Analysis of the Ecological Efficiency Increase of Urban Green Areas in Densely Populated Cities

The aim of this research is to provide a GIS model by which to evaluate the ecological benefits of increasing green spaces in dense cities. The research method consists of three stages. First, we apply a GIS-based model to assess the ecological efficiency of the existing urban green areas; then we select several dismissed open spaces to be regenerated by increasing green space; finally, we measure the impacts of these operations on the urban environment based on the increase in ecologically effective green area/inhabitant. We test this approach on the urban districts of the northern area of the municipality of Napoli (Italy). This area is characterized by a high population density and several abandoned/discarded open spaces which can be improved by planting operations as urban green spaces. The result of the study provides the ratio between the costs of the planting works carried out on uncultivated areas and the benefit in terms of ecological efficiency measured in square meters of ecologically efficient green surfaces per inhabitant. Our method can represent a useful tool to support planners in evaluating the ecological benefits of transforming open spaces into green spaces.

Automated summary

The aim of this research is to provide a GIS model to evaluate the ecological benefits of increasing green spaces in dense cities. The research consists of three stages: assessing the ecological efficiency of existing urban green areas using a GIS-based model, regenerating dismissed open spaces by increasing green space, and measuring the impacts of these operations on the urban environment. The study tested this approach in the northern area of Napoli, Italy, which has high population density and abandoned open spaces for improvement. The result provides the cost-benefit ratio of planting works on uncultivated areas in terms of ecological efficiency.