Urban domestic gardens (V): relationships between landcover composition,housing and landscape

The contribution to urban green space by private or domestic gardens in residential zones was investigated in the city of Sheffield, UK, as part of a wider study of the garden resource and its associated biodiversity. The attributes of 61 gardens, including patterns of landcover and vegetation cover, were explored in relation to housing characteristics and the nature of the surrounding landscape. The number of surrounding houses, and the areas of buildings and of roads were negatively correlated with garden area. The proportion of a housing parcel comprising garden increased with parcel size, although the proportion that was rear garden remained relatively constant. Garden size played an overwhelming role in determining garden composition: larger gardens supported more landcovers, contained greater extents of three-quarters of the recorded landcovers, and were more likely to contain trees taller than 2 m, vegetable patches, and composting sites. Unvegetated landcovers made greater proportional contributions as garden size declined. All categories of vegetation canopy increased with garden size, and large gardens supported disproportionately greater cover above 3 m. House age was a less significant factor determining garden landcover. Gardens of newer houses were more likely to occur towards the edge of the urban area, and older properties, that contained fewer hedges, possessed less canopy between 2–3 m. The extent and occurrence of different landcovers in gardens, and their consequences for wildlife, are considered for residential patches in urban areas. The implications for urban planners are discussed.     

Urban non-timber forest products stewardship practices among foragers in Seattle,washington (USA)

Our research seeks to expand the concept of urban environmental stewardship to include the everyday stewardship practices of urban nontimber forest products foragers. Ethnographic data from 58 urban foragers and 18 land stewards in the city of Seattle (USA) revealed that foragers reported using a variety of practices to enhance and minimize negative desirable species and their habitats. Many of these practices were identical to those practiced by restoration volunteers in formal programs and align with Seattle Parks Department management objectives. Foragers actively sought to learn more about what practices are sustainable; many mentored others in sustainable harvesting practices. Most foragers emphasized the importance of treating plants and their environment with respect. The land stewards voiced some concerns about foraging in city parks, but most were cautiously supportive of opening up the parks to foragers. The study results suggest that an opportunity exists for park managers to develop alliances with foragers so as to leverage foragers’ everyday stewardship practices and accomplish some of their park restoration objectives. Doing so will require park managers to acknowledge the positive contributions that humans can to make novel ecosystems and foragers to develop or strengthen self-regulation norms.     

Urban forestry priorities of Massachusetts (USA) tree wardens

As part of a survey we sent to tree wardens (individuals responsible for public trees) in communities in Massachusetts, USA, we examined which urban forest management tools and activities were most important to tree wardens themselves. Tree wardens generally agreed that inter-departmental communication and Chapter 87 (a state law promulgating the powers of a tree warden) were more important than having a qualified tree warden, an advocacy/advisory group, or a management plan (measures recognized by the USDA Forest Service in the Community Accomplishment Reporting System). Nearly all tree wardens prioritized removing dead and hazard trees. We discuss management implications of our results, paying particular attention to the importance of state laws in supporting urban forest management.     

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.