Green Infrastructure as a tool to support spatial planning in European urban regions

TY - JOUR

T1 - Green Infrastructure as a tool to support spatial planning in European urban regions

AU - Lafortezza, Raffaele

AU - Davies, Clive

AU - Sanesi, Giovanni

AU - Konijnendijk, Cecil Cornelis

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - The last decades have seen a major shift in the planning and development of ecosystem and landscape management in Europe. First of all, in line with international developments, the life-support services of ecosystems have come to the fore through the application of the concept of ``ecosystem services''. Secondly, drawing on the principles of landscape ecology linkages between ecosystems are being stressed through the concept of ``ecological networks''. Thirdly, there is increasing recognition of the beneficial relationship between access to green space and improved public ``health and well-being''. These services and relationships are being linked together in both academic literature and policy practice in what is termed the Green Infrastructure (GI) approach. It is argued that GI networks are discernible at different scales, and across urban, peri-urban and rural landscapes. Furthermore, GI is considered as supportive of ecological processes whilst simultaneously contributing to better human health and well-being. Moreover, especially in urban regions, GI is being placed at the same level as other essential urban infrastructure. Recognising these developments the authors have devised an updated conceptual framework for the development, management, and analysis of GI networks by focusing on contemporary drivers nested together at the territorial level and with a prominent role for temporal considerations. The latter has hitherto been only weakly presented in the GI discourse. Development of the conceptual model has been informed by reference to examples drawn from across Europe. Finally, directions are provided for future research, and for developing and delivering GI in the emerging context of ecosystem services and human well-being.

AB - The last decades have seen a major shift in the planning and development of ecosystem and landscape management in Europe. First of all, in line with international developments, the life-support services of ecosystems have come to the fore through the application of the concept of ``ecosystem services''. Secondly, drawing on the principles of landscape ecology linkages between ecosystems are being stressed through the concept of ``ecological networks''. Thirdly, there is increasing recognition of the beneficial relationship between access to green space and improved public ``health and well-being''. These services and relationships are being linked together in both academic literature and policy practice in what is termed the Green Infrastructure (GI) approach. It is argued that GI networks are discernible at different scales, and across urban, peri-urban and rural landscapes. Furthermore, GI is considered as supportive of ecological processes whilst simultaneously contributing to better human health and well-being. Moreover, especially in urban regions, GI is being placed at the same level as other essential urban infrastructure. Recognising these developments the authors have devised an updated conceptual framework for the development, management, and analysis of GI networks by focusing on contemporary drivers nested together at the territorial level and with a prominent role for temporal considerations. The latter has hitherto been only weakly presented in the GI discourse. Development of the conceptual model has been informed by reference to examples drawn from across Europe. Finally, directions are provided for future research, and for developing and delivering GI in the emerging context of ecosystem services and human well-being.

KW - Green Infrastructure (GI)

KW - Ecosystem Services

KW - Territorial Cohesion

KW - Urban Forestry

KW - Human Well-being

KW - European Urban Regions

KW - Urban interface

U2 - 10.3832/ifor0723-006

DO - 10.3832/ifor0723-006

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1971-7458

VL - 6

SP - 102

EP - 108

JO - IForest

JF - IForest

ER -