Review Article

Urban Green Infrastructures and Its Impacts on the Urban Environment: A Review

Authors

  • Mohammad Miakhel Civil Engineering Department, Alfalah University, Jalalabad, Nangarhar, Afghanistan
  • Amjad Ahmad Abdulrahimzai Civil Engineering Department, Alfalah University, Jalalabad, Nangarhar, Afghanistan
  • Ahmadullah Habib Civil Engineering Department, Alfalah University, Jalalabad, Nangarhar, Afghanistan
  • Mohammad Mukhlis Behsoodi Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering, Alfalah University, Jalalabad, Afghanistan

    mukhlis.behsoodi@gmail.com

    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4087-3979

Abstract

Urban green infrastructure plays a crucial role in preserving a green urban environment, thus contributing significantly to human health. The absence of such infrastructure can lead to environmental challenges, particularly in the face of escalating global urbanization. Green urban infrastructure proves essential for maintaining cleanliness in urban areas, especially as major cities worldwide grapple with escalating air pollution exacerbated by the inadequate presence of green spaces, green roofs, green walls, and domestic and private gardens emerge as noteworthy contributors to mitigating these challenges. As the global population steadily increases, a collective effort is imperative to enhance green infrastructure and cultivate public awareness to address the pressing issue of air pollution in cities. Green spaces serve as a pivotal indicator of urban verdancy, offering a myriad of benefits, including environmental cleanliness, the creation of recreational spaces, the promotion of health and well-being, the facilitation of children’s mental development, the presentation of aesthetically pleasing urban landscapes, temperature reduction, and pollution mitigation. This comprehensive review analyzed 60-70 studies on urban green infrastructures and their impacts on the urban environment. A library research methodology was used, focusing on literature from Google Scholar published in the last two decades which delves into the multifaceted aspects of urban environmental cleanliness, providing valuable insights for policymakers, and urban planners with a profound understanding of their impacts. Stakeholders can proactively implement measures to enhance cleanliness in the urban environment.

Keywords:

Environment Green Infrastructure Green Spaces UGI Urban

Article information

Journal

Journal of Environment, Climate, and Ecology

Volume (Issue)

1(2), (2024)

Pages

9-15

Published

17-10-2024

How to Cite

Miakhel, M., Abdulrahimzai, A. A., Habib, A., & Behsoodi, M. M. (2024). Urban Green Infrastructures and Its Impacts on the Urban Environment: A Review. Journal of Environment, Climate, and Ecology, 1(2), 9-15. https://doi.org/10.69739/jece.v1i2.135

References

Benedict, M. A., & MacMahon, E. T. (2002). Green infrastructure: Smart conservation for the 21st century. Renewable Resources Journal, 20(3), 12–17.

Breuste, J., Artmann, M., Li, J., & Xie, M. (2015). Special Issue on Green Infrastructure for Urban Sustainability. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 141(3), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)up.1943-5444.0000291

Cameron, R. W. F., Blanuša, T., Taylor, J. E., Salisbury, A., Halstead, A. J., Henricot, B., & Thompson, K. (2012). The domestic garden - Its contribution to urban green infrastructure. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 11(2), 129–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2012.01.002

Chiquet, C., Dover, J. W., & Mitchell, P. (2013). Birds and the urban environment: The value of green walls. Urban Ecosystems, 16(3), 453–462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-012-0277-9

Collins, R., Schaafsma, M., & Hudson, M. D. (2017). The value of green walls to urban biodiversity. Land Use Policy, 64, 114–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.02.025

Foster, J., Lowe, A., & Winkelman, S. (2011). THE VALUE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE The Center for Clean Air Policy. The Center for Clean Air Policy. New York.

Gaffin, S. R., Rosenzweig, C., & Kong, A. Y. Y. (2012). Adapting to climate change through urban green infrastructure. Nature Climate Change, 2(10), 704. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1685

Gaston, K. J., Warren, P. H., Thompson, K., & Smith, R. M. (2005). Urban domestic gardens (IV): The extent of the resource and its associated features. Biodiversity and Conservation, 14(14), 3327–3349. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-004-9513-9

Kaluarachchi, Y. (2021). Potential advantages in combining smart and green infrastructure over silo approaches for future cities. Frontiers of Engineering Management, 8(1), 98–108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42524-020-0136-y

Kambites, C., & Owen, S. (2006). Renewed prospects for green infrastructure planning in the UK. Planning Practice and Research, 21(4), 483–496. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697450601173413

Kim, S. Y., & Kim, B. H. S. (2017). The effect of urban green infrastructure on disaster mitigation in Korea. Sustainability, 9(6), 1026. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9061026

Larson, L. R., Jennings, V., & Cloutier, S. A. (2016). Public parks and wellbeing in urban areas of the United States. PLoS ONE, 11(4), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153211

Lin, B. B., Meyers, J., Beaty, R. M., & Barnett, G. B. (2016). Urban green infrastructure impacts on climate regulation services in Sydney, Australia. Sustainability, 8(8), 788. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8080788

Lin, B. B., Philpott, S. M., Jha, S., & Liere, H. (2017). Urban Agriculture as a Productive Green Infrastructure for Environmental and Social Well-Being. Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements, 155–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4113-6_8

Medl, A., Stangl, R., & Florineth, F. (2017). Vertical greening systems – A review on recent technologies and research advancement. Building and Environment, 125, 227–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.08.054

Mell, I. C. (2008, June). Green infrastructure: concepts and planning. In FORUM ejournal (Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 69-80). Newcastle, UK: Newcastle University.

Middle, I., Dzidic, P., Buckley, A., Bennett, D., Tye, M., & Jones, R. (2014). Integrating community gardens into public parks: An innovative approach for providing ecosystem services in urban areas. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 13(4), 638–645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2014.09.001

Monteiro, R., Ferreira, J. C., & Antunes, P. (2020). Green infrastructure planning principles: An integrated literature review. Land, 9(12), 525. https://doi.org/10.3390/land9120525

Mullaney, J., Lucke, T., & Trueman, S. J. (2015). A review of benefits and challenges in growing street trees in paved urban environments. Landscape and Urban Planning, 134, 157–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.10.013

Muratet, A., & Fontaine, B. (2015). Contrasting impacts of pesticides on butterflies and bumblebees in private gardens in France. Biological Conservation, 182, 148–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2014.11.045

Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2020). Green Infrastructure and Health. Annual Review of Public Health, 42, 317–328. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090419-102511

O’Brien, L., De Vreese, R., Atmiş, E., Stahl Olafsson, A., Sievänen, T., Brennan, M., ... & Almeida, A. (2017). Social and environmental justice: diversity in access to and benefits from urban green infrastructure–examples from Europe. The urban forest: Cultivating green infrastructure for people and the environment, 153-190.

O’Brien, L., De Vreese, R., Kern, M., Sievänen, T., Stojanova, B., & Atmiş, E. (2017). Cultural ecosystem benefits of urban and peri-urban green infrastructure across different European countries. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 24, 236–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.03.002

Pauleit, S., Ambrose-Oji, B., Andersson, E., Anton, B., Buijs, A., Haase, D., Elands, B., Hansen, R., Kowarik, I., Kronenberg, J., Mattijssen, T., Stahl Olafsson, A., Rall, E., van der Jagt, A. P. N., & Konijnendijk van den Bosch, C. (2019). Advancing urban green infrastructure in Europe: Outcomes and reflections from the GREEN SURGE project. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 40, 4–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.10.006

Pérez-Urrestarazu, L., Fernández-Cañero, R., Franco-Salas, A., & Egea, G. (2015). Vertical Greening Systems and Sustainable Cities. Journal of Urban Technology, 22(4), 65–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/10630732.2015.1073900

Perini, K., Ottelé, M., Fraaij, A. L. A., Haas, E. M., & Raiteri, R. (2011). Vertical greening systems and the effect on air flow and temperature on the building envelope. Building and Environment, 46(11), 2287–2294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2011.05.009

Raciti, S. M., Groffman, P. M., & Fahey, T. J. (2008). Nitrogen retention in Urban lawns and forests. Ecological Applications, 18(7), 1615–1626. https://doi.org/10.1890/07-1062.1

Sandström, U. G. (2002). Green infrastructure planning in urban Sweden. Planning Practice and Research, 17(4), 373–385. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697450216356

Sangkakool, T., Techato, K., Zaman, R., & Brudermann, T. (2018). Prospects of green roofs in urban Thailand–A multi-criteria decision analysis. Journal of cleaner production, 196, 400-410.

Shafique, M., Xue, X., & Luo, X. (2020). An overview of carbon sequestration of green roofs in urban areas. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 47, 126515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126515

Van Oijstaeijen, W., Van Passel, S., & Cools, J. (2020). Urban green infrastructure: A review on valuation toolkits from an urban planning perspective. Journal of Environmental Management, 267(December 2019), 110603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110603

Wang, P., Wong, Y. H., Tan, C. Y., Li, S., & Chong, W. T. (2022). Vertical Greening Systems: Technological Benefits, Progresses and Prospects. Sustainability, 14(20). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142012997

Wang, Y., Bakker, F., de Groot, R., & Wörtche, H. (2014). Effect of ecosystem services provided by urban green infrastructure on indoor environment: A literature review. Building and Environment, 77, 88–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.03.021

Wu, W., Liu, Y., & Gou, Z. (2022). Green infrastructure and urban wellbeing. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 68(January), 127485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127485

Zhou, W., Troy, A., Morgan Grove, J., & Jenkins, J. C. (2009). Can money buy green? demographic and socioeconomic predictors of lawn-care expenditures and lawn greenness in urban residential areas. Society and Natural Resources, 22(8), 744–760. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920802074330

Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Staddon, C., de Vito, L., Gerlak, A. K., Ward, S., Schoeman, Y., Hart, A., & Booth, G. (2020). Challenges of mainstreaming green infrastructure in built environment professions. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 63(4), 710–732. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2019.1605890

Downloads

Views

192

Downloads

100