Sustainable plants in urban parks: A life cycle analysis of traditional and alternative lawns in Georgia, USA

Intensive urban development is increasing the demand for green areas within cities. Urban brownfields could become a source for green redevelopment areas. Sustainable redevelopment requires precise information on the environmental impact of the installation of different vegetation types. We performed a Life Cycle Analysis (SimaPro 7 software) of six lawn installation and maintenance scenarios relevant to the conditions of Georgia, USA and confirmed that a traditional turf sod lawn has the highest environmental impact levels. Xeriscaped lawn composed of bark mulch has high impact levels owing to the substantial transportation needs at the installation stage. Hydroseeded lawns (composed of natural materials) are a sustainable alternative for traditional turf sod lawns, especially when native plants are included (11-14 times lower impact level). Professional selection and use of native plants could provide environmental, social, and ecological options for urban brownfield redevelopment into green areas. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.