Green spaces provide numerous benefits in urban areas by making cities healthier, happier, and more sustainable places to live. They improve air and water quality, reduce temperatures, promote physical and mental well-being, and increase social interaction and property values. Strategies for ensuring adequate green space include defining standards for open space at different levels, distributing spaces evenly throughout cities, protecting existing trees and vegetation, incentivizing private development of green areas, and educating the public about the importance of nature in urban environments.

1. Green Spaces
Making Cities
Happy,
Healthy and
Sustainable
Jit Kumar Gupta
Ex- Advisor, PUDA
Jit.kumar1944@gmail.com

2. Green Spaces in Urban Context
• Green Spaces known for;-
• Making cities happy and healthy places to live
• Making Cities walkable
• Making cities Cool- Reducing heat islands
• Making Cities Spongy--Reducing flooding
• Promoting ground water recharging
• Improving environment
• Minimizing Noise
• Promoting Tourism
• Improving Quality of air/Filtering Air
• Making Cities Green
• Increasing Property Values
• Reducing social, medical /safety services-
• -- Through healthy dose of nature

3. Green Spaces in Urban Context
• Green Spaces known for;-
• Improving quality of life in urban areas.
• Making people healthy
• Promote Recreation/Physical activity
• Promoting Mental Health
• Reducing Stress and violence
• Improve concentration
• Foster a sense of community
• Creating space for birds/animals in cities
• Reducing Crime
• Improving productivity
• Promoting Safety
• Providing Economic stimulus
• Speedy Curing patients

4. Green Spaces in Urban Context
• Urban Green spaces are:
• Public / private --parks, play areas/green spaces,
• - --unsealed, permeable, “soft” surfaces
• - covered by
• -- vegetation , soil, grass, shrubs and trees.
• Used for recreation
• In land use planning - Urban open space are areas under--
-- "parks", “
--green spaces“.
--playing fields
-- recreational areas
-- natural landscapes. -Commonly open to public access
• Excludes Areas—
• outside city boundaries/ state / national parks / open space
in countryside,
• - Streets, piazzas, plazas / urban squares

5. Open Spaces

6. Trees- Man Ratio
A human breathes about 9.5 tonnes of air /year
-- oxygen only makes up about 23 % of air by mass
-- One third of oxygen from each breath-- 740kg of oxygen / year.-- -- roughly, seven / eight
trees’ worth.

7. Global- Tree Count

8. Lack Of Open Spaces
• Globally, 9 million people die every year due to
air pollution.
• In London, two million people - of which
400,000 are children - are living in areas with
toxic air.

9. Green Spaces in Urban Context
• Cities are more than just buildings and people.
• With growing Cities, green space become valuable:
Cities choking due to paucity of open spaces
• Vehicular pollution is killing cities
• Open spaces always remain at premium
• Most “liveable” /famous cities – known for parks---.
• --Hyde Park in London, Central Park in New York,
• -- Pinjore Garden- Kalka
• -- Shalimar/Tulip Garden- Srinagar
• ---Rose/Rock Garden Chandigarh
• -- Budha Jayanti Park- Delhi
• attraction for inhabitants / visitors
• challenges-- provide open spaces in cities
• – space, resources ,development, maintenance

10. Central Park New York- 700 Acs Vaux and Olmsted'

11. Hyde Park London- 253 Hec

12. PERTH- Australia

13. Sabarmati River Front- Ahmedabad

14. MOGHUL GARDEN PINJORE

15. TULIP GARDEN SRINAGAR

16. MOGHUL GARDEN SRINAGAR

17. Park: Kite-fliers gather on green roof of pump house
-- at Marina Barrage dam,-- which formed a new reservoir /
guards against flooding.-- created from land reclamation
-- to relieve growth pressure on Singapore.

18. Curitiba > 50 sq metres of green space per person.

19. Objectives
and
Benefits of
open spaces

21. Benefits of green space in cities
• Health benefits associated with public open space /
parks.
---better general health
--reduced stress levels,
---- reduced depression
• WHO--physical inactivity major public health risk.
• Study found -- people using public open spaces --
three times more healthier than non-users.
• Improving access to public open spaces /creating
Network of parks / open spaces; leads to :
• - -Reducing congestion,
• --Making Cities more open/healthy
• - Promoting socialisation
• --Promoting Youth development
• -Improving community feeling
• -Promoting safety /security
• -Providing vital lungs to city
• provide healthy habitats for wildlife / plants
• Preserves regional eco-systems amid growing cities.

22. Benefits- Open Spaces
-- 3 Benefits urban open space provide to communities:
• -- recreational,
• -- ecological,
• --- aesthetical value.
• Recreational –
• -- offers reprieve from urban environment
• promotes active recreation --organized sports / individual exercise)
• -- passive recreation-- being in open space.
• Ecological--
• -- Conserve nature .
• - Creates ecological awareness".
• -- Serves as islands of nature,
• -- promotes biodiversity
• -- provide home for natural species
• Aesthetical;
• --People enjoy viewing nature.
-- substitution for gray infrastructure.
-- Making neighborhoods attractive
-- creating positive attitudes
-- increases walking

23. Benefits of green space in cities
Parks also help :
--Creating human / energy efficient cities
• --- slowing global warming.
• -- making living attractive and viable.
• -- Creating networks linking greenspaces/ individual parks,
• --making easier to bike/ walk
• Gardens planted on rooftops ---
• --maximise limited space and
• -- curtail greenhouse gas emissions.
• Every tree helps fight global warming
• --reducing amount of greenhouse gases and
• --help cool cities.
• In US
• , --evaluation made of largest 85 cities in country
(population of 57.2 million) found
• -- health savings from parks estimated $3.08 billion.
• Trees / vegetation in urban parks offer:
• -- lower cost/ natural solutions --for addressing --
storm water runoff / Flooding/ air pollution.

24. Open spaces –Increases Ground Water Charging

25. Singapore-- Super trees in 250-acre Gardens by Bay.
-- High-tech structures range from 80 to 160 feet
-- collect solar energy to power a night light show.
-- trunks are vertical gardens, laced with more than 150,000 living plants.

27. Benefits of Green Roofs in cities
• Vertical gardens, green roofs and parks
• --increase city’s attractiveness
• --Promote better quality of life
• -- create healthier/ sustainable spaces.
• Green roofs act as sinks for CO2
• -- each 100 square metres of green roof ;
• --reduces green house gases @ 1.8 tonnes per
year.
• -- can produce oxygen needed by 100 people in a
year
• -- Remove pollution emitted by 15 cars in a
year
• -- reduce ambient temperature of cities by 1°C
• -- Minimise urban heat island /harmful city smog.
• -- prevent forming harmful ozone layer
• -- retain 40% of rainwater
• - can delay water discharge by 18 minutes during
intense rain,

28. Planning
for
open spaces

29. Hierarchy of Open Spaces
• Open Spaces need to be planned
in a defined hierarchy
• Regional level open spaces
• Specialized Open spaces- zoo,
botanical gardens
• City level open spaces
• Sub- City level open spaces
• District level open spaces
• Neighbourhood level open
spaces
• Housing Cluster level open
spaces
• Tot Lots

30. Garden City- Ebneezer Howard

31. ECO-CITY TIANJIN- Master plan
..
1. Land-use Planning – compact city , mixed land uses ,Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) .
2. Transport Planning -Green transport .-- majority trips via public/ non-motorised modes of
transport --bicycles and walking
3. Green and Blue Network Planning---
--City planned with extensive green (vegetation) and blue (water) networks
-- to provide quality living /working environment.
--Green network comprised of green lung at the core and eco-corridors emanating
from the lung to the other parts of city.
-- Water bodies linked to enhance ecology /provide attractive environment , recreation
-- A wastewater pond rehabilitated /transformed into a clean/beautiful lake.
4. Master Plan summed as- 1 axis-3 centres-4 districts

32. •TIANJIN SMART CITY
Planned on a network of self-contained / self-
sufficient eco-cells, eco-neighbourhoods and
eco-districts ---Developed on 22 quantitative/ 4
qualitative Key Performance Indicators
--city emerging role model of smart city
-90% trips made as green trips,
- 60% of waste recycled,
-100% barrier free access provided,
-20% energy used generated from renewable
resources,
--- 59% water supplied from recycling
-- using low energy lights,
-- making all buildings green,
--daily per capita water supply not exceeding
120 litres, -
--assured green spaces @12 sqm p per.
-----high proportion of technical manpower to
promote planning / R&D.
.

33. GREENING CITIES

34. GREENING CITY
• Landscaping city/building
•-- makes cities/ buildings
•energy efficient.
•Vegetation
Lowers daytime temperatures
controls humidity
Reduces heat emission during
night for balance temperatures
•During precipitation --lot of free water absorbed
-- during dry periods water evaporated
•Green areas
filter air up to 80% of pollutants
Reduce noise level up to 12 db
-50-100 m thick vegetation cover
Reduces air temperature up to 3.50 c
•Greening cities through
Strategic plantation
Massive plantation
Extensive landscaping
Developing city forests.

35. difference of temperature between area under
sunlight and shade is approximately 2 degree C – 2.5 degree C.
 deciduous trees preferred
-- in summers with dense foliage-- cuts sun,
 while in winters, -- shed leaves /brings sun inside building.
Planting Trees– shading building facades/pavements
-- to reduce heat gain,
-- helps mitigating heat island effect.
Promoting sustainable landscaping through:
 Using native species, species requiring less water
Water savings : 40-50%,
Energy savings : 20-30%
Greening Roofs, Greening Walls, Landscaped courtyards,
Creating Leisure Valley on the pattern of Chandigarh
 An average tree offers a cooling effect in atmosphere
equivalent to about 5 air-conditioners
Deciduous trees provide shade from summer
sun and allow winter Sun
LANDSCAPING

36. open spaces
In Delhi
Master Plan

37. Open Spaces--Delhi Master Plan
• Delhi larger green cover
• -- called a "Green City".
• Green / recreational use constitutes 8,722 ha- MPD
2001-- 19% of the total urban land area of 44,777 ha.
• Includes 1577 ha. under Ridge.
• Balance 7145 ha. -- District Parks, City Parks, Yamuna
Community Parks etc.-- 15% of urban land area.
• Large green area provided as:
• - Neighbourhood Parks
• -- Tot lots in residential pockets
• --as plantations / greens in large campuses including
• -- President's Estate,
• -- JNU, Delhi University,
• -- plantations along drains / roadside plantations.

38. Delhi Master Plan- Norms/Standards

39. Open spaces
In
Chandigarh
Master Plan

41. Chandigarh Master Plan

43. Chandigarh Master Plan- Le Corbusier

44. Chandigarh Master plan- open spaces

45. • Manmade water feature
• Conceived by Le Corbusier,
• As a gift to city for;
• modulating micro- climate
• Recharging Ground Water
• providing dramatic vistas of Capitol and Mountains.
• 3-km long 14m high earthen dam created.
• No vehicular movement permitted
• Planned as Pedestrian Paradise
• WHERE PEACE and TRANQUALITY ALWAYS PREVAILS

49. Park at Sukhna Regulator

50. Lake-42

51. Leisure Valley- 8 kms parkway

59. ARIEL VIEW OF THE ROSE GARDEN

61. LEISURE VALLEY

66. Chandigarh open spaces

67. Rock Garden-27 acs

68. Butterfly Park- Sector 26

69. Chandigarh Traffic Rotaries

70. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT)
• Major components:
• Capacity building
• Reform implementation
• Water supply and management of sewerage and septage
• Drainage of stormwater
• Improvement in urban transport facilities
• Development of green spaces and parks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
• Objectives;
• Ensure supply of water, sewage connection in every household.
• Develop green / well maintained open spaces / parks to increase
amenity value of the cities.
• Reduce pollution-- by switching to public transport/ non-motorized transport-
- walking cycling.
• Mission covers around 500 cities
• -- having population of over one lakh
• --with notified municipalities.

71. Context/
Strategies for
open spaces

72. Green Spaces in Urban Context
• Green spaces fulfill many functions in urban context;
• Benefits people’s quality of life.
• Protecting /maintaining the biodiversity
• Helps reduction of energy costs of cooling buildings
• Increase property value.
• Provide Social/ psychological benefits.
• Provide resources for relaxation/ recreation.
• Green spaces need uniform distribution throughout city
• Green spaces should accommodate city population
• Cities responsible for consumption of world’s resources and
• Home to large world’s citizens
• Bringing green space to urban landscape
• -- promote/inspire a better relationship with
• -- environment / supporting important services.
• Green spaces represent natural habitats / ecosystems.
• Need for Promoting /conservation of green space
• -- in cities
• -- with local / regional authorities.

73. Context of Green Spaces
•Infrastructure-- Urban green spaces should be seen as;
-- an essential part of urban infrastructure
– not an add-on/ ‘nice to have’/ - or a luxury •
• Valuation-Better tools needed for valuing parks
• - for services they render.
• Benefits--urban green spaces provide numerous benefits
-- --- which remain poorly understood/ poorly evidenced;
-- work needed to develop base to underpin valuation
. • Challenges--challenges to provision of urban green spaces include:
---understanding their use;
--- budget constraints;
--- lack of appropriate cost-benefit analysis.
--- High population density,
-- new pressures/ demands on green space/ climate change
Urban green spaces -- play a role in mitigation /adaptation
- Adverse urban conditions/climate change

74. Strategies for Open Spaces
• Open spaces ;
-- provided as integral part of city planning process
• Hierarchy of open spaces must be defined
• Open area norms for all levels must be defined
• Open areas must be distributed all over city.
• Concentration of open spaces avoided
• All low lying areas/areas of natural/manmade beauty --
earmarked as open spaces/parks/recreation
• Encroachment-- removed and area developed
• People-- involved in planning, designing, development and
maintenance of open spaces
• Corporate sector-- actively involved in developing /
maintenance
• City-- must prepare an inventory of open spaces / ensure
not encroached.
• Promoting Green Spaces--Organising competitions-- for best
gardens at residential/ institutional level etc
• Organising dedicated festivals- like Rose Festival etc

75. Strategies for Open Spaces
• Amending Bye-laws--All private colonies developed-- to provide
minimum 10% area under open spaces -- developed and
maintained by them
• All Group Housing-to provide minimum 25% area under open
space
• City-- provide open spaces /person @ 9-12 sqm/per capita
• Open spaces-- abutting /backing on houses avoided being
misuse/encroachment
• Open spaces-- planned to face majority of houses for
optimization / preventing them from encroachment
• Promoting planned development -- best option to create open
spaces
• All industries /polluting -- mandated to create green belts
• All existing trees/ natural areas -- to be preserved
• Tree Preservation law-- to be enacted
• Master Plans/ Development Plans-- to provide detailed plans for
open spaces
• Industrial /Residential area --segregated with green belt
• All derelict land-- planned/developed as green
belt/afforestation

76. Strategies for Open Spaces
• All water bodies -- planned / developed as green/recreational
areas
• City forests -- promoted to develop green cover
• Native plants -- used for plantation
• Xeri-scape-- used for landscaping to minimize water
requirement.
• Land under H T lines --- reserved as open spaces,
• planned/developed as open spaces with shorter variety of
trees.
• Parking areas -- planned / planted with trees-- to minimize heat
island effect
• Involving institutions / campuses-- having large area for tree
plantation/landscaping
• Making environment/ ecology-- integral part of education/study
curricula
• Creating awareness --about role /importance of green spaces at
individual/community level

77. Thanks for your time,
attention and patience