The article analyzes the state of development and implementation of the ecosystem services concept in the world and in Ukraine as an integral part of the global economic value of the planet. The impact of the quality of ecosystem services of protected areas on the urban infrastructure functioning is not researched well; the consideration of the importance of protected areas ecosystem services of urban areas for large cities vital activities is limited; also, there is a need to manage such territories on the basis of the ecosystem approach. This study substantiates the necessity of identification and evaluation of protected areas of ecosystem services in urban zones. The research of main causes and factors of ecosystem services degradation in the urbanized environment has been done on the example of the regional landscape park «Lysa Gora» in Kyiv-city. It has revealed the value of supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural services of ecosystems within the limits of each park’s landscape-functional zone for the city’s livelihoods. The most important services provided by the ecosystems of the landscape park reserve zone are the habitats preservation of the most valuable populations of the Red List plants, animals and mushrooms species and their biodiversity, soil formation, deflation of rocks, water infiltration and moisture accumulation, herb maintenance of surface and underground drainage, replenishment soil moisture, the flow of nutrients and water, the primary products production and oxygen production in the process of photosynthesis, the regulation air quality and balance in it dioxide and oxygen, ultraviolet rays protection, microclimate regulation, implement erosion and biological control. Among the ecosystem services of the regulated recreation zone, the most important are recreational, environmentally education, cultural, behavioural and scientific-cognitive, whose value is significantly increased in an urbanized environment. The real threat of the Kyiv’s loss of the valuable biodiversity focus and recreation areas is the result of conflicts between different subjects of nature using. There has been created a mapping, which shows the main factors of the study area ecosystem services degradation. In particular, within the reserve zone, such factors are frequent arrival of motor transport, laying quad bikes excursion routes by the most valuable parts of the park, misuse of the reserve zone, dumping of garbage in natural reservoirs, tree felling. The most common causes of ecosystem services degradation within the regulated recreation zone are the massive unorganized recreation of the local population, widespread firefighting, municipal waste incineration, sanitary logging, dumping of building debris, etc. In order to preserve and restore the landscape park ecosystem services quality, which is used by a significant part of the local population, the conflicts identified must be eliminated immediately.

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) IUCN helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN's work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. www.iucn.org

The goal of the study is to determine the actual areas and the geographical distri- bution of Urban Green Spaces (UGS) in Kyiv; compile and analyse the ratings of the city administrative districts by key UGS indicators and substantiate the level of comfortable living in each district according to the concept of a green compact city. The goal stems from the announcement of an official strategy of transforming Kyiv into a comfortable compact city with an attractive green infrastructure. To achieve this goal, we have calculated a number of major indicators of the modern green infrastructure of Kyiv in all ten city districts. According to the method we developed, we analysed the drawings of the urban development master plan and regulatory documents, and conducted a field survey of significant UGS sites in Kyiv. The data obtained were used to make a UGS map of Kyiv and other thematic maps. For the most accurate calculation of key UGS indicators, we processed several thousand contours in Kyiv’s cartographic base. The sizes of Urban Protected Areas (UPA) were found separately, and their share in the total city territory and of each district (Conservation Coefficients) was determined. In so doing, UPA distribution was found to be very irregular, with a total area of 174.9 km2, or about 21.2% of that of Ukraine’s capital. We analysed the ratio of the city population and the areas of green spaces in each Kyiv district. To identify districts with a different UGS coverage, we calculated the Greenness Coefficients (GC) and compiled a rating of Kyiv districts by their level of greenness, using the Greenness Coefficients Index. Significant GC variations in different city districts were substantiated. In contrast to previous studies, we calculated the provision of Kyiv residents with green zones of not merely common usage, but also with those of all other kinds, including UPA. We also calculated the Green space provision per person and compiled ratings of Kyiv districts by the Green Space Provision Index. The results were presented on a relevant map. Based on calculating the share of protected areas in the total UGS area, we found the ratings of Kyiv districts by the Green space legally protected Index. Wherein, we found significant variations among the districts by the ratio of protected areas and green spaces deprived of any legal protection. This increases their vulnerability to projected development attempts. We calculated the Integral Green Space Index (GSI) based on processing all significant UGS indicators of Kyiv. GSI allows for an integral assessment of the condition of the Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) in Kyiv, and it is the key criterion of its compliance with modern requirements to an ideal compact city. Holosiivskyi District received the highest GSI rating. It is uniformly replete with UGS, which are provided for quality recreation and, at the same time, are protected by environmental legislation. Solomianskyi District received the lowest rating, and almost all the elements of its existing UGI require a cardinal optimisation. As a whole, the indicators we calculated can create an illusion of adequate provision of Kyiv with UGS. Actually, they are distributed very irregularly in the majority of districts. The results of our study are indicative of the presence of many challenging locations that require an extension of existing UGS and the development of new ones pursuant to the principles of compact city planning. Since UGI planning depends on the implementation of the Urban Development Master Plan, it makes sense to include the Green Space Index to the key indicators of the Kyiv Development Strategy. The draft new City General Plan should also be refined with account of the above-mentioned problems.

The article deals with the need to consider the territory landscape structure during the landscape functional zoning of urban protected areas (UPA) (by example of the Holosiyivskyi National Natural Park (NNP) in Kyiv). The study revealed the shortcomings of the UPA functional zoning procedure without applying a landscape approach, regardless of its importance for preventing nature management conflicts. According to the research goals, it is necessary to study the UPA landscape structure and transfer the functional zoning procedure to the landscape basis. Holosiyivskyi Forest, as one of the five massifs in Holosiyivskyi NNP, was chosen for the analysis. A landscape map was created and a landscape-functional zoning scheme of the Holosiyivskyi Forest territory was updated using field research findings, available digital maps and GIS tools. Moreover, the relief morphometric parameters were reflected in the digital model and a hypsometric map of Holosiyivskyi Forest was created on its basis. By providing maximum correspondence of the nature management structure in each functional zone with the existing landscape structure of the territory, traditional zoning turns into a landscape functional one. The study assessed the adverse impact of the urban environment on Holosiyivskyi Forest’s natural landscapes. The research demonstrates the imperfection of Ukrainian nature conservation legislation, the absence of the Holosiyivskyi NNP land management project and the need to define the Park’s true boundaries around its territory. Research findings are a basis for minimizing existing nature management conflicts, reducing the anthropogenic impact on the ecosystems, rationally controlling recreational flows, and planning anti-erosion and other activities to optimize functioning of protected areas in an urbanized environment.

Purpose. The goal of the study is to develop an algorithm for assessing urban green space (UGS) accessibility in conditions of a compact city with high-density development by the example of Kyiv. Methodology. The research technique provides for spatial and quantitative analysis of UGS distribution within city limits by using OpenStreetMap, Google Map geospatial data and the QGIS software. The pedestrian accessibility to greenery is determined as the distance walked from the residential building to the nearest green space. If the average speed of walking of all age groups is taken to be 3 km/hr, then 10 minutes are needed to cover a distance of 500 m, and 20 minutes, for 1,000 m. To account for curved paths and obstacles (buildings, fences, motorways), UGS were surrounded with buffer areas 300 m and 700 m wide. This equals the walking distances of 500 and 1,000 m respectively. Results. We plotted on the map all available UGS within Kyiv limits, determined their total area and found a very uneven spatial UGS distribution in different city districts. Then we found the average provision of each Kyiv resident with greenery of all kinds, including not only parks, mini parks, and urban forests, but also cemeteries, flowerbeds and grass lawns, separate street bushes and trees, and roadside hedgerows. Based on the data of the number of buildings and the population density within Kyiv’s residential development area, we calculated the actual provision of Kyiv residents with UGS of all kinds, and with greenery suitable for daily recreation. In so doing, we found that the provision of UGS, where short-term recreation is possible, is significantly smaller in area per head of population as compared to an identical indicator calculated for greenery of all kinds. This is confirmed by the built map charts. Using the buffer approach, we determined the shortest distances to be covered to reach a UGS nearest to a residential building. Independently, we measured pedestrian accessibility to any green cover in Kyiv and UGS accessibility for public use, which are suitable for daily recreation in different Kyiv micro districts. The findings yielded a significant difference in these indicators. According to the calculations of UGS accessibility of all kinds, Kyiv really looks like a “green” city where almost in all the developed territories the distance to the nearest UGS is within 1,000 m. However, an assessment of the accessibility to greenery suitable for short-term daily recreation is indicative of a deficiency of UGS in at least eleven residential complexes in the city. All the locations with different UGS accessibility are also plotted on relevant map charts. Scientific novelty. The study has shown that only 45.4% of Kyiv residents are provided with high pedestrian accessibility within a distance of 500 m to UGS for daily recreation. The residents of different age and social groups who, within a 1-km radius, have no access at all to any recreation site make up 15.5% of Kyiv residents. Substantial disproportions in UGS accessibility were also found in different administrative districts and residential complexes. This is indicative that the management of the entire city’s green infrastructure is not perfect. Practical importance. The algorithm for assessing green space accessibility that was developed and tested for Kyiv can be used for any compact city. This will help city planners to identify accurately the micro districts and other locations requiring priority planting of greenery.