Improving contract design and management for urban green-space maintenance through action research

The provision of services related to green-space maintenance, such as grass cutting, tree pruning, litter collection, or weed control, is an integrated part of urban green-space management. Since contracting out has become common practice in urban green-space management, it is now a key challenge to develop well-functioning frameworks for managing the provision of outsourced green-space maintenance. With the public sector reform of the New Public Management, an emphasis on the four tenets of specification, pricing, monitoring, and enforcement of service provisions is now pervasive in the ‘standard framework’ for contract design and management. Based on an action research intervention, this paper puts forward an ‘extended’ framework for the design and management of green-space maintenance contracts that can help managers of urban green space to devise contract designs and management practices better adapted for green-space maintenance. The action research intervention took place as a part of efforts by the Danish Palaces and Properties Agency to improve green-space maintenance contracting in historic parks and gardens by implementing a performance management scheme. In addition to assessing the merits of the performance management scheme, the paper focuses on a new set of tenets related to the role of coordination, communication, motivation, and restraint of power.     

A satellite image-based analysis of factors contributing to the green-space cool island intensity on a city scale

Urban green spaces provide cooler microclimates and create localized urban cool islands and, as part of an adaptation strategy to cope with future urban climate change, have been proposed as a means to mitigate the urban heat island effect. Numerous previous research papers have discussed green-space size, type, and vegetation density, as well as many other factors that might influence green-space cooling effects. However, little has been done with regard to exploring and quantifying the characteristics of the green-space cool island (UCI). It is also largely unknown whether or how the patterns of green space and land use, as well as the adjacent urban thermal environment, affect UCIs. In this paper, the land surface temperature (LST) was retrieved from satellite imagery. The UCI was identified, and one of the UCI characteristics, the UCI intensity, was defined. Multiple linear regression models were then used to explore and quantify the combined effects of factors related to the UCI intensity. The results show that the intensity differed between UCIs, and correlated significantly with the extent of and mean temperature reduction associated with an UCI. Multiple linear regression analysis found that UCI intensity was affected by areas of forest vegetation and its spatial arrangements, as well as by the composition of the cool island and its neighboring thermal environment. The study validated the suitability of using intensity as an indicator of the UCI. Identifying the UCI as a result of the green-space cooling effect, will help in the management and planning of the spatial arrangement of green spaces in cities to reduce the effects of the urban thermal environment and help cities adapt to climate change.     

Exploring Floridians' perceptions of pollinator-friendly gardening to identify critical adoption barriers and strategies

Developed landscapes in urban and peri-urban environments significantly influence the diversity, abundance, and overall health of pollinator populations such as bees, butterflies, moths, and birds. Considering growing evidence demonstrating that pollinator health can be more robust in urban habitats than rural ones, the landscape development and management practices adopted in urban and suburban areas have a significant potential impact on pollinator health. Given their influence with respect to urban and suburban landscape management in Florida, it is critical to better understand the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Florida residents regarding pollinator-friendly gardening practices such as the flowering plant installation or reduced pesticide application. To explore the most salient factors influencing residents’ adoption of pollinator gardening practices, we facilitated three elicitation focus groups with 20 residents representing three distinct regions in Florida. Data analysis generated a series of salient sub-themes across two thematic categories: ‘barriers’ and ‘solutions and strategies’. Major ‘barrier’ themes included ‘limited knowledge or information access’ about pollinator gardening, and ‘social norms/community expectations’. Major solution and strategy’ themes included ‘developing neighborhood/homeowner association buy-in,’ and ‘pre-installation research and planning’. Overall, findings demonstrate that Florida residents have strong views regarding both the most influential barriers to adopting or engaging in pollinator-friendly gardening and the most promising solutions or strategies to mitigate those barriers. These findings have tangible implications for educational practitioners interested in expanding distribution of targeted educational outreach to further promote the adoption of pollinator-friendly landscape management practices in Florida. Findings also have implications for researchers interested in further examining the socio-economic and socio-cultural factors most influential to residents’ pollinator gardening practices.     

A tale of urban forest patch governance in four eastern US cities

Urban forests are important components of societal interactions with nature. We focused on urban forest patches, a distinct and underexplored subset of the urban forest that spans land uses and ownerships, and requires silvicultural practices to address their unique biophysical characteristics and management regimes. Our goal was to elucidate multi-scalar urban forest patch governance arrangements as they translated to on-the-ground management in four urban areas (Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore) within the eastern United States. A transdisciplinary knowledge co-production framework was used to guide identification of the prominent management challenge or dilemma motivating change to forest patch management in each location, and to describe the dynamic interplay of decision-making and governance processes across locations as they advanced toward desired forest conditions. A common management goal existed across all four locations: multi-age, structurally complex forests dominated by regionally native species. Ecological and social concerns affected by local context and city capacity served as starting points prompting management action and new collaborations. Disparate governance arrangements including top-down municipal resources, regional conservation facilitated by landowners, and grass-roots community-driven stewardship led to diverse support-building processes and innovative strategies that served as forces initiating and shaping new management actions. Science and iterative learning and adaptation influenced change in all locations, reinforcing new management arrangements and practices. Among the four study areas, the earliest management of urban forest patches started in the 1980 s, historically lacking embeddedness in urban forest management more broadly, and experiencing challenges with integration into existing governance infrastructure. Ultimately, new management and governance approaches to urban forest patches in all four study areas have evolved uniquely and organically, driven by place-based historical legacies and ongoing socio-ecological feedbacks. The generalization of findings for broader urban forest management guidelines, such as for trees and park, would lead to misguided outcomes.     

Critical upscaling. How citizens’ initiatives can contribute to a transition in governance and quality of urban greenspace

Studies show that municipalities often develop a type of urban greenspace that is rather uniform in its shape and use. Citizens’ initiatives develop different types of greenspace. This article uses concepts from transition studies and identifies what happens during a citizens’ initiative in urban greenspace in the Netherlands in terms of transition of municipal management and development and how these initiatives can lead to a change of practices of the municipality. A single, qualitative study of Diepenheim Inside-Out-Forest in the Netherlands as a critical case is presented, based on 8 semi-open interviews. The study gives insight in how the municipality has changed in relation to this one case, and how such transition of ‘regime’ takes place. The study explains how the different benefits that arise in a greenspace development and management initiative relate to the ‘critical knowledge’ and ‘situated knowledge’ of the actors involved and that the quality of urban greenspace is very much the result of that knowledge. ‘Fit and conform’ and ‘stretch and transform’ are usable strategies for the empowerment of such initiatives through sharing of resources, and policy advocacy by ‘critical niche’ innovators.‘Regime’ is not uniquely a feature of the local state but also of market parties and citizens themselves with their own values and routines. A change among all parties seems needed if greenspace is to be developed, managed and used differently.     

Greening urban road verges highlights diverse views of multiple stakeholders on ecosystem service provision,challenges and preferred form

Globally, there is growing recognition of the potential of road verges to contribute to urban greening and ecosystem service provision, beyond their original functions of utility provision and public access. Numerous, diverse stakeholders are involved in their management, yet their shared and diverging perspectives on verge greening are poorly understood. This research examined the perspectives on road verge greening by 30 respondents from eight stakeholder groups from the Perth Metropolitan Area, Australia. Stakeholders spanned local and state governments, developers, peak bodies, utility providers, environmental consultants, verge treatment providers and urban greening advocates. Semi-directed interviews and Likert scales were used to assess respondents' perspectives and perceived importance of urban verge functions and ecosystem services, risks and challenges associated with verge greening, and preferred verge vegetation composition. The most important ecosystem services for all stakeholders were temperature regulation (through the provision of street trees), those associated with water management and aesthetically interesting streetscapes. Perceived challenges included limited knowledge for the management of native species verges and streetscapes, organisational costs for verge managers and utility providers, and the need to engage with multiple local government authorities with widely varying management and financial valuation of verge vegetation. Stakeholders’ preferred verge reflected diverse uses, local characteristics, and was climate and water resilient (particularly ‘waterwise’). A majority of stakeholder groups felt greater attention to the ‘understorey’ of the ‘urban forest’ was warranted. An emerging perspective across four stakeholder groups identified the potential for verges to grow a local ‘sense of place’, through plantings emphasising local native species and highlighting local Whadjuk Noongar seasons. These findings support policies and programmes associated with urban greening, and assist in navigating the contestation often associated with new or transformative uses of land at the public-private interface.     

Implementing urban greening aid projects – The case of St. Petersburg, Russia

Recent years have seen the introduction of the concept of urban greening, defined as embracing the planning and management of all urban vegetation to create or add values to the local community. Green-space development has become recognised by international agencies and donors as important tool in improving the quality of urban livelihoods and urban environment. This paper evaluates an example of an urban greening aid project, carried out by Danish and Russian partners in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia. The project aimed to contribute to conservation and development of the cultural–historical, social and ecological values of St. Petersburg's urban green areas by implementing a structured, socially inclusive, well-informed planning and management approach. The project had three main components: (1) the development of a GIS-based information system to assist green-space planning and management; (2) on-site improvements in selected green areas and (3) awareness raising and public involvement activities. Ex post evaluation of the project showed that in spite of the limits of time and resources, important results were achieved. A more strategic approach to urban green-space planning and management, as promoted by urban greening, was adapted by some of the Russian project partners. Achievements also included notable physical improvements to one park. But the main project impacts were improved communication and collaboration between the local park department and local academia, as well as expertise developed in running a complex urban greening project. The project failed, however, in its public involvement ambitions.Moreover, the project should have facilitated discussion on some of the current premises of urban green-space planning and management in St. Petersburg, which insufficiently consider changing values and public preferences related to green spaces.     

Urban green spaces and sustainability: Exploring the ecosystem services and disservices of grassy lawns versus floral meadows

Urban green spaces provide important ecological, environmental, and cultural benefits, including biodiversity conservation and human wellbeing. However, a significant portion of urban green space is currently managed as highly manicured grassy lawns that provide limited ecosystem services. Managing urban green spaces as diverse meadows can have a multitude of ecosystem benefits such as biodiversity conservation, stormwater infiltration, and aesthetics. Relatively little is known about the range of ecosystem services or disservices in managing urban green spaces as lawns versus meadows. In this paper, we separately characterize three major categories of ecosystem services and disservices (provisioning, regulation and maintenance, and cultural) delivered by urban lawns and meadows while highlighting several trade-offs and synergies associated with urban lawn and meadow management strategies. Additionally, we suggest specific research priorities to better evaluate ecosystem services and disservices across these urban green spaces. Understanding ecological, environmental, and cultural trade-offs and synergies of managing different urban green spaces is key to maintaining multiple ecosystem services in urban environments.     

Cemeteries in transformation – A Swiss community conflict study

For the first time, this study presents a natural experiment describing and explaining selected stakeholders’ attitudes toward the transformation of cemeteries into urban green spaces. In 2020, a real-life community conflict unfolded in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, over plans to close the smallest of its three municipal cemeteries by 2023. This study analyzes a representative sample (N = 519) of the city’s adult population and that of the adjacent town, Ostermundigen, capturing the views of residents of the conflict district and contrasting them with those of people living outside the district. It also compares attitudes of cemetery visitors and non-visitors. Survey interviews were conducted via telephone and through an online panel. The study focuses on conflicts triggered by alternative land-use plans, highlighting the need to include groups that are both familiar and unfamiliar with cemeteries. Interestingly, the latter group proved to be more open to change. The local meaning of cemeteries and municipal green urban-space policies are crucial context parameters, as demonstrated by the strong opposition to cemetery transformation in affected areas. The underlying beliefs of opponents and proponents are explored qualitatively and found to be complex and multidimensional. Individual attitude predictors include age and personal emotional attributes. Finally, factor analysis is used to develop a typology of users. The four emerging user types are linked to different perceptions of “the nature of cemeteries” and attitudes toward innovative plans (e.g., whether to create burial spaces for pets or a restaurant within the cemetery grounds, both of which received significant support). The findings inform policy decisions related to urban green-space management while balancing the interests of various groups. User perspectives should be reconciled by focusing on “dialogues of values” and participatory approaches, which complement information-centered municipal policies.     

Development of urban forest policy-making toward governance in the Republic of Korea

This research attempts to analyze the emergence and development of urban forest policies at the national and local levels in the Republic of Korea. The Policy Arrangement Approach (PAA) is applied as an analytical frame to analyze changes in the urban forest policies of the central and local governments. The PAA offers four dimensions that can be used to describe and analyze the policy process: actors, power, rules of the game and discourse. The research findings indicate that a discourse on sustainable development in which the social functions of forests are taken into account substantially contributed to the creation of urban forest policies. This discourse contributed to the activities of actors and their power relationships and to the introduction of new rules relating to Korean urban forest management. In addition to public actors, private actors have also participated in creating and managing urban forests. Various partnerships among actors were formed for urban forest management. Civil society exercised its power to design and manage urban forests through increased voluntary participation. The legislation relating to urban forests functioned as a framework for urban forest policies at the national and local levels. Agreements acted as new rules governing the relationships among the actors who were involved in urban forest management. In conclusion, the four dimensions of policy arrangements relating to urban forest policy, and the interconnections among these dimensions, elucidate the emergence and dynamic development of urban forest management in the direction of governance at the national and local level in the Republic of Korea. In particular, discourse about forests was a substantive dimension of policy arrangements, and it influenced changes in the identity of the participating actors and their power. The discourse contributed to the establishment and development of rules for urban forest management. Thus this research provides strong evidence that the PAA helps understand dynamic changes of urban forest policy-making toward governance.     

From borders to ecotones – Private-public co-management of urban woodland edges bordering private housing

This paper conceptualises and evaluates so-called co-management zones as an approach for user participation in urban forestry, specifically in the management of public woodland edges bordering residential areas. Co-management zones can metaphorically be viewed as ‘ecotone-like’ spaces, i.e. zones where overlapping interest – in this case residents’ and municipal authorities’ – can be used to create richness and meetings rather than boundaries. Building on the perspectives of ecotone thinking and governance arrangements, co-management zones in the Danish residential area of Sletten in Holstebro were evaluated. The presented case study combined interviews with residents and interviews with three key green space professionals who had led the planning, design, establishment and management of the woodland and the implementation of co-management. The resident participation in the co-management zone was also assessed and photo documented in a field survey, categorising individual households according to type and degree of physical signs of participation. Findings illustrate the potential of co-management zones to initiate collaboration between residents and public woodland managers in creating recreationally valuable and varied meetings between private gardens and urban woodlands. Challenges with establishing co-management zones were also highlighted, especially the need for clear guidelines and continuous communication between residents and the municipality. Perspectives and implications related to residents, managers and green space quality are discussed.     

A review of the concept ‘management’ in relation to urban landscapes and green spaces: Toward a holistic understanding

The management of urban landscapes concerns existing urban open spaces such as public parks, playgrounds and residential green spaces. It involves many different actors and organizations and its practice is of importance for the sustainable development of cities. As a research field, it needs further theoretical development and common definitions. For example, the central term ‘management’ is seldom defined in the relevant literature regarding an urban landscape context, and public participation in management processes is unusual. This paper introduces urban landscape management as an overarching concept that brings together knowledge about management of urban landscapes from fields such as urban forestry, park management and landscape planning. Based on a literature review, a common understanding of management in an urban landscape context is proposed, including organizational and strategic aspects of managerial activities. Our approach is that urban landscapes are ultimately managed to provide user benefits. Urban landscape management can be viewed as a complex process that includes a number of different actors, elements and relationships, mutually affecting each other. This view supports future studies of urban landscape management and its role in sustainable urban development.     

Use of Small Public Urban Green Spaces (SPUGS)

During recent years, the use of urban green space (UGS) has received increased attention within several research fields, as well as politically, especially in relation to the benefits it provides for human health. Much research on larger green areas has shown that they are beneficial to people's health, physically, socially and mentally. However, because of densification tendencies in cities in Western countries, large green areas are a limited resource and many people live in city areas where the distance to larger green areas reduces the possibility for frequent use. Small Public Urban Green Spaces (SPUGS) in dense city areas might contribute to satisfy the need for everyday experiences of outdoor areas, but research on SPUGS is limited. In this paper, we describe how nine SPUGS in Copenhagen are used by the citizens based on data from 686 respondents who completed on-site questionnaires during their visit. The results show that SPUGS are primarily used for ‘socialising’ and ‘rest and restitution’. Furthermore, they are mainly used by well-educated people between the ages of 30 and 49. For ‘socialising’, SPUGS are primarily used on the way home. For ‘rest and restitution’, SPUGS are primarily used ‘en route’ or on the way home. More than half of the respondents reported living more than 1000 m from the SPUGS, and more than half of the respondents reported that they travel more than 500 m to get to the SPUGS. People aged 50–65 are more likely to visit the SPUGS for ‘rest and restitution’ than the younger age groups. Furthermore the older people are, the less likely they are to visit SPUGS to socialise. These results show that SPUGS are an important asset in citizen's everyday lives, and the results may provide inspiration for landscape architects, city planners and policy makers for the future planning of dense city areas.     

From explanation to application: introducing a practice-oriented ecosystem services evaluation (PRESET) model adapted to the context of landscape planning and management

The development and use of the conceptual framework of ecosystem services (ES) has been very successful in supporting the broad diffusion and application of ES within science and policy communities. However, most of the currently proposed interpretations of the framework neither correlate to environmental planning nor to decision-making contexts at the local and regional scale, which is a potential reason for the slow adoption and practice of the ES conceptual framework. This paper proposes a practice-oriented ES evaluation (PRESET) model specifically adapted to the requirements of local and regional planning and decision-making contexts, and discusses its potential benefits and implications for practice. Through the usage of PRESET we suggest making a distinction between ‘offered ES’, ‘utilized ES’, ‘human input’, and ‘ES benefits’ as relevant information for decision-making. Furthermore, we consider it important to link these decision-support categories to different value dimensions relevant in planning and management practice. PRESET provides guidance to inject the ES concept into planning, but needs to be implemented together with concrete assessment methods, indicators and data. The planning strategic benefits of using PRESET include its reference to existing legislative objectives, avoiding the risk that monetized ES values might dominate decision-making, clarification of human contributions, and easier identification of land use conflicts and synergies. Examples are given for offered and utilized ES, as well as for respective evaluation approaches and instruments of implementation.     

Urban forest research in the Mediterranean: A systematic review

The Mediterranean region is facing many challenges, some of which can be addressed by nature-based solutions such as urban forests and green space. However, at best, urban forest research from Mediterranean countries has been only briefly addressed in review papers up to date. This Scopus-based review paper provides first insights into the development of urban forest research in the Mediterranean in the 20-year period from 1996 to 2015. The purpose of the review was to a) analyse distribution of urban forest research in the Mediterranean and identify countries that are forerunners based on the number of publications, b) to analyse distribution of research themes across the Mediterranean and per country, and hence point to research gaps and needs. Researchers from Italy, Turkey and Spain were the most productive in the analysed period. Research is mainly concentrated in the North, while it is scarce to non-existent in South and Eastern Mediterranean countries (excluding Turkey and Greece). Papers dealing with pollution, human health and sociocultural values were the most frequent. Some countries exhibited research specialisation with regard to certain themes. For instance Italian researchers mostly focused on topics related to pollution and urban forest management, the majority of Spanish papers addressed urban forests in the context of human health, while sociocultural values were the main research theme for researchers from Turkey. Papers were analysed also based on research methods, approaches and study locations. Suggested future research includes analysis of the quality of knowledge related to urban forests in the Mediterranean as well as of collaboration between researchers, research institutions and countries.     

Emergent urban agricultural practices and attitudes in the residential area in China

This paper explores the emergence of urban agriculture and its changing nature and role in the urbanization process in China. With an increase in urban agricultural pursuits in both planned and unplanned residential areas, the focus of the paper is primarily on better understanding the nature of emerging ‘informal’ practices in built and unbuilt spaces. By using a planned residential area in Kunming, Yunnan Province as a case study, this paper identifies the physical and spatial expressions of urban agriculture practices as well as the motivations and attitudes of stakeholders. The results show that over half of the participants had experience in undertaking urban agricultural practices, with the predominant reason being to fulfill personal interests, including meeting household needs. When undertaking urban agricultural practices, local residents demonstrate their divergent abilities and skills in negotiating, adapting, and managing both private and increasingly incursions into the public domain. Analysis of the empirical results indicates that urban agricultural pursuits are a viable practice which supports the livelihoods and wellbeing of the residents by using innovative, creative and emergent forms in both private and public spaces.     

The long-term prospects of citizens managing urban green space: From place making to place-keeping?

This paper discusses the long-term management or ‘place-keeping’ of urban green space by citizens and highlights enabling and constraining factors that play a crucial role in this continuity. While authorities have historically been in charge of managing public green spaces, there is an increased involvement of citizens in green space management. It is therefore relevant to study how citizens can contribute towards place-keeping and realize a continuity in managing and conserving the qualities of urban green spaces.We contribute to these debates by looking at three European cases characterized by long-term involvement of citizens in place-keeping. We conducted document analysis and interviewing of key informants to study green space management over time. Our analysis highlights what factors have contributed towards the continuity of this management, but also shows challenges and difficulties which citizens have experienced. Based on our fieldwork, we identify three factors of particular relevance for the continuity of place-keeping involving citizens.We found that long-term continuity is supported by a degree of formalization: established rules and procedures within groups provide stability to citizens. We also highlight the importance of adaptive capacity: citizens need to be able to adapt to contextual changes in order to cope with external political, socio-economic and cultural developments over time. The supporting role of authorities was also key in legitimizing and supporting place-keeping by citizens. Authorities can support place-keeping by citizens by providing security via stable policies, formally protecting the involved spaces, allowing long-term management contracts and contributing resources.     

Visual aspects in urban woodland management

This paper presents a study of woodland management guidelines analysed for their inclusion of visual aspects. The aim of the study was to identify approaches towards the management of visual aspects in urban woodland. For the study, 24 management guidelines from Sweden and the UK were reviewed for scale, degree of operational detail, the visual concepts used, their emphasis and justification. The review revealed that there exists a diversity of approaches towards managing visual aspects regarding the selection and emphasis of visual concepts as well as the scale at which they are applied and degree of operationality. Some general differences between Sweden and the UK where identified. These differences in treatment of visual aspects were mainly related to the use of different scale levels, different levels of abstraction and the basis for justifying the importance of visual qualities in management. These differences are discussed in relation to the wider management context, including landowner structure, landscape history and forestry traditions. We conclude that studying urban woodland management in another context (e.g. geographical and historical) can provide new insights for visual management. We also believe that transferring management strategies across cultures will result in them being altered at the policy and operational levels by the change of context. We further suggest that the use of visual concept could provide one approach for better integration of visual qualities in urban woodland management.     

Managing municipal green space for ecosystem services

Cities are the dominant form of human settlement. As centers of economic growth and population they are focal points of both ecological disturbance (through resource consumption and land conversion) and the provision of public goods. Ecosystem services provided by municipal forests and green space are positioned to address both these arenas. While technical means to mainstreaming this approach have grown, the importance municipal foresters’ departments place on pursuing this objective and their department's engagement in actions necessary for its realization is under-researched. I surveyed the membership of the Society for Municipal Arborists to address this gap. I found that municipal foresters perceived the management of municipal green space to enhance ecosystem services to be increasingly significant to the goals and actions of their departments. Survey respondents expected this role to grow in importance, matching or exceeding some traditional objectives of their profession. While most perceived traditional services such as tree planting and maintenance, and social outputs like beautification and enhancing public health to remain high departmental priorities; respondents rated managing municipal green space to produce ecosystem services such as enhanced energy and climate management, water quality and habitat and biodiversity as more important to their department than traditional objectives such as maintenance of property values and protection of power lines. As responsibility for the management of urban green space resides predominantly at the municipal level, the importance municipal foresters’ departments place on managing for ecosystem services is fundamental to advancing this strategy for the delivery of public goods in urban centers.     

环境因素对彩叶植物色素含量的相关影响

选用北京市区优良城市绿化彩色树种,包括紫叶稠李（Prunus wilsonii）、春雪海棠（Malus‘Spring snow’）、王族海棠（Malus‘Royalty’）、火焰卫矛（Euonymus alatus‘Compacta’）,银白槭（Acer saccharinum）,用分光光度计法测定色素含量,探讨与其叶片颜色的关系。在不同季节同一地点进行采样测定,发现花青素在紫（红）色系彩叶植物叶片的呈色中占主导作用;叶片颜色随着温度的变化而变化,是影响叶片颜色的最主要外界因素之一;在季节的变化过程中植物叶片的色素含量也呈现规律性变化。结果将为进一步研究彩叶植物的成色机理提供依据,为城市绿化品种推广作为参考。