Perić, A.; Jiang, Y.; Menz, S.; Ricci, L. Green Cities: Utopia or Reality? Evidence from Zurich, Switzerland. Sustainability2023, 15, 12079.
Perić, A.; Jiang, Y.; Menz, S.; Ricci, L. Green Cities: Utopia or Reality? Evidence from Zurich, Switzerland. Sustainability 2023, 15, 12079.
Perić, A.; Jiang, Y.; Menz, S.; Ricci, L. Green Cities: Utopia or Reality? Evidence from Zurich, Switzerland. Sustainability2023, 15, 12079.
Perić, A.; Jiang, Y.; Menz, S.; Ricci, L. Green Cities: Utopia or Reality? Evidence from Zurich, Switzerland. Sustainability 2023, 15, 12079.
Abstract
There is an overall scientific consensus that public space and, mainly, space with a high ecological index – most notably experienced in green areas – positively affects individual and collective well-being and urban dwellers’ physical and mental health. However, the ‘reality check’ indicates difficulties in translating the assumed benefits of green space into implementable interventions in urban environments. To examine such an ‘implementation gap’ on the case of Zurich seems valid, given that the ‘green urban agenda’ debate has been embedded in numerous Swiss policies (from the federal to the municipal levels). In narrow terms, the research first focuses on Zurich’s district 9 consisting of two neighborhoods (Altstetten and Albisrieden) – the area under ongoing densification yet with a variety of green spaces, to then elucidate four green space clusters and their 400-meter catchment areas in the mentioned district. The mixed-method approach has been applied at three analytical levels: 1) documentary analysis of multi-scale national policy toolkits, to identify the critical tenets associated with the ‘green urban agenda’, 2) assessment of green spaces in Zurich’s district 9 based on online available quantitative data and on-site observation, to determine their provision, types, size and mutual connectivity, and 3) analysis of four green space clusters within the mentioned district through on-site observation, to identify green space attributes and main activities. Through critical mutual examination of the identified ‘green urban agenda’ principles in the national policies, on the one hand, and green space attributes, on the other, the research findings reveal the extent of the convergence and/or divergence between the ‘green urban agenda’ policy trends and their implementation in practice.
Keywords
green space; green urban agenda; green space attributes; mixed-method approach; Zurich
Subject
Social Sciences, Urban Studies and Planning
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
