Green urbanization is the development of urban areas like cities with a greater emphasis on sustainability and environmental conservation. This approach also known as urban re-wilding has a profound impact on the life of citizens within the cities as they can experience a greater quality of life due to a majority of factors.
Air quality is something that effects all of our lives, this past summer, fires in Canada lead to extremely hazardous conditions where I am from, leading to even schools closing. Green urbanization offers the inclusion of plants and trees to the concrete jungles we are so “fond” of, leading to an immense increase of air quality leading to greater health of the inhabitants.
Biodiversity is a growing area of study in the world today and refers to the variety of species and fauna found in an area. Prior to the urbanization of these areas, they were normal forests, heck, New York City and Manhattan Island were a swamp and wetland before the Dutch arrived. As the human virus spread across these virgin lands the animals retreated farther into the frontier leaving behind their homelands. Re-wilding of these areas can lead to species and fauna returning helping to increase population numbers and curve extinction efforts.
The heat, something we love and dread at the same time, the world is getting hotter, that’s no question. Cities like New York have been experiencing the hottest temperatures in years and the large black tarmacs and giant buildings attracting ultraviolet radiation are no help. The addition of trees and other plants into these urban settings can act as a barrier attracting and taking in sunlight to help mitigate the heat induction of the buildings and ground.
Green spaces are a phenomenon appearing in cities around the world in cities that are sections full of plants and animals acting as a little oasis within the complexity of the skyscrapers. It is not secret nature has an immense calming effect; these areas allow people to unwind and escape society within the bounds of their life. A great example of a green space is Central Park in New York City, a giant protected stretch that allows for people to feel as though they are in their own little forest.
Nowadays all people care about is property values, no one wants to buy a house that they know will depreciate in value as the neighborhood around it crumples. Green amenities make a place more desirable for families to move into as well as making neighborhoods seem a lot safer as a whole.
Now, as college students at Penn State, we are pretty blessed when it comes to green infrastructure, walking around campus there are trees and plants everywhere, it would be a challenge to go so far without seeing a squirrel. Other students are not so lucky, for an example, my girlfriend is a student at Ohio State (the worst school ever), she has to deal with higher temperatures, worse air quality, worse looking streets, and more dangerous people all due to the fact that Columbus is an extremely environmentally challenged city. To mask this, she can try and find the few parks that exist in the city, but it truly is a challenge.
As a whole, green urbanization and re-wilding is a growing field that will definitely become more apparent in the near future.
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