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Urban Nature: Does Green Infrastructure Relate to the Cultural and Creative Vitality of European Cities?

Author

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  • Vishal Kumar

    (The Bartlett, Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
    Cultureincities Ltd., 71–75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ, UK)

  • Aude Vuilliomenet

    (The Bartlett, Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic severely upended cultural and creative production, consumption, and interactions in cities. Open green spaces, parks, forests, and gardens—green infrastructure—were instead utilized by citizens as a substitute for stimulating social interactions, sustainable tourism, and green growth. (1) The purpose of this research is to understand whether the availability of green infrastructure relates to the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor (CCCM) benchmarking project developed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission performance. Does new evidence suggest revising the CCCM conceptual framework and related urban policies, especially in relation to the EU Green Deal? (2) Data from OpenStreetMap was used to count the amount of green infrastructure in 184 European Cities covered by the CCM and was then correlated with the sub-indices of the CCCM. (3) We found a moderately positive correlation of green infrastructure with the cultural vibrancy of a city and a weak positive correlation with the enabling environment of a city. (4) In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU Green Deal and several other policy initiatives aimed at urban greening, we recommend that the CCCM include an Urban Nature sub-index as one of the performance indicators of the CCCM. An Urban Nature sub-index will broaden the goal of the CCCM by providing policymakers with a better understanding of actions and strategies to allow culture to contribute to social inclusion and green growth strategies in cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Vishal Kumar & Aude Vuilliomenet, 2021. "Urban Nature: Does Green Infrastructure Relate to the Cultural and Creative Vitality of European Cities?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-12, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:14:p:8052-:d:597038
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    1. Krzysztof Herman & Łukasz Drozda, 2021. "Green Infrastructure in the Time of Social Distancing: Urban Policy and the Tactical Pandemic Urbanism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-21, February.
    2. Venter, Zander & Barton, David & gundersen, vegard & Figari, Helene & Nowell, Megan, 2020. "Urban nature in a time of crisis: recreational use of green space increases during the COVID-19 outbreak in Oslo, Norway," SocArXiv kbdum, Center for Open Science.
    3. Hunter, Ruth F. & Christian, Hayley & Veitch, Jenny & Astell-Burt, Thomas & Hipp, J.Aaron & Schipperijn, Jasper, 2015. "The impact of interventions to promote physical activity in urban green space: A systematic review and recommendations for future research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 246-256.
    4. de Vries, Sjerp & van Dillen, Sonja M.E. & Groenewegen, Peter P. & Spreeuwenberg, Peter, 2013. "Streetscape greenery and health: Stress, social cohesion and physical activity as mediators," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 26-33.
    5. Frumkin, H., 2003. "Healthy Places: Exploring the Evidence," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1451-1456.
    6. Brett H. Day, 2020. "The Value of Greenspace Under Pandemic Lockdown," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(4), pages 1161-1185, August.
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    1. Edit Kővári & Katalin Formádi & Zsuzsanna Banász, 2023. "The Green Attitude of Four European Capitals of Culture’s Youth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, May.
    2. Carmen Díaz-López & Alessandra Bonoli & María Martín-Morales & Montserrat Zamorano, 2021. "Analysis of the Scientific Evolution of the Circular Economy Applied to Construction and Demolition Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-22, August.
    3. Dandan Wu & Yang Wu & Xinxin Ni & Yuandan Sun & Renfeng Ma, 2022. "The Location and Built Environment of Cultural and Creative Industry in Hangzhou, China: A Spatial Entropy Weight Overlay Method Based on Multi-Source Data," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-22, September.
    4. Valentina Montalto & Pier Luigi Sacco & Michaela Saisana, 2022. "Cultural, Creative, and Sustainable Cities: Assessing Progress and Measurement Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-7, April.

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