Towards a Standard Framework to Identify Green Infrastructure Key Elements in Dense Mediterranean Cities
Metadatos
Mostrar el registro completo del ítemEditorial
MDPI
Materia
UGI categorization Mediterranean urban greening Climate change adaptation Urban green space availability Compact city Green equity
Fecha
2020Referencia bibliográfica
Delgado-Capel, M.; Cariñanos, P. Towards a Standard Framework to Identify Green Infrastructure Key Elements in Dense Mediterranean Cities. Forests 2020, 11, 1246. https://doi.org/10.3390/f11121246
Resumen
Present-day dense cities are increasingly affected by the impacts associated with climate
change. The recurrence of extreme climate events is projected to be intensified in cities in the next
decades, especially in the most vulnerable areas of the world, such as the Mediterranean region.
In this context, the urban green infrastructure (UGI) is presented as a nature-based solution that
directly contributes to climate change mitigation in Mediterranean compact cities and improves health,
social, welfare, and environmental conditions for inhabitants. This research sets out a manageable
framework to define, locate, and categorize more functional green urban and peri-urban areas in
a dense Mediterranean city. It takes spatial distribution, extension, and the capacity to improve
inhabitants’ wellbeing through the provision of ecosystem services as classification criteria. Results
show a scenario with a greater functional green surface available for the citizens to be managed.
Identified areas have been categorized as cores, nodes, links, and green spaces defined as “other” areas.
In particular, the latter play a significant role at social, structural, and ecological levels. The study
showcases that rethinking urban design and strategic decision-making around these areas can enhance
green equity in Mediterranean dense cities, their capacity to better deal with environmental extremes,
and the inhabitants’ engagement with a culture of sustainability and wellbeing.