Green area should be more in urban development

Chapter 1: Introduction

Abstract

The study investigates how the presence of green areas enhance the urban area or cities. The purpose is to
aware people on the important of green in cities. The study reviews the literature related to the types of
green area which can be implement in cities. Furthermore, the study also shows the functions of green
spaces towards the community and how the green areas affect the cities through environmental effects. In
addition to that, the study includes the relationship between green area and cities, how the green will
affect the cities and how the cities will affect the residents. The findings from the study show the best
solutions to satisfy people thus living a sustainable life.

Introduction

The current urbanization trends which occurs around the world affect the implementation of green areas
in the development. The cities showing the signs of environmental stress in terms of poor air quality,
noise pollutions, traffic congestion which will contribute towards residents having poor quality lifestyle in
urban area. Due to the fact that the cities are under development, the green areas are neglect to optimized
the scarce of land in urban area. The urban area is defined as an area with high human population and
high density of infrastructures of built environment. Meanwhile green area is defined as greenspace or
open space, reserved areas of undeveloped land mainly for landscaping. These two elements are
important as according to Byrne and Rupprecht (2014), some cities did not regard their parks and green
spaces as a necessity for the people but see it as a luxury development. The decision making of some city
manager and elected officials will help to determine the current and future of the quality of life for the
urban residents. The enhancement of green areas has the potential to mitigate the adverse effects of
urbanization in a sustainable way, making cities more attractive to live in, reversing urban sprawl, and
reducing transport demand. some cities did not regard their parks and green spaces as a necessity for the
people but see it as a luxury development. The decision making of some city manager and elected
officials will help to determine the current and future of the quality of life for the urban residents.

From the observation above, we agree that the green space should be added and preserved in the cities as
it could help to reduce the environmental issues, improve the quality of life and improve the economy in
the city.

Problem statement
Uncontrol development that occurs in Malaysia contribute mostly to the unbalance land use planning. The
green areas become scarce as people prioritize building development rather than having an empty space
reserved for landscaping which does not profit the developers. Lacking of awareness among people or
client contribute to the abandoned of green areas in the cities. The reason the developer chose to neglect
green area because the costing of implementing and maintaining the landscape is high.

Objective

The purpose of the study is to increase the awareness to the people especially the developer and client.
This is to ensure that they know how important the green affect the cities. Besides, this study also aimed
to evaluate people’s choice in living a sustainable life through green city.

Literature Review

Green area

Green area or green space is defined as land in natural or undeveloped condition that is easily
accessible from residential and work places. It refers to public and private open spaces in urban
and rural areas, primarily covered by vegetation, which are directly (active or passive recreation)
or indirectly (positive influence on the urban environment) available to a variety of users and
communities. Green spaces are areas that have contiguous vegetated areas and spaces, such as
artificially created city parks, stands with natural vegetation and land areas such as botanical
gardens, as well as isolated street trees, street medians and private gardens. Green spaces also
include school grounds and sports fields, which can again be divided into formal and informal
green spaces. The most common terms for green spaces include “open space”, “open areas” and
“public space”. Qualitative green space refers to such green spaces providing a specific function
to communities. It recognizes the environmentally beneficial role that green spaces may offer, as
well as the social, economic and psychological or health benefits.

Green cities

Best described as a loose association of cities focused on sustainability, the emerging "green cities
movement" encompasses thousands of urban areas around the world all striving to lessen their
environmental impacts by reducing waste, expanding recycling, lowering emissions, increasing
housing density while expanding open space, and encouraging the development of sustainable
local businesses.
Typologies of green area in urban development

With these features, green spaces are one of the most important components of the whole
constituting the urban areas for the continuation of the urban quality of life and ecological and
social sustainability. Urban green areas have been included in various typologies and can be
classified in different ways according to usage patterns (active green spaces and passive green
spaces), ecological function (historic gardens, greenbelts surrounding the city, agricultural areas
and buffer greens) and recreational functions (parks, thematic parks and gardens, sports fields,
playgrounds, natural and semi-natural areas, corridors) (Aydemir, 2004). This study includes the
following typology which was developed by Dunnett, et al. (2002) stated:

1. Recreational green areas

These kinds of green spaces are primarily designed for access to both visual comfort and
recreational comfort. They consist of public places but also include private lands.

2. Functional green spaces

Some of these green spaces could be allocated for recreation and serve for city-dwellers for this
purpose, however, their principal purpose is the function. The purpose of their use by the city-
dwellers is the functions they have. Their basic functions include use for agriculture, horticulture,
cemeteries, education and for other institutions.

3. Semi-natural green spaces

These kinds of green spaces consist of seminatural living spaces. These living spaces are created
by their transformation into new living spaces along with the improvement of the rural areas prior
to being included in urban green areas and of the abandoned or degraded areas. All these habitats
may or may not be accessible to the public, but they make a vital contribution to the urban
landscape.

4. Linear green spaces

These green spaces are defined by their linear features; including rivers and streams as well as
transportation routes (roads, railways). Although significant portions of linear green spaces are
planned for the recreational purpose and nature conservation, some of them are also planned to
include both features.

Type of open space

Generally, the green area is design into a few types. The type depends on the purpose either aiming
for commercial or public use. There are several types of green areas:

1. Recreational park

Recreational park is referred as a large area consist of natural landscape such as ponds, lakes, trees
and hillside. The purpose of having this space is for people to accommodate various activity
without intruding others privacy. Usually recreational park is visited by families to spend their
quality time. This area served the peoples need and become a green belt in a city.

2. Garden

Garden can be a natural or man-made. The gardens usually are filled with colorful flowers and
aromatherapy plants that serve the purpose of aesthetic, therapy and relaxation area. People don’t
usually do extreme sports in the garden as it is designed to cater for event and meditation. Garden
can be a place where people come and rest while enjoying the urbans capes.

3. Courtyard

Courtyard is an open space which integrate with the building for cooling effect. Beside it also help
to break down the rigidness of the building and become the focal point for peoples in urbanize
area. The courtyard usually serves as a gathering place for people to cater event.

4. Pocket park

This space usually existed in between buildings. It is almost the same as a courtyard, however, it
has limited space for people to do activity. This area caters people to rest during work.
5. Boulevard and street

This area is commonly used as a transition space for people to go to another place. Usually it is
paved or turf depending on the crowd. Boulevard made the city interesting in term of street view
as it adds the trees among the structure.

Thus, the green area is divided depending on it purpose to serve the people living in the city. The
open space can benefit peoples living in the city as it serves to optimize the sustainable city.

Functions of green area in urban development

Implementing green area in urban development give various functions through recreational spaces
and interactions. The creation of recreational spaces can be divided into active and passive open
space when discussing how spaces are used. Passive uses refer to elements such as sitting places
and areas for enjoying views of scenery and can also include for example places for young people
to meet. Active uses encourage physical activities including walking, running, cycling, skating and
playing. Taking account of how local stakeholders may use a site, there is a considerable range of
options for promoting activities from providing play equipment (for young and the old) to creating
outdoor gyms (green gyms) and walking/running networks or recreation zones including skate
parks. It is important to bear in mind when considering introduction of equipment, the need to
consider health and safety and maintenance and management of facilities.

Through the interaction aspect, studies including the perceived quality of green spaces have shown
that, for example, the greenness of neighbourhood spaces is positively linked to the number of
individuals involved in social activity (Coley et al., 1997). Interaction is more than direct verbal
communication; it takes place when people act with awareness of others and constantly adjust their
behaviour to meet their expectations and possible responses. Against this background, green
spaces represent at least key sites for residents ‘transient spatial contact and interaction. But what
are the circumstances that promote or constrain the potential for sporadic spatial interaction in
urban green spaces? Accordingly, the focus of the present research is not the qualitative analysis
of actual interaction in green spaces as it does not consider verbal communication or action
between different social groups. It rather focuses on the opportunities that urban green spaces may
open for spatial contact (interaction) by considering users of different socio-economic strata, the
frequency and reasons of use, the location and accessibility of the green spaces as well as their
amenity values. Information on user patterns differentiated by socio-economic status groups and
frequency of visits. Several differences were observed along the economic status groups. Contact
with nature and sports activities is underestimated. While lower strata often combine visits to green
spaces with business activities, this does not feature in the highest status group scenario. Walks
are an important activity among the lower and middle strata but is absent in the highest, who use
green space first and foremost for recreation and other activities.

Environmental effects on implementing green areas in urban development

The pathways leading to beneficial health effects of green space are diverse and complex. Various
models have been formulated to explain the relationship between green space and health. Hartig
et al. (2014) suggested four interacting pathways through which green space can affect health and
well-being by improving air quality, enhanced physical activity, stress compensation and greater
social cohesion. Lachowycz and Jones (2013) proposed physical activity, engagement with nature,
relaxation, and social interactions as major pathways to health.

Urban parks also contribute to environmental benefits. A network of parks and open spaces that
include protected natural lands, ecological reserves, wetlands, and other green areas is critical to
providing healthy habitats for humans, wildlife and plants in these densely built places. Natural
landscapes are vital to preserving regional ecosystems amid growing cities. Parks also help create
human and energy efficient cities that can help slow global warming. Linear parks and open spaces
make compact living attractive and viable. Trail networks link individual parks, making them
easier to bike and walk. Old rail lines can be transformed into greenways, and gardens planted on
rooftops maximise limited space and curtail greenhouse gas emissions. Every tree helps fight
global warming by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and help cool
cities. Green areas also help in improving air quality where trees, shrubs and turf remove smoke,
dust and other pollutants from the air. One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere annually, equalling 11,000 miles of car emissions. One study showed that one acre of
trees can remove 13 tons of particles and gases annually 2,500 square feet of turf absorbs carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere and releases enough oxygen for a family of four to breathe.

Theoretical framework

This chapter proposed a theoretical framework on retrofitting process based on urban ecology for making
cities, settlements, and the whole environment livable and sustainable. From planning to design and to
production technologies of the building and landscaping materials, adoption of throughout process based
on ecology and ecological principles is essential so that habitats for the next generation to live in the earth
have not been destructed.

Ecology-based retro-fitting cycle in the framework.

Following this theoretical framework, it may not be remove ecological footprint of the human

on the earth, but it would be reduced considering ecology from planning for human and

making decisions for land uses in the urban areas to production processes of building and

industrial materials. Thus, ecological and biological destruction on natural resources due to

rapid urbanization would be stopped. With the sustainability of natural resources and

ecologically balanced conservation-utilization strategies, livable and sustainable urban

environment and cities can be realized.

From spatial planning and design point of view, eco-cities, eco-tech cities, smart cities, which
are final phase of hierarchic succession of integrated retro-fitting tools, are ecology based

settlements in which natural resources are not exhausted, technology is used for ecology

(both human ecology and urban ecology), and there is a sustainable balance between economy

and ecology.

Eco-tech has great influence on the construction of environment. The utilization of eco-tech is

the necessary means of architecture to the aim of sustainable development [40]. Ecological and

technological design of new comfortable, healthy, environment-friendly, minimum carbon

consuming, self-efficient settlements contribute to urban sustainability [41]. From design point

of view, eco-technology can be identified as the design of human society with its natural

environment for the benefit of both. Eco-tech planning/design for eco-cities considers energy,

environment and ecology for human wellbeing.

The principles of eco-tech city can be explained as the following: “Eco-tech city, when planned

in collaboration with local investor, local management and technical team, can decrease

ecological footprint of that city by using high performance ecological building and city

technologies” [42].

Among the various types of “eco-city” initiatives currently underway across different parts of

the world, this tension is arguably particularly pronounced in the case of entirely new, largescale

cities. According to a recent global survey, of the 80 or so recent eco-city initiatives-which

include the retro-fitting of existing cities and urban expansion through variously sized “ecodistricts”

and “eco-towns”—there are a dozen or so brand new cities in the process of being realized [43].

To develop the framework, the studies identified in the systematic review (described in chapter two) were
evaluated, along with other relevant recent reviews (Kaczynski and Henderson, 2007, Lee and
Maheswaran, 2010). In addition, a further search was undertaken to identify quantitative studies which
looked at greenspace access in relation to indicators of health status other than those linked to obesity,
including markers of general health and morbidity and measures of mental health and wellbeing. This
additional search used the same literature databases as in chapter one (SCOPUS, Medline, Embase and
PYSCHINFO) and was comprehensive, although not systematic. In addition, studies which had been
excluded from the systematic review because they did not meet all the inclusion criteria, for example
because they used subjective measures of greenspace access, were also checked for relevant material. The
reference lists of identified studies were also reviewed and reverse snowballing was used to identify more
recent publications. Grey literature was also scanned, found though searching the internet and checking
key websites (e.g Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and Government
sites).

Key examples of existing socio-ecological models looking at environmental influences on health and
health-related behaviours were consulted, including mental health and physical activity (for a summary of
models see (Sallis et al., 2008). Drawing on the literature, the hypothetical causal explanations for how
objectively measured greenspace access could lead to health improvement were documented, therefore
identifying potential health outcomes and mediators. Studies were reviewed to identify factors for which
evidence exists of them acting as a moderator, i.e. stratification by the variable has resulted in different
strengths of relationship between greenspace exposure and the health outcome. In addition, some factors
were included which have not yet been empirically tested, but for which there is good theoretical basis to
suggest they may act as moderators.

The resultant framework, shown in Figure 2.1, illustrates the hypothetical causal pathway between access
to greenspace and health outcomes. The pathway illustrates the main tiers of moderating factors, the
mechanisms of moderation and the key processes of mediation. The evidence used to construct the
framework is discussed below, working in reverse, as this was the order used to construct the framework.
Firstly, the health outcomes are discussed, then the pathways of mediation which result in these outcomes
and ending with a discussion of the moderating factors and mechanisms of moderation.
 Figure 2.1

Research methodology

Benefits of Urban Green Space (BUGS) is an EU research project aiming at developing a

methodology to assess the impact of green space and settlement patterns on urban environmental
quality and social well-being and to formulate recommendations regarding the use of green space
as a design tool in urban planning strategies.

BUGS methodology is to evaluate a city’s potential in terms of green space enhancement, to

develop planning scenarios for the effective implementation of such an enhancement, and to
evaluate the subsequent environmental and socioeconomic impacts using advanced modelling
techniques. BUGS is an integrated methodology consisting of several components and
interrelations. Each component deals with different aspect of urban environmental or
socioeconomic quality, and an integration strategy steers the exchange of information. The overall
idea is rather straightforward and can be described. Maps are generated for the city under study
containing relevant urban indicators, a significant part of which is derived from remote sensing
imagery. These maps are used as inputs by environmental models that simulate traffic flow and
associated emissions, regional-scale air quality, microclimate, and environmental noise. The latter
three receive input data from the traffic calculations as well. The results obtained at this stage serve
as reference data. Subsequently, scenarios are developed in which urban green is enhanced
wherever possible, the urban parameter maps modified accordingly, and the impact of these
changes simulated using the environmental models. One of the main characteristics of the BUGS
methodology is its multidisciplinary nature, which was required from the outset to establish a truly
integrated methodology. While being an obvious asset, this multidisciplinary also represents a
major challenge as the methodology is based on an intensive and complex exchange of data
between methods and models of very different varieties. In the following section, the components
constituting BUGS and their interactions are described in more detail, and preliminary results are
shown.

Research process
 identify research
problem

review the literature

formulate hypotheses
and theories

design research

collect data

analyse data

result and report

Method

Study Site
Ipoh, Perak is one of the heritage cities in Malaysia that was once booming of development. Ipoh
is the most suitable site to be chosen as it shows the local authority once neglect the green area in
the city development. The population of Ipoh ranging from 600 000 to 700 000 showed how
compact this city. Ipoh is divided into two part which is the new town and old town.
Urbanization of ipoh start from a village booming into a city in 1880s until it became the second
largest city by 1895. However, during this urbanization, the developer seems to neglect the green
area by providing minimal area for the greens which is Padang Ipoh which is the heart of Ipoh
during that time. Nowadays, we can see that the ipoh old town become a city where not much
green area within the city unlike taiping. The citizens had to go through a stress day due to the
traffic congestion, sound pollution, and low air quality. They had to go outside the ipoh for
retreat. Thus, ipoh is the suitable location to be a place for study site.
Defining Green Space
Observations and Interviews

Qualitative and quantified data were gathered using participant observation and
semi-structured interviews during three site visits to Ipoh Old Town. In order to provide
systematic documentation of the range of activities and green spaces throughout the city, various
types of green spaces (e.g., parks, plazas, open areas) were visited on different days of the week
and during various times of the day throughout the city. To access these spaces, all transportation
options (e.g.,walking, micros (public transit buses), taxis, and private transportation) were
utilized to gain a better understanding of the different time and economic constraints imposed by
each option.

Through the observation done in Ipoh, there are several places which become a focal point in Ipoh which
is Birch Memorial Tower, Concubine lane, Padang Ipoh, Plan B, People’s Park and Kinta River which are
known as green area. These open areas are limited in space area to cater all ipoh citizen. Furthermore, the
lack of trees planted in this city making the city hot and low air quality. These places always crowed by
people as they want to spend their time in the green areas especially. Various of activity can be done on
this city such as at the Concubine lane and Plan B, there is handicraft market along this area and the
people’s park is a place for people to come eating as it is located by the riverside. It shows how important
and significance the green areas for Ipoh people as many spend their time at there. Some interview among
the people should be done in order to know the problem and the feedback on the people. The interview
should ranging the questions about their perception on the green areas and what are the implementation
should be taken by the local authority and developer in Ipoh.

Gantt chart
Estimated cost