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The Socioeconomic Welfare of Urban Green Areas and Parks; A Literature Review of Available Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Antonios Kolimenakis

    (Hellenic Agricultural Organization “ELGO-DIMITRA”, Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia, 11528 Athens, Greece)

  • Alexandra D. Solomou

    (Hellenic Agricultural Organization “ELGO-DIMITRA”, Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia, 11528 Athens, Greece)

  • Nikolaos Proutsos

    (Hellenic Agricultural Organization “ELGO-DIMITRA”, Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia, 11528 Athens, Greece)

  • Evangelia V. Avramidou

    (Hellenic Agricultural Organization “ELGO-DIMITRA”, Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia, 11528 Athens, Greece)

  • Evangelia Korakaki

    (Hellenic Agricultural Organization “ELGO-DIMITRA”, Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia, 11528 Athens, Greece)

  • Georgios Karetsos

    (Hellenic Agricultural Organization “ELGO-DIMITRA”, Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia, 11528 Athens, Greece)

  • Georgios Maroulis

    (Hellenic Agricultural Organization “ELGO-DIMITRA”, Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia, 11528 Athens, Greece)

  • Eleftherios Papagiannis

    (Hellenic Agricultural Organization “ELGO-DIMITRA”, Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia, 11528 Athens, Greece)

  • Konstantinia Tsagkari

    (Hellenic Agricultural Organization “ELGO-DIMITRA”, Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia, 11528 Athens, Greece)

Abstract

Urban green areas present a lucid example for the harmonious co-existence of the artificial and natural environments best illustrated by their interdependence and interconnection in urban spaces. Urban green areas are essential for the health and wellbeing of citizens. The present study aimed to investigate those multiple benefits for citizens that arise through the existence of urban green areas, as well as important policy dimensions that should be considered when designing the expansion of urban green spaces in urban development. The study was based on a literature review to examine for available evidence on the benefit levels derived by the existence of urban green areas. An extended literature review was followed by a structured review, based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, which partly followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was conducted in two databases, and a total of 1674 articles and abstracts were identified through the database searches. After removing 114 duplicates, 1560 records were initially screened based on title and abstract. Following inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 articles were incorporated in the structured review and a total of 47 in the extended review. The extended literature review identified 33 additional articles examining aspects of benefits that did not fall under the pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria used in the structured review, such as health benefits and other social parameters associated with urban green spaces. The selected studies were allocated in five principal groups according to study types: three of the them consisted of studies employing “willingness to pay” (WTP) methods, five were based on property values , two studies assigned monetary values , while another two assigned CO 2 values , and, finally, two studies were based on qualitative criteria . The results indicated benefits to citizens and increased welfare levels gained by the existence of urban green areas. The conducted review revealed a number of findings and recommendations that could direct future research and urban policy. Those hints could assist local authorities as well as stakeholders in order to measure and assess the benefits of green spaces and urban parks and promote measures and programs to assist their further deployment.

Suggested Citation

  • Antonios Kolimenakis & Alexandra D. Solomou & Nikolaos Proutsos & Evangelia V. Avramidou & Evangelia Korakaki & Georgios Karetsos & Georgios Maroulis & Eleftherios Papagiannis & Konstantinia Tsagkari, 2021. "The Socioeconomic Welfare of Urban Green Areas and Parks; A Literature Review of Available Evidence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-26, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:14:p:7863-:d:594082
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. van den Berg, Agnes E. & Maas, Jolanda & Verheij, Robert A. & Groenewegen, Peter P., 2010. "Green space as a buffer between stressful life events and health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(8), pages 1203-1210, April.
    2. Kumelachew Yeshitela, 2020. "Attitude and Perception of Residents towards the Benefits, Challenges and Quality of Neighborhood Parks in a Sub-Saharan Africa City," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-17, November.
    3. David Moher & Alessandro Liberati & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Douglas G Altman & The PRISMA Group, 2009. "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-6, July.
    4. Jisoo Sim, 2020. "Seeing Impacts of Park Design Strategies on Local Economy through Big Data: A Case Study of Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Seoul," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-13, August.
    5. Cohen, D.A. & McKenzie, T.L. & Sehgal, A. & Williamson, S. & Golinelli, D. & Lurie, N., 2007. "Contribution of public parks to physical activity," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(3), pages 509-514.
    6. Liu, Wen & Chen, Weiping & Peng, Chi, 2014. "Assessing the effectiveness of green infrastructures on urban flooding reduction: A community scale study," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 291(C), pages 6-14.
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    1. Zakharov, Konstantin & Mizgajski, Andrzej, 2024. "Socioeconomic and political settings for the land development decreasing urban green. Inside view from Moscow," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    2. Lamthai Asanok & Torlarp Kamyo & Monthon Norsaengsri & Teeka Yotapakdee & Suwit Navakam, 2021. "Assessment of the Diversity of Large Tree Species in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas along the Chao Phraya River Rim, Central Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2022. "Seasonal Differences in Physiological Responses to Walking in Urban Parks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-9, September.
    4. Van Oijstaeijen, Wito & Van Passel, Steven & Back, Phil & Cools, Jan, 2022. "The politics of green infrastructure: A discrete choice experiment with Flemish local decision-makers," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    5. Aleksey Osipov & Ekaterina Pleshakova & Sergey Gataullin & Sergey Korchagin & Mikhail Ivanov & Anton Finogeev & Vibhash Yadav, 2022. "Deep Learning Method for Recognition and Classification of Images from Video Recorders in Difficult Weather Conditions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, February.
    6. Antonios Kolimenakis & Alexandra D. Solomou & Nikolaos Proutsos & Evangelia V. Avramidou & Evangelia Korakaki & Georgios Karetsos & Aimilia B. Kontogianni & Konstantinos Kontos & Christos Georgiadis &, 2022. "Public Perceptions of the Socioeconomic Importance of Urban Green Areas in the Era of COVID-19: A Case Study of a Nationwide Survey in Greece," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Nikolaos D. Proutsos & Alexandra D. Solomou & Michaela Petropoulou & Nikolaos E. Chatzipavlis, 2022. "Micrometeorological and Hydraulic Properties of an Urban Green Space on a Warm Summer Day in a Mediterranean City (Attica–Greece)," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-16, November.

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