Green Densities: Accessible Green Spaces in Highly Dense Urban Regions—A Comparison of Berlin and Qingdao

Abstract

Recreational green spaces are associated with human thriving and well-being. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic a spotlight has been shed on the interconnection between access to these spaces, human well-being and social equity. Containment measures enacted in many cities effectively precluded people from reaching distant recreational areas during the pandemic and consequently, recreational areas close to home became particularly important. Urban density is often associated with building or population density with the assumption that if either parameter has a high value, the availability of open (green) space is low. Certain densities are associated with specific spatial qualities. Addressing challenges of sustainable development, a detailed evaluation of density is necessary to allow evidence-based arguments, planning and decision-making. In this study we develop a multi-scale analysis method for quantifying and assessing green infrastructures from settlement unit to building level to reach a differentiated view on density, arguing that density can be organized in different ways achieving very different qualities. For this purpose, we use geospatial-data analysis and in-depth neighborhood studies to compare two cities in Asia and Europe, revealing different ways of organizing density in the built environment and identifying a derivation of approaches for sustainable development in dense urban regions.

Using Social Media Text Data to Analyze the Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Daily Urban Green Space Usage—A Case Study of Xiamen, China

“…Moreover, these factors can affect the number of residents present in UGSs for different activities, such as physical and social activities, thus indirectly affecting public health. Regarding external factors, the equitable and equal access to UGSs has been a planning issue of great concern in the process of rapid urbanization, and ensuring the balanced and active participation of residents in UGSs is the main goal of planning [33]. Unbalanced planning, such as that with spatial deprivation and morphological differences [8], may be responsible for the differences in daily UGS usage (Table 1).…”

From Participation to Involvement in Urban Open Space Management and Maintenance

“…Human beings' relationship with nature needs to change to mitigate and adapt to current and forthcoming global environmental changes such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Contemporary ways of using land and building on it, as well as the exploitation of the environment, struggle to meet the criteria, methods, and measurements [1,2] for sustainability. A sustainability transition requires that people understand the necessity of nature for humans.…”