Cities harbour a set of very important dynamics for those who live there, generally allowing for quick access to several services, employment, culture, etc.

But given that these are highly populated areas, highly impermeabilized by motorways, for instance, they are the places where we miss green spaces the most. Be it for leisure or for mental health or health reasons.

Spending more time at home has made it clear that we need more and better green areas. But why do these spaces matter so much in cities?

Green spaces allow for bioclimatic comfort, especially due to the presence of vegetation, which has a crucial role in controlling the air’s temperature, reducing its range. Vegetation also allows for the absorption of dust and, during the day, the CO2 intake, producing oxygen, which is, as we know, essential to improve air quality.

The presence of vegetation, as well as the permeability and availability of soil in these areas, allows green spaces to contribute to hydric and atmospheric draining, making them important for biodiversity.

Green areas also offer cities a chance to have living materials, filled with colour, texture, motion and even perfume, which contrast with the commonly inert city materials.

By having employment and services nearby, it becomes crucial to have recreational spaces for population’s well-being and balance, and this is where green areas are also vital. They make it possible to come in contact with natural phenomena and contribute to the psychophysiological balance of citizens.

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Having several levels of green spaces is important, from wide public parks, to tree lined avenues, and also private yards. The latter are of great importance in the historical nuclei of the city where the urban network is denser and therefore spaces with these valences are rarer and fundamental for the continuity of natural systems.

It is considered that each human being needs an average amount of oxygen equal to that which can be supplied by a leaf surface of 150 m2. Based on this surface, the global value considered desirable for the urban green structure is 40 m2 / inhabitant.

What are the green spaces in your city like?

Amália Souto de Miranda

Landscape Architect – Loci studio