Utilisation of green urban space for food sufficiency and the realisation of the sustainable development goals-UK stakeholders perspective

The exponential growth of food demand due to the increasing global population has the potential to seriously threaten the quality and quantity of food supplies due to climate change.This study explores the utilisation of green urban spaces for achieving food self-sufficiency by investigating the extent to which sustainable urban farms could be used to reduce the consumption of imported produce in the UK.It also examines urban farming stakeholders'perspective on how food self-sufficiency can help realise the SDGs especially SDG 2(Zero hunger)and SDG 13(Climate action).The study adopts a mixed method approach through a survey with 115 respondents and semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 respondents from 4 different urban farming stakeholder groups.The findings of this study presented a strong correlation between stakeholders who had concerns about where their food came from and the carbon footprint of imported produce.The research shows that,urban farms will no doubt play a vital role in the future of food security in our cities/communities and that the SDGs could be realised through sustainable urban farms implemented within the relevant planning regulations/policies.

Study on the Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Park Green Space in Wuhan City

The distribution characteristics of park green space in Wuhan City were studied by standard deviation ellipse(SDE)method,average nearest neighbor index,kernel density estimation(KDE)method and scale index method.At the same time,the influencing factors of its distribution were discussed from three aspects of nature,social economy and culture with a geographical detector.The results show that(1)the distribution of park green space in Wuhan was relatively concentrated,and the directionality was not strong.The distribution mode was clustered mode.There were four main aggregation centers,which were located in Jianghan District,Qingshan District,Dongxihu District and Wuchang District respectively.Among them,the scale index of Jianghan District was the highest,up to 0.5902,while that of Xinzhou district was the lowest,only 0.0047.(2)The order of interpretation intensity of park green space distribution in Wuhan was population density(0.382)>regional GDP(0.278)>location of historical relics(0.165)>urbanization rate(0.136)>watershed zoning(0.069)>altitude(0.012).(3)The interaction of population density and watershed zoning had the strongest explanation for the distribution of park green space in Wuhan.Except for the influence of population density,the interaction of urbanization rate and regional GDP had the strongest explanation for the distribution of park green space in Wuhan.

GIS-Based Analysis to Identify the Distribution and Accessibility of Urban Green Space in Dhaka Metropolitan City, Bangladesh

Urban Green Space (UGS) plays an important role in minimizing the negative effects of urbanization on city dwellers, which is predominantly factored into the accessibility to UGS. This study elucidated the distribution and accessibility of UGS in Dhaka, Bangladesh considering the paucity of such important scientific studies in the given area. The methodological structure of this study employed a multispectral Landsat satellite image from 2020 for identifying the logically defined UGSs, as well as a minimum proxy distance being the parameter to estimate accessibility to the UGS through a primary survey scheme and literature review. Considering UGS as a public area, we adopted a hybrid (combination of supervised and unsupervised classification) method followed by post-classification for UGS distribution assessment. The unsupervised classification identified the overall distribution of green spaces, whereas the anomalies of generated classes were rectified during the post-classification. Following the study findings, UGS in Dhaka metropolitan city accounts for only 602 ha or 1.9% of the total geographical space, with Ramna thana ranked as the highest contributor of 111 ha. However, in terms of accessibility to the UGS by city residents, 19.9% of the buildings in Dhaka metropolitan city were computed to be within the determined proxy distance of 500 m around the UGS. Also, parallel to UGS distribution, green space in Ramna thana (111 ha) exhibited the highest accessibility rate (64%) to the UGS compared with other thanas in Dhaka metropolitan city. The baseline findings will contribute to the long-term sustainable urban planning and development of more accessible green spaces in the study area.

Factors influencing the concentration of negative air ions during the year in forests and urban green spaces of the Dapeng Peninsula in Shenzhen, China

Negative air ions(NAIs)benefit the mental and physical health of humans,but rapid urbanization can decrease the abundance of NAIs.Quantifying the spatial and seasonal distribution of NAIs and determining the factors that infl uence the concentration during urbanization is thus essential.In the present study of a typical developing urban district in southern China,negative air ion concentrations(NAICs)in 60 forests sites and 30 urban green spaces were quantifi ed on seven consecutive days in each of the four seasons.Large seasonal variations in NAIC were revealed in forests and urban green spaces with trough values in summer.NAIC progressively decreased from forests to urban green spaces and was infl uenced by local land morphology,vegetation characteristics,and climatic factors.The vast,heavily vegetated northeastern region was the richest area for NAIs,whereas the narrow central region(urbanized area)was the poorest,implying dramatic impacts of urbanization on the spatial distribution of NAIs.The relationship between air temperature and NAIC was better fi tted with a quadratic equation than a linear equation.Moreover,the NAIC was more sensitive to local morphology in urban green spaces than in urban forests,indicating the vulnerability of NAIs in urbanized areas.Therefore,the appropriate design of local urban morphology is critical.

Evaluation method of the ecological benefits of urban green spaces and application conditions

The importance of ecological benefit analyses about green space systems has been widely discussed on the basis of a perceived bias towards the landscaping effect of green spaces to be built in urban areas as opposed to the perception of comprehensive ecological benefits of designed plant communities. Given the basic principle of ecological benefit analyses and evaluation methods widely applied today, the methodology to calculate ecological benefits and to model the expansion of urban green spaces by CITY- green 5.0 and its conditions for application were explored. We propose that aerial images can be substituted by AutoCAD graphics of a green space containing detailed information of plant dispositions by digitizing the key features during the working process in order to evaluate the ecological benefits quickly and to offer proper guidance to the establishment of small scale green spaces in urban areas. The theoretical foundation, potential application range and prospects for extension of the method are introduced by using the analysis of ecological benefits of the green spaces on the campus of Southwest Forestry College, Kunming, as an example.

Green Space System Planning in Shuangcheng City and Creation of the City's Characteristics

Characteristic urban construction has already become a trend of modern social development,in this context,components of characteristic urban green spaces,and ways of demonstrating features of urban green space system were analyzed.Shuangcheng City in Heilongjiang Province was taken for example to analyze planning objectives and principles of characteristic urban green space system.Moreover,the green space layout of "A Hundred Years Old Castle,A Hundred of Enterprises and A Hundred of Gardens" was introduced.It was proposed that green space system planning suited to the development features and ecological conditions of the city should be developed from the perspective of greater regional environment,historical and cultural deposits,urban development pattern and lifestyle of the locals,so as to create urban green space system with regional features.

Construction of Ecological Network for Urban Green Space System from the Perspective of Landscape Ecology:A Case Study of Wanzhou District, Chongqing Municipality

Green spaces in Wanzhou District, Chongqing Municipality were not closely linked and failed to form an integrated ecological network, this paper analyzed and assessed current situation of green spaces in the local area from the perspective of landscape ecology, and then established the landscape ecology-oriented ecological network construction, restructured green paces in Wanzhou District using the landscape composition of "patch–corridor–matrix", and connected the scattered green patches using green corridors, so as to form a reasonable ecological network of green spaces.

Advances in Research on Urban Green Spaces from the Perspective of Urban Geography

The construction of urban green space has attracted extensive attention of researchers under the background of urban sustainable development and ecological civilization construction.The research of urban green space involves ecology,geography,economics,sociology and other disciplines,among which geography has played an important role in promoting the study and practice of green space in terms of research perspectives,methods and techniques,planning and management.In this paper,the important role of urban geography in green space research is analyzed from defi nition,classifi cation to multidisciplinary background,and the research and practice progress of green space in urban geography are summarized in four aspects:characteristics and division of green space,relationship between green space and urban regional structure,service function of urban green space,and the relationship between green space and urban development.Finally,the practical achievements of green space research are illustrated from the perspective of urban geography.

What Culture in European Cities?The Desperate Struggle of European Cultures against the American One

For a long time,American culture has been spreading and replacing other European cultures.This is a significant change.According to the French writer Régis Debray,images are replacing writing,the theme of happiness is replacing drama,and space is replacing time.Additionally,according to the German sociologist Max Weber,Protestantism has made Americans"ascetic inside the world,"meaning individuals are solely responsible for their own well-being and success in society.The idea of"collective grace"is suspect.In urban life,there is a void that is filled by tribalism,such as sports,music,and events.Unfortunately,in urban planning,public spaces for people to gather,like parks or public squares,are often neglected.Water and green spaces could be valuable resources in filling this void.However,there is a potential risk of private brands taking over placemaking.

Analysis of problems in urban green space system planning in China

This paper discusses the major problems in urban green space system （UGSS） planning at both general and special planning levels in China. At general planning level, the problems of the UGSS are mainly from the ignorance in the characteristics of urban nature spaces and the limitation factors of the urban planning system. Great importance is attached to the green spaces in the built area of city, but the green spaces in surrounding areas of the city is unnoticed. Furthermore, because the area of UGSS planning is strictly limited by the administrative zoning, the green space system loses its integrity and rationality in spatial patterns. The schedules of urban development planning mismatched the paces and progresses of the ecological restoration cycles. At special plan level, the problem of the UGSS in China is that the green spaces quantity was over emphasized but the rationality of their layouts is neglected.. Meanwhile, the requirement of the spatial structures and the green spaces layouts to balance between the urban development and the natural ecological environments is often ignored. With regard to the layouts in the UGSS planning practices, the existing problems are the compromising to the existing land-uses, the ＇filling in＇ approach to plan green spaces and an over-emphasis on the layout patterns.

Effects of urban street trees on human thermal comfort and physiological indices: a case study in Changchun city, China

Planting trees along urban streets is one of the most important strategies to improve the urban thermal environment.However,the net impacts of urban street trees on human thermal comfort and physiological parameters are still less clear.On three similar east-west orientated streets with different degrees of tree cover-low(13%),medium(35%),and high(75%),urban microclimatic parameters and human physiological indices for six male students were simultaneously measured on three cloudless days in summer 2018.The results show that the differences in tree cover were predominant in influencing urban thermal environment and comfort.The street with the highest tree cover had significantly lower physiological equivalent temperature(PET) and more comfortable than the other two streets.The frequency of strong heat stress(PET> 35℃) was 64%,11 %,and 0%,respectively,for streets with low,medium,and high tree cover.For the six male university students,human physiological indices varied greatly across the three streets with different tree cover.Systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,and pulse rate increased with decreasing tree cover.The results also suggest that urban thermal environment and comfort had considerable impact on human physiological parameters.Our study provides reasons for urban planners to plant trees along streets to improve the thermal environment and promote urban sustainability.

An Assessment of Ecosystem Services of Urban Green Spaces Based on i-Tree

Ecosystem services of urban green spaces play an important role in the sustainable development of the urban ecosystem. How to quantify the ecological benefits of urban green spaces and evaluate their ecological services is a hot topic in related fields. Currently, with the advancement of science and technology, the assessment method has been developed from the traditional ones such as the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers(CTLA) method, afforestation cost method, and carbon tax method to CITYgreen and i-Tree. The latter two models have been widely used in countries of Europe and America, while the use of i-Tree has not been promoted in China. In this paper, i-Tree Eco(UFORE) was selected for research, and its application in the assessment of the ecosystem services of urban green spaces, including energy saving, air quality improvement, interception of rainwater, and aesthetic benefits, were analyzed. This study aims to provide a theoretical and scientific basis for the introduction and localization of i-Tree, as well as its generalization in the assessment of forest ecosystem services domestically.

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.

Application of Vertical Greening as a New Model of Expanding Urban Green Spaces

Vertical greening is a new pattern of expanding urban green spaces. Based on the concept of vertical greening, several approaches and available patterns were introduced for the vertical greening of urban spaces. Moreover, the mostly-applied vertical greening plants in China and their value were given to provide a new thought for urban greening.

Planning of Urban Public Disaster-prevention Green Spaces: A Case Study of Living Water Park in Chengdu City

Based on disaster-prevention functions of urban public green spaces, necessity and significance of emergency shelters in a city were analyzed. Taking Living Water Park in Chengdu for example, planning of urban public disaster-prevention green spaces was analyzed to further explore planning of urban disaster-prevention green space system and refugee spaces, and provide instructions for the planning and construction of urban disaster-prevention green spaces in China.

Ecological Planning and Design of Urban Green Space System of Sanya City

The construction of International Tourism Island has accelerated the development of Sanya City. The population aggregation and the external extension of urban area have brought a lot of negative effects, such as discontinuities of green space matrix, dysfunction of green wedge permeation, deficiency of eco-corridor, structural imbalance of green space system and so on. The overall layout of Green space system known as "One Belt & Three Bays, One Core & Six Towns, Two Axes & Three Wedges, Two Net Synchronous-construction" strengthens the eco-connection among different groups and green space in central area of the city, and realizes the collaborative construction of both resource corridor and landscape corridor. The eco-layout of green core, green corridor and green patch helps keep the integrity of large vegetation patches, enhances the eco-connection of different types of green space and improves finger-shaped network of urban green space. The most efficient way to promote the circulation of urban ecosystem and the positive development of Sanya City is to plan multilevel and three-dimensional eco-space structure and maximize ecological benefits of green space system.

Pattern Change of Urban Green Space in Beijing from 2000 to 2010

With the rapid urbanization in Beijing, the vegetated surfaces have been increasingly replaced by impervious built surfaces. A clear recognition on the changes in green spaces pattern is vital for urban administrators and planners to optimize the urban development areas and define the ecological protection red lines. Based on the SPOT images and field investigation data of urban green spaces within the sixth ring road of Beijing in 2000, 2005 and 2010, the study investigated the dynamic changes of urban green spaces in this area, by means of GIS techniques and landscape ecology methods. The results indicated that green spaces in Beijing have decreased by 207 km2 from 2000 to 2010 at the expense of agricultural lands and waters. Although there has been some increases in urban forests and grasslands, it cannot compensate the rapid decrease of urban green spaces. The land cover types conversion occurred mainly in the areas between the fifth and sixth ring roads while the zones encircled by the fourth ring road had a little change. In addition, landscape metrics such as number of patches(NP) and shape index(SHAPE) increased, but the mean nearest-neighbor distance(MNN), aggregation index(AI) and patch cohesion index(COHESION) decreased during the period of 2000-2010. Also green landscapes became considerably isolated and fragmented. The study disclosed the obvious changes of green space size, composition and layout in urban districts of Beijing City from 2000 to 2010, and highlighted that construction of urban green space should consider not only the geometric or aesthetic effect, but also the increase of vertical green volume and optimization of spatial layout to fully develop the ecological service functions of green spaces.

SPATIAL GRADIENT ANALYSIS OF URBAN GREEN SPACES COMBINED WITH LANDSCAPE METRICS IN JINAN CITY OF CHINA

Urban green spaces have been arisen growing concern responded to the social and environmental costs of urban sprawl. A wide range of planning and policies has been and/or will be designed to protect urban green spaces and optimize their spatial pattern. A better design or planning of urban green space can make a major contribution to quality of environment and urban life, and furthermore can decide whether we can have a sustainable development in the urban area. Information about the status quo of urban green spaces can help planners design more effectively. However, how to quantify and capture such information will be the essential question we face. In this paper, to quantify the urban green space, a new method comprising gradient analysis, landscape metrics and GIS was developed through a case of Jinan City. The results demonstrate: 1) the gradient analysis is a valid and reliable instrument to quantify the urban green space spatial pattern precisely; 2) using moving window, explicit landscape metrics were spatially realized. Compared with quantifying metrics in the entire landscape, it would be better to link pattern with process and establish an important basis for analyzing the ecological and socioeconomic functions of green spaces.

Application of Drought-resistant Varieties in Urban Green Spaces

As the connotations of urban green spaces and urban eco-green spaces have been more realized,drought-resistant green spaces have become a unique development trend,and drought-resistant flowers have been more applied in green spaces.This paper summarized characteristics of drought-resistant flowers,foreign and domestic researches in this field,advantages and disadvantages of their application in urban green spaces,and proposed key directions of the future researches.