Author: Nicole Bowen
Editor: Daniel Golan
Artist: Meera Maniar
When most people picture the average city, the image of bustling, overcrowded streets comes to mind. Think Oxford Circus, but with slightly less Christmas lights. Cities do not often inspire thoughts of greenery, let alone a picturesque walk in nature. But the reality is very different.
Cities have built themselves around the natural landscape, whose ecological features have fought to remain; the presence of the River Thames can attest to this. In fact, some estimates trace its history back to over 30 million years ago.
However, natural geographical features are not the only green spaces in cities. Increasingly, man-made ecological structures have appeared in urban centres over the past few decades. These range from vertical forests that climb high-rise buildings to local parks and forests. Even something as small as a community garden can have a huge impact. For example, in New York City, there are over 760 community gardens alone, which means that around half of New Yorkers can walk to a community garden within 15 minutes or less. These gardens do not just provide a source of organic food but also give residents a sense of pride and belonging. In crowded cities where it is all too easy to feel isolated, these spaces offer educational opportunities and facilitate important social networks.
Similarly, Rio de Janeiro is a city that has witnessed some of the largest urban community gardens in Latin America. On an economic level, this has improved the lives of residents by providing gardening jobs, selling vegetables at reduced prices, or donating profits to vulnerable groups. However, the real benefit is observed in the community. The gardens have brought people closer together and helped countless residents leave the world of drug trafficking. Once known as “cracolândia” or “crackland”, the Manguinhos area has transformed into an agricultural oasis.
Other green spaces, such as parks, also offer areas for community networks and social cohesion. Despite this, parks are often underappreciated, particularly in lower income neighbourhoods. This is crucial, since lower income residents already experience reduced levels of physical activity, which in turn affects mental health. In the Netherlands, it was found that citizens who lived closest to green spaces had over a 40% reduced risk of anxiety disorders compared to those who were furthest away. This statistic showcases just how dire the consequences are when the link between nature and humanity is severed.
It is therefore clear that community gardens and local parks are integral to green cities. However, these are often seen as the limit to incorporating nature into urban areas. Office buildings and concrete car parks are usually considered dead zones for wildlife. Poor government planning has created a perception that cycle lanes are impossible to implement, let alone rooftop wind turbines. Yet innovative solutions from companies have proved otherwise. Office buildings do not have to contribute to the drab atmosphere of a city but can offer an important source of greenery themselves. For example, the infamous Vertical Forest in Milan boasts 15,000 perennials and over 800 trees. Not only does this staggering 367ft high structure create a beautiful backdrop, but it converts 44,000 pounds of C02 per year.
Closer to home, the Living Wall in Liverpool One’s Chavasse Park houses approximately 8000 plants. But the architectural biodiversity does not stop there. As part of Liverpool ONE’s green strategy, two beehives were added to the roof of a Barclays Bank in 2019. Just two years later more than 160,000 worker bees were seen thriving here.
An earlier example of green technology has been the use of permeable pavements. These are pavements that allow water to trickle directly through pores embedded in their surface, instead of going through drains. This both decreases flooding risk and cools down pavements, which is useful for cities suffering from heat island effects.
This foray into green spaces has only scratched the surface of nature within urban centres. Both traditional scenery such as parks, as well as innovative designs like living walls have huge potential to transform cityscapes. They are not only a pop of colour in a sea of grey streets, but are the underappreciated lifeblood of a city.
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