Green Infrastructure, Urbanization, and Ecosystem Services: The Main Challenges for Russia’s Largest Cities

Oxana Klimanova, Olga Illarionova, Karsten Grunewald and Elena Bukvareva
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Oxana Klimanova: Department of World Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Olga Illarionova: Department of World Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Karsten Grunewald: Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (Dresden), 01217 Dresden, Germany
Elena Bukvareva: Biodiversity Conservation Center, 117312 Moscow, Russia

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-21

Abstract: Globally, the process of urbanization is transforming land use and, as a consequence, reducing the efficiency of ecosystem services (ESs), which ensure a healthy and comfortable urban environment. In cities, green infrastructure (GI) is a key source of urban ESs. Russia is a highly urbanized country: 70% of its population live in towns or cities. As cities continue to expand, they are swallowing unsealed lands that support ESs. In this paper, we present the results of an analysis of the current state and recent changes in urban GI in Russia’s 16 largest cities, including a biophysical evaluation of key urban ESs, using remote sensing data and freely available statistics. Our analysis identifies a weak correlation between GI area, ES volume, and favorable climate conditions as well as a stronger correlation between ESs and the increasing rate of urbanization. Considering Russia’s high level of urbanization, the key importance of ESs for the well-being of citizens, and ongoing reductions of urban GI, major revisions to urban planning policy are required. Indicators of urban biodiversity, GI, and ESs should be incorporated into decision-making processes. In particular, it is vital that the accounting and monitoring of GI and ESs are established in all of Russia’s larger cities.

Keywords: air pollution removal; ecosystem assessment; food security; heat mitigation; urban green areas; urban recreation; urban ecosystem services (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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