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Urban greening: A new paradox of economic or social sustainability?

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  • Du, Mengbing
  • Zhang, Xiaoling

Abstract

Cities globally have incorporated sustainable development into their planning, and led the way in responding to the world’s ecological crisis by “going green”. Urban green space accessibility is considered as the key to urban sustainability progress, not only environmentally, but also economically and socially. However, previous research rarely considers the latter two dimensions together. This study therefore joins the sustainability discussion from a new perspective, in particular the debate concerning the value of urban green spaces and whether and how they contribute to the variegated sustainability agenda? Based on data for 76,595 residential housing units in New York City, measuring the economic gains and equity losses from current urban green space accessibility reveals a paradox in sustainable development where the economic and social benefits of urban green space accessibility are seldom compatible, tending to involve a trade-off of some kind. In response, it is proposed that the spatial patterns of land use can represent a step towards multifaceted aspects of sustainability, with the provision of numerous small green areas that are “affordable and accessible” throughout the city being a more appropriate policy agenda than a few vast parks. Such a policy approach, it is argued, will provide a ‘win-win’ situation in terms of simultaneously contributing to both economic prosperity and the social justice of sustainability. This research also provided evidence for the institutional-driven countries such as China on how to learn from western experiences on planning land use patterns that are sustainable for individuals.

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  • Du, Mengbing & Zhang, Xiaoling, 2020. "Urban greening: A new paradox of economic or social sustainability?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:92:y:2020:i:c:s026483771930568x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104487
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    10. Lei Li & Yilin Zheng & Shaojun Ma, 2023. "Links of urban green space on environmental satisfaction: a spatial and temporarily varying approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 3469-3501, April.
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    13. Itxaro Latasa & Angela Laurenz, 2023. "The Residual Spaces of Developmental Urbanism as Opportunity for Green Cities and Improvement of Human Wellbeing," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-30, March.
    14. Haozhi Pan & Si Chen & Yizhao Gao & Brian Deal & Jinfang Liu, 2020. "An urban informatics approach to understanding residential mobility in Metro Chicago," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 47(8), pages 1456-1473, October.
    15. Fenjie Long & Lang Shi, 2021. "Growth in surrounding consumer amenities: The economic externality of urban parks," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 1062-1079, June.
    16. Kim, Yoon-jung & Yang, Hee Jin, 2023. "Rethinking Cheonggye Stream Restoration Project: Is urban greening strategy socially inclusive?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    17. Liu, Jie & Zhang, Lang & Zhang, Qingping & Li, Chao & Zhang, Guilian & Wang, Yuncai, 2022. "Spatiotemporal evolution differences of urban green space: A comparative case study of Shanghai and Xuchang in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    18. Aurel Pera, 2020. "Assessing Sustainability Behavior and Environmental Performance of Urban Systems: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-19, September.
    19. Ümran Duman & Buket Asilsoy, 2022. "Developing an Evidence-Based Framework of Universal Design in the Context of Sustainable Urban Planning in Northern Nicosia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-31, October.
    20. Stanislav Endel & Marek Teichmann & Dagmar Kutá, 2020. "Possibilities of House Valuation Automation in the Czech Republic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-13, September.
    21. Isabelle Anguelovski & James J. T. Connolly & Helen Cole & Melissa Garcia-Lamarca & Margarita Triguero-Mas & Francesc Baró & Nicholas Martin & David Conesa & Galia Shokry & Carmen Pérez Pulgar & Lucia, 2022. "Green gentrification in European and North American cities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.

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