Influences on the use of urban green space – A case study in Odense,Denmark

Increasing the use of urban green space has appeared on the political agenda, primarily because increased use is expected to improve the health and well-being of the urban population. Green space is contributing to restoring mental fatigue, serving as a resource for physical activity, reducing mortality and reducing the level of stress.However, knowledge and experience on how to implement this agenda are scarce. In this paper, we use a socio-ecological model as framework when studying influences on the use of respondents’ nearest urban green space in the Danish city of Odense. Data were obtained from a survey sent to 2500 randomly selected adult residents within the central part of the city. We tested the relative importance of different factors on the frequency of use of the nearest urban green space by using a multivariate logistic regression model. The results show that almost half of the respondents did not use their nearest green space the most. Whether or not respondent used their nearest green space most depends primarily on area size, distance to the area and factors that are likely to express a reduced mobility; old age, young children and poor health.If the nearest urban green space also is the most used green space, having a dog is the only factor that significantly increases the frequency of use. Further research is needed to determine what it is that makes people use an area more, if the basic conditions of a reasonable size (>5 ha) within a reasonable distance (<600 m) are fulfilled.     

Assessment and optimization of green space for urban transformation in resources-based city – A case study of Lengshuijiang city,China

Urbanization in China has changed gradually from production-oriented to consumption-oriented in recent years. Comfort and accessibility of green infrastructures effect the rate of urbanization and transformation. A well designed urban green space system is an essential part of the urbanization process. In this paper, the urban green space of Lengshuijiang city was assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively using data of field survey and high resolution remote sensing. In the study area, green space coverage was 37.14%, green space percentage was 33.45% and per capita park green space was 16.25 m². The high green space coverage suggested that there were ample potentials for further urban transformation. Within a 30 min service radius of existing green space, total service area was 204.49 ha, which accounted for 16.26% of the study area. A high proportion of the green space was made up of urban parks which were unevenly distributed across the study area. A green space optimization strategy, aimed at improving green space quality and accessibility, was proposed. After optimization, total service areas within the 30 min service radius will increase to 492 ha (39.12%), an increase of 22.86%. Our study demonstrated that combining qualitative and quantitative methods is an effective and reliable way for green space assessment and reliable and can be used for urban green space planning and management for small resource-based cities like Lengshuijiang in its process of urban transformation.     

Urban green space interaction and wellbeing – investigating the experience of international students in Berlin during the first COVID-19 lockdown

This qualitative study explores the topic of mental health/wellbeing with reference to exposure to urban green space (UGS). It builds on previous research, which has highlighted the potential for green space interaction for supporting positive emotional and mental wellbeing, particularly in times of stress and uncertainty. Using this basis, the paper explores whether UGS interaction also helped to mitigate the negative mental health impacts brought about by the first COVID-19 lockdown. The specific focus is on students and expatriates living in Berlin, Germany as this population groupbecame increasingly vulnerable during this time as a result of uncertainty and restrictions in their daily lives brought about the enforced lockdown measures. More specifically, this paper investigates how a change in their daily routines created opportunities to interact with and experience UGS differently and how their emotional response and perception towards these spaces changed. Semi-structured interviews allowed for stories, experiences and emotions to unfold, which revealed that the participants’ gained an appreciation for the potential of UGS to support their wellbeing during a stressful and isolating time. UGS interaction also allowed them to form tangible memories of summer 2020 as it provided a safe arena for them to maintain social contact with friends outdoors, or to escape their home environment and experience respite and relaxation in a natural setting. The findings demonstrate that for this sub-group of the population UGS became a reliable constant and a valuable public health resource, which may also help to mitigate the long-term adverse mental health impacts of the pandemic.     

The role of Aşiyan Cemetery (İstanbul) as a green urban space from an ecological perspective and its importance in urban plant diversity

İstanbul is one of the fast growing and historical cities in the world, and has many old cemeteries which have belonged to various empires. This study includes the first floristic and plant use results from one of these historical cemeteries (the Aşiyan Cemetery). Vascular plants were collected from the cemetery in order to elaborate plant diversity. A total of 280 plant species was identified from an area of 29.1 decares. 139 of them are spontaneously wild growing taxa in the cemetery and the rest are cultivated on the graves. While the ratio of the area of the cemetery to the area of İstanbul is 0.1%, the cemetery includes 5.5% of the native plants of İstanbul. The steep sloped and stony parts of the cemetery have a native macchia vegetation consisting of Quercus coccifera L., Laurus nobilis L., Pistacia terebinthus L., Phillyrea latifolia L., Jasminum fruticans L., Rhamnus alaternus L., Ephedra foeminea Forssk., Osyris alba L. One of the most important results is the determination of the natural distribution of Rhamnus alaternus, Clematis flammula L. and Ephedra foeminea. This area is a refuge for these three species and the first native record area for R.alaternus in İstanbul. As a conclusion, in spite of covering a small area, the Aşiyan Cemetery has a rich native and horticultural flora, and it is a refuge for three rare species, therefore the cemetery has an important role in urban plant diversity conservation.