Urban Green Areas: Benefits, Design and Management Strategies

Dear Colleagues,

The enlargement of green areas in cities was accelerated at the beginning of the 20th century in order to increase the quality of urban life. Furthermore, the idea of the garden city, inspired by the progressive models of pre-urbanism in the 19th century, which criticised the industrial city and promoted open and green areas, is being gradually applied to many urban environments. Throughout the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st century, under the impact of urban surface enlargement, built space density, economic diversity and pollution, preoccupations with preserving and growing urban and suburban green areas have increased, and subsequent efforts have become more visible in some cities than in others. If planning policies do not support green areas, they will remain peripheral at the city level in comparison to more dynamically constructed developments and traffic areas.

Urban green areas have evolved from terrace-shaped gardens of the Renaissance to landscape gardens of the 18th and 19th centuries to the present-day ideal of green cities, and their role has become increasingly complex, encompassing the decoration and masking of elements considered unaesthetic, protection against excessive heat and filtering atmospheric pollution, moderation of daytime thermal extremes, reduction in urban noise, creation of public places, etc.

This Special Issue aims to collect research focused both on the benefits and development models of urban green areas as well as on the management, conservation and growth interventions that take place in order to respond to the objectives of different international strategies, programs and projects meant to contribute to the better integration of green areas with other elements of towns and cities (Urban Green Infrastructure Planning, Green City Accord, Urban Greening Platform, etc.).

The Special Issue invites researchers and academics from various fields to publish their original contributions. Papers may include, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• History, values and perceptions of urban green areas;
• Dynamics of urban green areas under real estate pressure;
• Accessibility to green areas for residents: amenities, inequalities and neglected green urban areas;
• Green urban areas in post-COVID-19 cities;
• Connected green infrastructure in cities;
• Remote sensing of urban green areas;
• Urban heat islands and green areas;
• Role of green areas in developing public spaces;
• Green areas and recreational activities;
• Green areas as places for creativity and socialization in cities;
• Urban green and blue areas, population health and quality of life;
• Metropolisation, dynamics of urban areas, pollution and ecological issues;
• Role of green areas in sustainable urban development;
• Structuring green cities;
• Green architecture for sustainable cities;
• Placing green areas in urban regeneration policies.

Dr. Andreea-Loreta Cercleux
Dr. Alexandru Bănică
Dr. Elena Bogan
Dr. Marinela Istrate
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• green areas
• urban pollution
• climate change
• urban planning
• public spaces
• accessibility
• participatory approaches
• social interactions