Multiple Roles of Green Space in the Resilience, Sustainability and Equity of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Cities

Paul Blaschke, Maibritt Pedersen Zari (), Ralph Chapman, Edward Randal, Meredith Perry, Philippa Howden-Chapman and Elaine Gyde
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Paul Blaschke: School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
Maibritt Pedersen Zari: School of Future Environments, Te Wānanga Aronui O Tāmaki Makau Rau Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Ralph Chapman: School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
Edward Randal: Department of Public Health, University of Otago Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
Meredith Perry: Department of Public Health, University of Otago Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
Philippa Howden-Chapman: Department of Public Health, University of Otago Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
Elaine Gyde: School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-25

Abstract: Green space is needed in urban areas to increase resilience to climate change and other shocks, as well as for human health and wellbeing. Urban green space (UGS) is increasingly considered as green infrastructure and highly complementary to engineered urban infrastructure, such as water and transport networks. The needs for resilient, sustainable and equitable future wellbeing require strategic planning, designing and upgrading of UGS, especially in areas where it has been underprovided. We explore the implications of these needs for urban development through a detailed review of cited UGS analyses conducted on the larger cities in Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ). There are important differences in UGS availability (i.e., quantity), accessibility and quality within and between cities. Some of these differences stem from ad hoc patterns of development, as well as topography. They contribute to apparently growing inequities in the availability and accessibility of UGS. Broader health and wellbeing considerations, encompassing Indigenous and community values, should be at the heart of UGS design and decisionmaking. Most of AoNZ’s cities aim (at least to some extent) at densification and decarbonisation to accommodate a growing population without costly sprawl; however, to date, sprawl continues. Our findings indicate a clear need for the design and provision of high-quality, well-integrated UGS within and servicing areas of denser housing, which are typically areas in cities with a demonstrable UGS deficiency.

Keywords: urban green space; equity; resilience; accessibility; climate change adaptation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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