Urban Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Development: A Review

Abstract

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) can alleviate many of the problems that the growing urban population is facing. This study performed a literature review about UGI and sustainable development (SD) using the Web of Science (WoS) and the software VOSviewer. Of 195 papers selected, 89 are qualitative, focusing on theoretical approaches and design; equally, 89 are quantitative, dealing with metrics and spatial analysis and 17 combined both approaches. A high connectivity between “green infrastructure”, “ecosystem services”, “urban planning” and “sustainable development” was observed. Only 39 of the documents embrace environmental, social and economic aspects. Most of the papers are related to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, “to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” and SDG 15, “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems”. Further research integrating the three pillars of sustainability and relating UGI to all the SDGs is recommended.

Addressing Local Water Security through Green Infrastructure Implementation: A Review of Urban Plans in Monterrey, Mexico, and Brussels, Belgium

“…As expressed, comparing the overall results shows that the related urban policy documents for BCR contained a much wider range of proposals for WS improvements using GI solutions (Figure 13; 83.76% of total proposals). This confirms the usual contrast between the Global North and South countries in the urban GI field [91], which is revealed both in research and practical applications. Previous investigations on GI indicate that, despite occupying a significant portion of the academic literature, it is predominantly associated with applications in developed countries [92].…”

“…The analysis revealed many interesting outcomes regarding the usage of GI solutions in plans and cities. Comparing the overall distribution of results shows that the related urban policy documents in BCR contained a much wider range of proposals for WS improvements using GI solutions, confirming the usual contrast between the Global North and South countries in the urban GI field [91]. The WMP, which was the most comprehensive plan with more than 800 pages, included the most GI solutions to address WS.…”

“…According to many recent GI-related literature reviews, Belgium is not placed in the top countries investigating the topic (e.g., [76,91,95]). As the present analysis was completed on BCR, the capital region of Belgium, it shows that there is a lot to do regarding GI planning and strategies in the country.…”

Namares—A Surface Inventory and Intervention Assessment Model for Urban Resource Management

“…Accordingly, comparability and uncertainty in measure evaluation are recurrent issues. Hanna and Comín [50] investigated the relation of the assessments to the Sustainable Development Goals and determined that most studies focus on goals 11, 13, 15, and 16. However, they observed that most studies focus only on particular aspects of these goals.…”

Impact of green space on residents' wellbeing: A case study of the Grand Canal (Hangzhou section)

“…. Green development "Green development" generally refers to a sustainable approach to urban planning and development that aims to minimize environmental impact and promote ecological sustainability (14). The 1960s and 1970s saw a significant increase in awareness and concern about environmental issues, particularly with the publication of Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" in 1962 (15).…”