Urban Green Spaces are squeezing day by day due
to continuous and unplanned urban development.
The need
of the hour
is a sustainable development. Economic
development is also necessary for the growth of economy of the country but
whether it could be achieved without disturbing the environment, is a big
question . The Government should concentrate on the ways of economic development
which are practical and environment friendly. We can sustain with lower
economic growth but not against nature’s anguish. This is also responsible for
stressed lifestyle of modern urban Indian. We must understand
benefits/importance of urban green spaces and at the same time we should emphasize on
development of more urban green spaces
and conservation of existing
green spaces (Parks
& Stadiums/Forests, Rivers, Lakes) by improving our land use
planning practices and make people aware about the impact of green spaces on
their lifestyle.
Green space in an office premises or home can help to reduce stress
and enhance work efficiency. Even a view of greenery through the office window
or a small stroll in the office garden can help a lot to uplift the mood and
cheerfulness. That’s why mostly people don’t like to work in a basement office
or don’t like to live in a basement portion of home. These days due to excess
workload, stress and stress- related diseases
are increasingly becoming major
health challenges with an enormous cost for
individuals , organizations and communities . The workplace green spaces provide employees
the experience of serenity, wilderness ,
and intimate contact with nature at
arm’s length. Workplace is both a source of livelihood and a major contributor
of stress related illness. Indeed, access to natural elements in urban systems
has been found to promote physical health, relaxation, positive emotions
, tranquility, revitalization, satisfaction, cognitive fitness
and psychological well-being. Thus, provisioning of green space in the
workplace can contribute to health and happiness of workers. Interestingly,
workplace green spaces are among the least studied types of urban green
infrastructure.
Urban green
spaces form an integral component of planning of cities to serve a variety of
important objectives. Urban green spaces are called “Lung Spaces” of the
town/city. But now-a-days due to excess horizontal and leapfrog development it
becomes a very difficult to find a scalable green space in urban areas. In
India the situation is very worst in case of small & medium towns/cities. As we know
the importance of green spaces on the health & happiness of people
and environment of the cities. It becomes very important to retain our forest
areas in the city limit. According to draft Urban
& Region a l Development
Plans Formulation & Implementation (URDPFI) guidelines, 16
to 20 percent of area in land use plans for metro cities should be proposed for recreational activities. But in a
country like India with a large population living in urban areas (31.2% urban
population according to 2011 census) the traditional land use planning is now
become an outdated practice. Our urban local bodies are not capable to acquire
the land and developed green spaces on proposed place, because many
municipalities do not have funds to acquire land.
From
the planning point of view, a network of high quality green spaces linking residential areas
with business, retail and
leisure developments can help
to improve the accessibility
and attractiveness
of local
facilities
and employment centers. Well-
designed networks of green spaces encourage
people to travel safely by foot or by bicycle for
recreation or commuting. We should also promote more
and more green buildings to reduce our
energy cost. Providing good pedestrian and cycle tracks and implementing landscape plan will help to replace
rickshaw by cycle rickshaw.
In European Countries
more
than 60%
household use green corridors in cities. Open spaces are often
used as green corridors
wherever travel
times takes 10-15 minutes to reach
the destination. Furthermore, well- designed urban green spaces provide a barrier
to
noise and can function as a visual screen
Urban local bodies should take initiatives to develop some
open spaces
in already
developed areas or core areas by
providing Transferable
Development Rights
(TDR) benefits to people who are ready
to take advantages
in Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
in the outer periphery of a city.
PROMOTE GREEN BUILDINGS
Green buildings should be encouraged by providing
adequate facilities i.e. relaxation in FAR, providing low interest finance, fast tract approval a n d by giving relaxation i n
infrastructure cost. Compact
city and green
c i
t y a p p ro a c h s h a l l h e l p to e n h a n c e
agricultural activities, reducing pollution
l eve l s , d e c e nt ra l i z i n g wa ste h a n d l i n g , encouraging public transportation
and simplifying land use segregation.
The appearance of a green building is
similar to any other building. However, the difference is in the
approach, which revolves round a concern for extending the life span of natural
resources; provide human comfort, safety and productivity. This approach
results in reduction in operating costs like energy and water, besides several
intangible benefits. Like minimal disturbance to landscapes and site condition,
Use of recycled and environmental friendly building materials, use of non-toxic
and recycled/recyclable materials, efficient use of water and water recycling,
use of energy efficient and eco-friendly equipment, use of renewable energy,
quality of indoor air quality for human safety and comfort, effective controls
and building management systems.
What is a Green Building?
A green building
is one which uses
•Less water
•Optimizes energy efficiency
•Conserves natural resources
•Generates less waste
Provides healthier spaces
for people as compared to a conventional building
PLANNING FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Planning for green infrastructure here refers to
policies and planning affecting
urban green infrastructure, in particular through processes
o f
l a n d u s e a n d m a n a g e m e n t a n d development of nature
areas and elements. This
planning enables, restricts, and regulates generation of ecosystem services and their distribution, i.e. who can
benefit from them. At the normative policy
level, general value- based goals are defined as guidelines for more
specific policies and strategies and their operationalization. Strategic planning aims at specifying the value purposes
defined at the normative level
into precise practical goals, adapted
to interests arising
from local
conditions.
What is Green Infrastructure?
Green Infrastructure
is a network providing the “ingredients” for solving urban and climatic challenges by
building with nature. The main
components of this approach include storm water management, climate
a d a p t a t i o n ,
l e s s h e a t s t r e s s ,
m o r e
biodiversity, food production, better
air quality, sustainable
energy production, clean water
and healthy soils, as well as the more anthropocentric functions such as increased quality of life through recreation and
providing shade and shelter in and around towns and cities.
Urban green spaces provide town and country
dwellers with significant environmental, recreational and material benefits. They
are also home to a vast diversity of flora and fauna
and are recognized as important repositories of
bio-diversity. Urban
green spaces and urban water bodies
in most cases coexist. This makes
various dimensions of aqua culture significant in an urban context as
well. Urban green spaces are critical for
keeping our cities habitable and make them health and energy
efficient. Good quality of green spaces plays
a vital role in enhancing the quality of urban life.
Urban greens not only add aesthetic grace and quality to residential areas in
towns and cities but also
provide
many
environmental,
ecological arid economic benefits and play key role in making them more efficient, healthy
and more attractive
for business and leisure. Green
cities with extensive tree
cover
are more resilient to major weather events caused by
climate change. Functional attributes of
urban green spaces are as under:
Trees
moderate the impact of human activities by absorbing pollutants
and releasing oxygen. They contribute to the
m a i n t e n a n c e
o f a
h e a l t h y
u r b a n environment by
providing
clean air. Studies reveal that
vegetation has helped
in
lowering down the wall
surface temperature, which led to reduced air conditioners use. They improve the urban
climate and maintain
the balance of the city’s natural urban environment and manage the effect of urban heat islands. They preserve
the local natural and
cultural heritage by providing habitats for a diversity of urban wildlife and conserve a
diversity
of urban resources. Maidan of Kolkata, Ridge
of Delhi, Lal Bagh of Bengaluru
are some of the examples of well managed urban greens that serve
as lungs of the city
and have immense diversity.
Well-managed and maintained
green spaces contribute to social
justice by creating opportunities for people of
all ages to interact. Urban green spaces emphasize
the diversity of urban areas by reflecting the different communities they serve and
meeting their varying needs. They enhance cultural life
by providing venues for local festivals, civic celebrations and theatrical performances .
Particular types of green space can offer a bigger diversity
of land uses
and opportunities for a wide range of activities which help to foster
active lifestyles and can be of real benefit to health.
Urban green spaces provide safe play
space for children; contribute to children
physical, mental and social development particularly regarding environment and nature.
Urban green spaces
help in delivering key
benefits for public health
and wellbeing. Evidence
shows that green spaces assist in improvement
in level of physical activity, health,
psychological and mental
wellbeing.
Studies show that about
83% individuals living closer to
green
spaces engage more in
social activity.
How one can contribute to
save Earth?
Many in this world are not Environmental Friendly. However, They can contribute to nature by
adopt these ten measures to save the planet.
1) Turn off the
main
power switch whenever you go out of home.
2) Carry a
reusable bag to the supermarket to hold my groceries
& Vegetables.
3) Try to
shower with cold water whenever possible.
4) Turn off the air-conditioner when you sleep and use the fan more often.
5) Turn off all fans and lights if no one in the room.
6) Shut down your laptop/computer when ever go for lunch.
7) Print reports double-sided to save paper.
8) Make use of public transport more often.
9) Recycle plastic bottles instead of throwing them
away
with other rubbish.
10) Everyone should
plant at least
one tree in his/her life span.
11) Stick to the above ten rules and try to influence others to adopt similar
practices.
MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE
Urban
greens help in mitigating
the climate change reducing
carbon emissions and by
providing better physical
living environment. In fact, green spaces are the Important assets in fighting against climate change
and act as climate modifier.Urban green spaces can act as
‘park cool islands’ by cooling air. The extent of the cooling effect is greater when temperature beyond the park is higher.
Green spaces which are permitted to
dry out and lost soil moisture actually
result in a higher absorption of day time solar
energy and higher night time radiation adding to the urban heat
island effect. Green space
can help with water management as it provides
a permeable surface, reducing
surface run-off drains and therefore lowers the risk of flooding during peak flows.
In addition,
green spaces allow water to filter
down and replenish ground water. Urban
green spaces provide valuable habitats for animals and plants and species can
respond strongly to environmental change.
There is a need to wildlife
corridors within towns and
cities to help plants and animals
move
in response to climate change. Vegetation and soils, particularly trees, can counter
poor air
quality by absorbing
greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and other
air pollutants, i.e. green space can act as ‘carbon sinks’.
