It takes more than words and ambition: Here’s why your city isn’t a lush, green oasis yet – City Monitor
The idea of transforming cities from concrete jungles to urban forests is a popular one. But has your city actually turned into a lush oasis yet? No, neither has ours.
By Thami Croeser and Georgia Garrard and Sarah Bekessy 02 Aug 2021 (Last Updated 4 Aug 2021)
There have been some truly inspiring, exemplar projects in recent years. The transformation of a Seoul freeway to Cheonggyecheon parkland, exposing the historical river that once flowed there, is one celebrated example.
Projects like this are commendable, as urban nature has considerable benefits including, for instance, improving mental health and boosting urban biodiversity.
Our new research looked at what’s holding back greening in our cities. And we found the issue is often internal – cities just aren’t really set up to deliver their plans. Fortunately, this is a very fixable problem.
