Greening the City

Well-being and health

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More and more scientific studies are showing that biodiversity improves moral and physical well-being. For instance, two epidemiological studies carried out in the Netherlands show that the residents of neighborhoods with abundant green spaces state that they have fewer health problems. And in Japan, two other studies also show that people who make use of urban green spaces live longer.
The current success of urban gardens backs up these scientific findings. The success of community gardens in Canada and the US has led to a profusion of initiatives in France, where novel kinds of community garden have developed since the beginning of the 1990s. Mainly targeting the inhabitants of dense urban neighborhoods, community gardens foster social bonds, neighborhood solidarity and conviviality. Social integration gardens, on the other hand, are often located in outlying districts. They promote the integration of people in situations of social exclusion, or those who are in social or professional difficulty.
The restoration and regeneration of urban rivers also have extremely positive effects on city-dwellers. The Cheonggyecheon river in Seoul is a fine example of this. The river, which had been completely buried beneath highway infrastructure, was entirely rehabilitated over a distance of more than 5 kilometers shortly after 2000. In addition to providing enjoyment for the 50,000 people who walk along the newly planted riverbanks every day, the project has noticeably reduced the local urban heat island effect, air pollution and ambient noise levels.
However, this new enthusiasm for Nature shouldn't let us forget that a number of species present in the urban environment can be harmful to human health. For example, this is the case not only for pigeons but also for mice and rats, which can transmit diseases to humans. At the same time some plants can cause allergic reactions, especially in cities, where air pollution makes the body more vulnerable.
In conclusion, biodiversity can render many services to city-dwellers, and its protection is a crucial challenge for our urban societies. However, it is necessary to develop it in a rational and efficient way. What is the best way of reconciling Nature, human activity and urban density? How can towns be designed so as to avoid disturbing the animals and plants who live there? Which species should be introduced or encouraged? How can they be enabled to move around? These are all questions being tackled today by scientists working in multidisciplinary groups. Green and blue grids, ecological corridors, eco-friendly neighborhoods, vegetated buildings, farm parks, regenerated watercourses, gardens, vertical farms: there's no shortage of ideas being explored. In the end, there is probably no such thing as the ideal town, but rather a profusion of solutions to be tried out and adapted to the context of each individual city.