A few years ago, a college professor developed the 3-30-300 rule. In it, he imagines a world in which everyone can see at least three trees from their window, lives in a neighborhood with at least 30% vegetation cover, and is no more than 300 meters from large urban green spaces. Quality. With two-thirds of the world’s population expected to live in urban areas by 2050, this rule aims not only to make cities greener through the many benefits that trees and green spaces bring, but also to ensure that all people living in cities benefits from this, which is crucial.
We know that trees and green spaces, also known as urban or peri-urban forests, help mitigate many of the disadvantages of living in urban areas. They dampen noise, filter pollutants from traffic and industry and thus protect against respiratory diseases. They offer space for exercise, relaxation and relief from stress. The evidence for the positive effects of exposure to forests and green spaces on mental health is already well documented.
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Urban forests also mitigate the effects of climate change. As global temperatures rise, urban forests not only absorb carbon, but can also help cool city air by up to eight degrees Celsius and reduce the impact of urban heat islands, which can be deadly during heatwaves. They can also provide protection against natural disasters such as floods and landslides.
The need to achieve equal access to urban green spaces has been enshrined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This includes the specific goal of providing universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible public green spaces, particularly for women, children, people with disabilities and older people by 2030. A new one published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). However, study shows that we are still a long way from urban populations benefiting equally from urban forests and green spaces.
A few years ago, a college professor developed the 3-30-300 rule. In it, he imagines a world in which everyone can see at least three trees from their window, lives in a neighborhood with at least 30% vegetation cover, and is no more than 300 meters from large urban green spaces. Quality
Urban Forests: A Global Perspective shows that, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, rapid urbanization without adequate planning often results in cities having few or poorly located trees and green spaces. Even in cities that recognize the importance of green spaces as part of their urban fabric, the distribution of these areas and their benefits is often based on the districts with the greatest economic power. So-called “green gentrification” may further limit access for residents who can no longer afford to live near green spaces in their city.
In many places, disadvantaged communities continue to be excluded from the planning, design and management of urban green spaces. And that has to change. That’s why participants at the second meeting of the Global Forum on Urban Forests in Washington this week issued the Washington Declaration, which lays out a plan for more equitable urban greening. This includes analyzing urban areas to identify imbalances in the distribution of green space and involving residents and community leaders at every stage of the planning process.
Although we are far from having a world full of urban utopias, some programs and initiatives suggest that there are various planning authorities that are thinking more inclusively when it comes to equal access to urban forests and the treasures they offer. goes.
So-called “green gentrification” may further restrict access for residents who can no longer afford to live near green spaces in their city.
Governments around the world are providing more funding for urban greening programs. For example, the city of Maringá in southern Brazil plants trees in the most disadvantaged parts of the city’s periphery to provide its citizens with better air quality and shade during hot and humid tropical summers. In China, the city government of Guangzhou aims to build 4,500 kilometers of greenways by 2035, ensuring that 90% of citizens live within 300 meters of the nearest park in their neighborhood and within 1,000 meters of the nearest city park. And in Sierra Leone, the “Freetown the TreeTown” campaign attracts residents in low-income areas of the capital to plant and care for trees. As an added incentive, participants receive credit for their cell phones through an app that monitors the seedlings’ progress.
Globally, there is increasing recognition of the importance of urban forests for human health and for mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change, as is the case with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Global Framework on Climate Change. Kunming-Montreal biodiversity, which calls for improving green and blue urban spaces for human well-being. However, for the world to achieve global goals, all urban populations, not just a privileged few, must have access to green spaces.
Zhimin Wu He is Director of the Forestry Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
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