Characteristics of Green Spaces: Such green spaces vary in size, vegetation

cover, species richness, environmental quality, proximity to public transport,

facilities and services. Public green spaces include parks and reserves, sporting
fields, riparian areas like stream and river banks, greenways and trails, community
gardens, street trees and nature conservation areas. Public green spaces should be
at the center of neighborhood and not more than five minutes walk for most
residents, public buildings or shops. Therefore, accessibility and proximity are very
important factors to consider during planning and design of an urban green space.

What do Good Urban Green Spaces Offer?

Urban green spaces can give enormous benefits to the neighborhood and
community by improving health, social well-being and enhancing enjoyment of
local environment. The important role of urban green spaces is recognized both in
the character and the life they bring to towns and cities around the world.

1.Environmental Benefits: 1. Ecological benefits: urban green spaces supply

cities with ecosystem services ranging from maintenance of biodiversity to the
regulation of urban climate.
. Pollution control: green space may filter air, remove pollution and attenuate
noise.
. Biodiversity and nature conservation: green spaces do functions as protection
center for reproduction of species and conservation of plants, soil and water
quality. Urban green spaces provide visual relief, seasonal change and link with the
natural world.
2. Economic and Aesthetic Benefits
– Energy savings: using vegetation to reduce the energy costs of cooling buildings
has been increasingly recognized as a cost-effective reason for increasing green
space and tree planting. Plants improve air circulation and provide shade. This
provides a cooling effect and help to lower air temperature.

– Property value: areas of the city with enough greenery are aesthetically pleasing
and attractive to residents, visitors and investors. Urban green spaces can be one of
the factors that attract significant foreign investments that assist in rapid economic
growth (Haq, 2011).

3. Social and Psychological Benefits

– Recreation and wellbeing: green spaces are key element for recreation and to
experience nature. They enhance the quality of life for people living in the
surrounding area and provide locations for a variety of leisure activities as a multi-
use recreational open space. Green spaces are concerned with social values and
how places encourage people to interact in ways which lead to trust, mutual
understanding, shared values and supportive behavior. Social values arise when
people can connect to others with common interests.

– Human health: help in improving the health of the public, as it is discovered that
time spent in nature, relieves mental fatigue and the feelings of violence and
aggression that can spring from it. Natural resources provide many “activities” that
require little to no effort, yet provide ways to restore a person’s health and mental
wellbeing. This kind of green spaces can help to relax and unwind and create social
development in children. Also, physical health and wellbeing can be maintained
through participating in organized sports, excising informally, contact with nature
and being outside in the fresh air and sunlight. Recent scientific studies have
demonstrated that natural areas have positive health impacts on development
issues, particularly behavioral disorders like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD). Health studies have also shown that contact with nature offers a range of
medical benefits such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, enhance
survival after a heart attack, a more rapid recover

– Dunnett, Nigel, Swanwick, Carys and Woolley, Helen. (May 2002). “Improving Urban
Parks, Play Areas and Green Spaces”. Department of Landscape. University of Sheifield.
London
– Haq, Shah. (May 2011). “Urban Green Spaces and an Integrative Approach to Sustainable
Environment” .Journal of Enviroemental Protection. Vol. 2. pp.601-608
– Malek, Nurhayati, Mariapan, Manohar and Shariff, Mustafa. (Unknown). “Accessing the
Quality of Green Open Spaces: A review”. http://www.hphpcentral.com
– Wolch, Jenneifer, Byrne, Jason and Newell, Joshua. (2014). “Urban green space, public
health, and environmental justice: The challenge of making cities ‘just green enough”.
Landscape and Urban planning. Vol. 125. pp 234-244