bukvareva Green Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Ecosystem Services: The Main Challenges for Russia’s Largest Cities Land air pollution removal ecosystem assessment food security heat mitigation urban green areas urban recreation |
| title | Green Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Ecosystem Services: The Main Challenges for Russia’s Largest Cities |
| title_full | Green Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Ecosystem Services: The Main Challenges for Russia’s Largest Cities |
| title_fullStr | Green Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Ecosystem Services: The Main Challenges for Russia’s Largest Cities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Green Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Ecosystem Services: The Main Challenges for Russia’s Largest Cities |
| title_short | Green Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Ecosystem Services: The Main Challenges for Russia’s Largest Cities |
| title_sort | green infrastructure urbanization and ecosystem services the main challenges for russia s largest cities |
| topic | air pollution removal ecosystem assessment food security heat mitigation urban green areas urban recreation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/12/1292 |
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