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Innovation in Green Spaces Around the World
Published 21st October 2009 - 1 comments
This year, CitiesAlive! invited the men and women behind some of the most encouraging and influential green space projects.
Here are some of the best:
SANTIAGO, Chile
In perhaps the most inventive idea presented today, Ignacio Espoz Babul of Latin Green redefined what it means to be underground.
"Subways essentially look, smell and sound the same in all cities," he said.
"And though they're usually hailed as being the environmentally friendly alternative to cars and buses, there is a lot of room for improvement."
Babul quoted studies from Stockholm, New York and Cairo revealing the health risks of travelling underground:
- Subways have very poor air quality; the iron from the wheel-rail system and from quartz silica in train brakes creates a toxic dust.
- Regular exposure to the noise level of subway stations can cause hearing loss as the sound can easily reach above 200 decibels.
"Plants are a natural way of removing toxic agents in the air," says Babul.
"And plants absorb, diffract and reflect sound. They are more efficient at absorbing high sound frequencies than low."
Babul says subway stations provide ideal conditions for plant growth:
The temperature is between 18-28 degrees, humidity ranges from 1 to 30, lots ofCO2, wind from trains is nice for the roots, and there aren't any insects.
"Plants purify the air, absorb the noise and provide water. They are an ideal and easy to maintain solution."
SEOUL, Korea 
Rapid industrialization and urbanization has drastically impacted Seoul's ecology, began Seoul Women's University Professor Eun-Heui Lee.
Once a sparsely populated urban centre, over half of Seoul's urban area is now completely paved.
This drastic change in the city's urban landscape has significantly altered its hydro cycle.
In 1962, 50 per cent of Seoul's groundwater evaporated into the atmosphere while only nine per cent was lost in runoff.
In 2008, only 30 per cent of groundwater water evaporated while 47 per cent was lost.
Seoul is now feeling the impact of climate change directly. The mean temperature in the city has risen by 0.8 degrees in the last 10 years, and in 2008 Seoul experienced 20 tropical nights, once a rarity in the city.
In an attempt to regain some of its lost green space and rectify some of the damage caused to its hydro cycle, the Seoul Metro Government has implemented massive urban development policy changes.
In an attempt to regain some of its lost green space and rectify some of the damage caused to its hydro cycle, the Seoul Metro Government has implemented massive urban development policy changes.
The changes centre on green roofing strategies.
In 2008, 206 sites of 59,221 metres squared were proposed and established and in 2009, the government is planning to provide a budget of over 9.2 bullion won to support green roof projects.
One of it's biggest new plans is the Dongdaemum design plaza and park (seen above). The design plan includes areas of 37 thousand green areas.
In perhaps the government's largest statement of its priorities, two of the cities most prominent institutions, the Constitutional Courthouse and Dongguk University, now boast over 15,000 metres square of green roofing.
CHICAGO, Illinois
Chicago's Lakefront Millennium park is the largest green roof in the world. Jeff L. Bruce, an architect who worked on the development of The Millennium Park explained how it's a spectacular example of how cities can use green structures to do more than just clean up the air and water.
The massive 24.5 acre site in downtown Chicago sits atop a parking lot that runs its entire length - a much nicer alternative than the multi-story parking garages that often line a cityscape.
But, Millennium Park is a whole lot more than just a parking lot topper.
It's a major recreation centre in a city of 8 million, and it gets a lot of use. Between 3 and 4 million visitors come each year to use the park - and of those, it's estimated that half are unique visitors who come to Chicago to see the park alone.
The Great Lawn is the most recognizable park feature and the site of Obama's victory party this year. It's 95,000 square feet of innovative sand laced turf ground cover, which ensures the park can handle the tens of thousands of people the lawn can hold.
Anish Kapoor's Cloudgate, Frank Ghery's bridge to Grant Park (seen above), the Chase Promenade, Crown fountain, hundreds of other sculptures, skating rink, city grill (which is also the largest outdoor seating area in Chicago during the summer) and of course, the Great Lawn have made it more than just a park.
The $475 million dollar investment has turned the part into the artistic and cultural centre of the Chicago.
And it's paid off. The city of Chicago is making its money back.
Two years after the park opened, Forbes Magazine named its zip code, 6062 as the hottest real estate development. And the price tag on renting The Grand Lawn is over $200,00USD.
Cities Alive! featured all these projects and more - for other interesting green-roof concepts, check out the Miami Science Museum - a museum built to bring water conservation to its visitors' eyes and ears, France's ADIVET - a green roofing organisation that works to lobby for more green spaces in France, and the Sheffield green roof programme to find out how you can start to see more green on the top of your city!
Comments
Thnaks for your report…I will work for more green infraestructure…(Bioclimatic Subway)