Green Space Neighbourhood By Isaac Sserwanga

Green spaces are areas of land or vegetation within both urban and rural environments that are not developed with buildings and include features like grass, trees, plants, and water. These spaces range from small parks and community gardens to forests that harbour wildlife while offering an opportunity for recreation and other benefits. 

How far are you from or close to a green space? Is it accessible, safe, or welcoming? Urban areas are far from forests and without a luxury of space between builds to create green spaces for recreation or a counter for the urban heat island effect. This exposes them to impacts of climate change like high temperatures among others. 
The set-up of every city needs a balance between green spaces and other relevant infrastructure. These areas are core to our aspirations and inspiration for sustainable pathways. Like most innovations, nature ‘s inspiration is exhibited by biomimicry or just immersing oneself to its surroundings and create. One could opt to read, write, picnic, or do sports, these spaces have unlimited opportunities for one to appreciate the subtle things about nature in a concrete place like a city.

In some places in Berlin, creating non-motorised zone like Kiezblock is a matter of a petition and still the appreciation of these spaces sometimes is outweighed by sustained access for cars. In communities where children thrive, green spaces play an important role in their closeness to nature. One would argue, it is a beeline by train and of course it is a luxury to have easy access to the next forest in the outskirts. And still, one would ponder, why not metres away? 

It is been acknowledged by the 3-30-300 rule through research that people living in cities ought to see at least 3 trees from their home, workplace, or school; their neighbourhood with at least 30% tree canopy cover; and living within 300 meters of a high-quality Green space. This is to ensure equal access to nature’s services.
Appreciating these green spaces is not just pushed by the impacts of climate change like rising temperature that is exacerbated by the phenomenon of urban heat island effect. This continuous absorption and generation of heat by surfaces and human activities like transportation within the cities that have limited or no green spaces, compromises physical and mental health, making it hard to have a high quality of life and wellbeing.

The services of green spaces go beyond aesthetics and cultural aspects like beauty of the place, social gatherings, sports, sunbathing and more to regulating the micro-climate especially the cooling effect, improving the air quality, and supporting other services. Notably, the impact on energy use as more is needed for cooling than it would have been with 30% canopy cover in one’s neighbourhood.  These green spaces also harbour small animals, birds, and insects especially bees that play a vital role in pollination critical to our survival.

Arguably, walking or running in the park far from the forest is a close substitute. One might not hear the birds sing or stand at one point and cast their eyes over a beautiful view and still the trees in the park keep the breeze all the way. Nonetheless, being 300 metres away from the green space affords you social and psychological wellbeing. 

Inevitably, calls to establish more green spaces or sustain existing ones ought to have precedence as new building projects would for housing and other uses. The cities need houses as well as an environment that improves the quality of life and wellbeing of everyone that thrives in it. If an opportunity for a collective voice is needed in your neighbourhood, the least one can do is to heed the call or more to engage in these projects. Let’s make our cities liveable together.