Reimagining the Possibilities of Urban Space

83% of people in the United States live in urban areas, and this number is expected to continuously rise as the population grows. However, despite the ongoing urbanization, the land available for urban use is decreasing. In the context of the climate crisis, this shift in habitation dynamics poses a question: how can we make our cities green? How is it possible to accommodate the massive urban population while simultaneously ensuring that infrastructure, space utilization, and food can be as sustainable as possible?

There are few cities modeling this daunting task with grace, designing their urban areas around conservation of the natural world and implementation of green space. Liverpool, the United Kingdoms, created a living wall from the concrete exterior of a major shopping center. Comprising 14,000 evergreens, this wall strategically traps pollution from the bus station nearby, and helps sequester carbon with significant tree growth. Furthermore, initiatives in Liverpool to install beehives on rooftops of urban spaces would support the greater community’s ecology, and tackle the peril these important pollinators are facing.

In a similar vein, Curitiba, Brazil has employed valiant efforts to mitigate the effects of their booming population with tree growth and roadside planting. This plan for afforestation took shape in the planting of thousands of trees, from public parks, to town squares, to the sides of busy roads. Curitiba also capitalized on areas prone to high precipitation and flood, managing the overflow with creation of mini forests. The city reports that its people are happier with this newfound oasis of greenspace, and even prefer the natural growth to previous prioritization of infrastructure to support cars. 

It definitely proves difficult to promote environmental conservation in the midst of such a burgeoning population, yet Seoul, South Korea is also impressive in their ability to get creative. As one of the most densely populated cities on earth, facing extreme heat waves that hit East Asia, Seoul proposed initiatives to counteract extreme temperatures. Creating a park called the “Forest of Winds,” Seoul aimed to employ species of pine trees, maple, wild cherry, and oak to bring cooler air directly into the city. Furthermore, the park traps particles of dust and pollution, thus mitigating adverse weather impacts of climate change.

For a practical example of introducing nature into a city on a smaller scale, Izmir, Turkey works to reduce pollution through strategic placement of carbon consuming vegetation. Known as the Mavisehir Peynircioglu Stream Ecological Corridor, a ribbon of vegetation spreads out along an urban area, lined with species well adapted to Mediterranean climate. Additionally, Izmir has added several small green spaces around the city that, similar to Seoul, reduce the “heat island” effect between densely packed buildings.

Another angle in making cities more sustainable comes from being smart about the food. Urban agriculture is on the rise, with over 800 million people worldwide supporting farming in urban areas. Rooftop gardens, vertical farming, growing food organically in water or with nutrient dense soil, are some of many ways to practice urban agriculture. Organic food practices go hand in hand with fostering green spaces in cities, considering the encouragement of healthy and organic diets will in turn help curb the devastating consequences of urban pollution. Reduction of food waste can be practiced by turning vacant urban spaces into areas of forestry and urban agriculture. As soon as more people see urban spaces as an opportunity to shape our sustainable future, we can begin to combat the climate crisis in cities––the places where people live the most.

References

Sharon Gosling. “Six Cities Making Room for Nature.” BBC Earth, Accessed November 16, 2022. https://www.bbcearth.com/news/six-cities-making-room-for-nature

United Nations. “Five Ways to Make Cities Healthier and More Sustainable.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, September 16, 2020. https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1260457/

University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems. “U.S. Cities Factsheet.” Accessed 

November 7, 2022. https://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/built-environment/us-cities-factsheet#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%2083,to%20live%20in%20urban%20areas