A Polish-Romanian perspective on how planning influences the dynamics of urban green infrastructure
A Polish-Romanian perspective on how planning influences the dynamics of urban green infrastructure

Author(s): Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor, Lidia Mierzejewska, Andrei Mitrea
Subject(s): Energy and Environmental Studies, Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, Policy, planning, forecast and speculation, Environmental interactions
Published by: INCD URBAN-INCERC
Keywords: city nature; urban greenery; urban planning; ecosystem services; urban dynamics
Summary/Abstract: The importance of studying urban green infrastructure in planning is justified by its ecosystem services, contributing to the welfare of urban dwellers and urban sustainability. The present study uses an ecological approach to analyze the dynamics of urban green infrastructure in Polish and Romanian cities with Urban Atlas data in 2006, 2012 and 2018. To avoid ecological fallacy, the methodology includes analyses of individual cases studies. Findings show that urban green infrastructure corresponds to the four city nature types. All cities have lost or transformed their green infrastructure, with local variations. Natural and/or agricultural green spaces make up most of the green infrastructure, while landscaped areas constitute a small share, and are prominent in large, populous, and dense cities. The loss is proportional to the share of categories. Analyses of individual examples show that the involvement of environmental aware citizens is essential for planning a healthy green infrastructure. Local authorities play an important role in influencing planners to account for the green infrastructure. Planners must strive to keep the existing green infrastructure, ensure its continuity, and add more urban greenery; local authorities should account for scientific evidence concerning the role of urban greenery, and scientists should provide simpler, condensed recommendations.

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