Lizzy Lowe, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and Margaret Stanley, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
It is possible to use small spaces such as transport corridors, verges and the edges of sporting grounds for native wildlife habitat restoration, helping to bring biodiversity back into cities.
Upper Coomera is one of those fast-growing fringe suburbs that are hotter because of tightly packed housing with less greenery.
Daryl Jones/www.ozaerial.com.au/
Recently published research has found that the concentration of poorer people in hotter places is a real problem for cities’ capacity to cope with climate change.
Greening Manhattan: bringing nature into the city is one thing, making it part of our culture and everyday lives is another.
Alyson Hurt/flickr
The rise of urban greening is an opportunity to recast the relationship between people and environment. Humans and non-human species are ecologically intertwined as inhabitants of cities.
A public space the public isn’t allowed to enjoy.
Flickr/Fabio Venni
Not only do healthy, well-maintained trees provide shade and benefit the ecosystem, they can have a meaningful social impact: people in newly greened neighbourhoods start to look out for each other.
Men and women living in areas of highest socioeconomic disadvantage have a 29% higher risk of being obese.
AAP/Dave Hunt
The government’s focus on treating chronic disease neglects the importance of obesity and the benefits of preventive health measures tailored to gender and socioeconomic circumstances.
People enjoy the green space of parks, but often their activities are of a fairly passive nature.
AAP/Bimal Sharma
Parks are found in most neighbourhoods, generally free to use and are enjoyed by diverse groups. Although most visitors don’t use parks for physical activity, modest improvements can change that.
A park, in this case Hyde Park in Sydney, is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to engage with nature in the city.
Lucy Taylor
Nature is dispersed through our cities, even if we don’t notice it. And there’s abundant evidence that engaging with nature, even in urban settings, is good for us.
The hidden costs of affordable housing in the outer suburbs include poorer access to services and long hours of commuting.
AAP/David Crosling
Australian cities should be made to work for all inhabitants. This involves evenly spreading the disadvantages of industrial and commercial activities as well as the advantages of good access to services.
It looks great – but what about the wildlife?
Tree image from www.shutterstock.com.
Cities are aiming to increase their tree cover. But there will need to be more than trees to encourage wildlife to return.
Green space and infrastructure are consistently high on the public’s list of priorities, but urban planning has struggled to incorporate their value.
Wang Song/from www.shutterstock.com
When communities are surveyed, green infrastructure is usually high on their list of urban planning priorities. But until now planners have lacked tools to quantify the long-term benefits.
Good reasons to get outdoors.
Playing outdoors via Matt Jeppson/www.shutterstock.com
While city planners have been encouraged to plant trees and gardens to green the city for the health of its inhabitants, recent research has found that the same trees can damage certain buildings. Our…
Green and gone: Perth’s Burswood Park Golf Course is about to make way for a football and casino complex.
Moondyne/Wikimedia Commons
Australia’s major cities routinely rank among the world’s most liveable. But for all our clean streets, good healthcare and educational opportunities, one of the things we have to contend with is our sweltering…
A new study sheds light on why natural spaces in cities can help keep us healthy. Researchers found that people living in neighbourhoods with a large amount of green space, such as parks or playing fields…
Densely populated areas and busy traffic increase risk.
PA/Andy Butterton
Breathing in air pollution at a lower rate that prescribed EU limits for prolonged periods of time increases your risk of lung cancer, according to a new study published in the Lancet Oncology. The study…
Want to be happy? It’s all about the green.
epSos.de/Flickr
Spending time with nature in our cities’ parks and gardens can improve individual satisfaction in life and make us less aggressive, anxious and stressed. So isn’t it time we placed access to nature alongside…