Parks, small forests, and even simple patches of grass not only maintain a city’s appeal, but also help people find a sense of happiness in an otherwise bustling urban environment. With new technologies, we can plan and monitor these urban “green spaces” better than ever.
like several studies have highlighted, nature within urban settings plays a critical role in combating many of the global public health challenges commonly associated with urbanization. This includes diseases such as depression and high blood pressure. A 2022 study showed that trees actually have the ability to improve urban air quality as the leaves and pine needles capture pollutants from the air.
That cities need green spaces, therefore, is not a particularly controversial issue. However, it is an open question how much green space a city should have. Even here, science can provide some guidelines, such as research aims for at least 9 square meters of green space per individual, with an ideal value of 50 square meters per capita in a city (for comparison, an average car parking space in the UK takes up approx. 12 squares meters).
green landscaping
The big question is, therefore, what kind of green space do we want? A well-kept park but made by humans? Or something more natural and unkempt, such as groves, meadows or fields? As we discuss in our next book, Design of smart and resilient cities for a post-pandemic world: metropandemic revolution, this depends to a large extent on the previous geographical conditions of the city in question. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a diversity of different types of green space if possible, however, it is an inescapable fact that some cities are blessed with lush greenery while others are not.
However, all is not lost for cities without much natural green space, as such environments can be built into urban settings that have previously been devoid of naturally growing trees and grass. This “green landscaping” can even be carried out in areas that would otherwise seem unlikely. A good example is the High Line in New York City, a 1.45 miles (2.33 km) long elevated linear park built on an abandoned railway viaduct. since it opened in stages About a decade ago, the High Line has become an example of green landscape redesign that seeks to convert aging infrastructure into vibrant, green public spaces.
while it is known Since vegetation has positive effects on humanity in general, it is more difficult to prove the exact causal relationship in how green areas affect our health. In this regard, digital technology can be an essential tool for urban planners to determine where green landscape redesign is best employed.
smart technology
One concept that is experiencing particularly rapid development is that of “smart urban forests”, which it means to the use of tree monitors, 3D images and other technologies linked to the Internet of Things to help manage the forest. This “internet of nature” could monitor soil health, measure air pollution, or ensure urban forests are adequately hydrated.
Future technology could also enable the use of open data platforms and more public engagement. Planners could collect diverse perspectives from the general population using an app, for example, while simultaneously using digital technology to map and boost urban biodiversity and ensure green areas are located where they will achieve maximum efficiency.
An example of this is the Treepedia research initiative, which was launched in 2016 by the Massachusetts-based MIT Senseable City Lab. Treepedia aspires to publicize urban forests through the use of digital vision techniques based on Google Street View images.
Treepedia focuses on pedestrian street trees found in various cities around the world, as opposed to parks. the main reason is that pedestrians are more likely to see trees on streets without planning to, while most people in parks actively chose to be there. Using an open source library, Treepedia means the public you can calculate tree cover amounts for your own city or region.
If urban planners become more aware of the potential of digital technology, urban green spaces should have a bright future. However, designing the optimal green space we want for our cities may also require deeper future collaboration between urban planners and engineers.
This article of Researcher, Innovation Management, Karolinska Institutet and Affiliated Researcher, School of Architecture and Built Environment, KTH Royal Institute of Technology is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.