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Green Areas: Construction for Urban Health

Green Areas: Construction for Urban Health

During the pandemic, green areas have proven to play important roles within urban health. They do not only provide an important amount of oxygen to the urban environment, but they have also become an importante source of recreation that contributes to the population’s physical and mental wellbeing. The problem with the popularization of these green areas is the misconception that there is a universal design that applies to all of them. There are crucial decisions that must be taken according to the specificities related to geography, topography, culture and climatic conditions. This means that not every green area is undoubtedly beneficial for every city. Taking this in consideration, here are three aspects that should be acknowledged in every green project that involves construction for urban health:

WATER CONSUMPTION

The preservation of green areas requires an important amount of water consumption. The project must consider this from the beginning, without forgetting to factor in the zone’s profile, the type of buildings that surround it, its infrastructure and the inconveniences that the park or green area could carry for the community. The initial purpose of these projects is always to bring a greater good to the community, so it’s the constructors’, architects’ and engineers’ responsibility to make sure this is executed in the best and most sustainable way.

SPECIES SELECTION

Though this aspect mainly involves designers, constructors also carry an important weight for these decisions. When a park is designed, we must choose the plant species that will inhabit the space. Beyond just thinking in pure aesthetic ways, the whole team must consider endemic species, their connection with the environment, the compatibility among them and the care that they require. This will have an enormous impact on the preservation and maintenance of the park, as well as on the infrastructure that is needed to achieve this.

URBAN INTEGRATION

Finally, it’s important to analyze the project’s surroundings: its community’s specificities, the traditions, desires and activities that are developed there. Demographic data is also important for this decision, as a park mainly focused on kids will not need the same infrastructure as one focused on pets or elders. This study will provide great clarity for the project’s development, from the planning and budgeting stages to the actual construction and life of the park.

Have you participated in a project like these ones before? We would love to know more about your experience and insights on this issue! 


Urban green spaces can’t beat climate change on their own, Popular Science
5 reasons for creating urban green spaces, Urban Espora
The role of green space for sustainable landscape development in urban areas, International Study For Horticultural Science

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