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Social Aspects of Housing in relation to Greenspace
Planning
copyright 2001, Anne R.
Beer
Openspace and
Greenspace
What
constitutes local open space in the public's mind
?
Harrison,
Burgess and Limb (1988)
carried out research for the Economic and Social Research
Council and the Countryside Commission into people's
attitudes and values of green space in cities. They held
in-depth group discussions with selected inhabitants living
near parks in the London Borough of Greenwich and
interviewed over 200 people living in the same areas. The
research project aimed to explore the social and cultural
dimensions of popular values concerning open space - how
people 'read' the urban green; how they interpret it
(Harrison and Burgess, 1988).
Their study is
particularly interesting since it became clear that the
public perception of open space in a city was different from
that of most trained planners. In the discussions people
defined open space not just as parks and gardens, that is
spaces specifically set aside for public enjoyment, but as
urban green areas in general. 'Walks along the riverside,
round the houses and on the way to school; waste places seen
from the top of a bus or used by children, streams and
scrubby bits; farmland, woodland, golf courses, cemeteries
and squares in shopping centres were all encompassed..." in
the phrase open space (Harrison
and Burgess, 1988).
"Greenspaces" are
part of the totality of the city
Urban green was shown to
be part of the lives of all the participants in the group
discussions which formed the basis of this research,
regardless of social class, income, racial origin or place
of residence.
The research showed that
people were aware of being in contact with urban green on a
daily basis. They were aware of the enormous sensual
pleasure they experienced from contact with nature - seeing
sunsets, experiencing seasonal changes, the smell of leaves
and flowers, walking on springy turf, watching insects,
birds and animals involves us all with nature. Such
experiences provide everybody with contrasts with the
sterile built environment which comprises too much of our
cities.
The role of 'green'
in local character
One of the most
important aspects of site planning has become the
preservation of plants and natural habitats. In some cases
this involves the designer in creating "naturalistic"
spaces, even where none previously existed.
People want green areas
on their doorsteps, not tucked away in parks, not
inaccessible in the distant countryside. Local and available
open space is crucial to many people's sense of enjoyment of
city life.
There is evidence of the
psychological importance of 'green'. This includes medical
observations which show that: people in hospital looking
towards trees and plants can make a speedier recovery than
those looking at walls; people who have been stressed and
ill have recovered faster and stayed healthier for longer
when they are in contact with pet animals.
City dwellers tend to
have a negative image of many parts of the city which can
cause dissatisfaction with the quality of life. Therefore,
any characteristics such as 'greenery' which are viewed
positively need to be multiplied, if city livability is to
be perceived to improve.
Parks and gardens have
been valued for centuries for giving people who live away
from the countryside contact with nature. This argument,
backed up by the planning philosophy that it was good for
the health of the urban population to have access to open
spaces, was used to justify the spread of urban parks in the
nineteenth and early twentieth century.
The possibility of going
into green spaces is considered to ease the burden of urban
life for city dwellers and to give added opportunities for
social interaction. To make cities more livable, people want
easy access to spaces where they can have contact with
nature and which also delight their senses. Taken together,
the research by Burgess,
Limb and Harrison
and by Mostyn
and Millward, which
is discussed in this unit, produced a basic list of the
characteristics which people want from outdoor areas in
cities.
Ideal
characteristics of local open spaces - the outdoors in
cities
- Places where contact
with animals and birds and the more attractive insects
like butterflies is possible.
- Places with visual
variety.
- Places which are
full of plants and give an experience of
greenness.
- Places where
children can learn about nature and social life through
contact with animals.
- Places to loiter in
and watch the world go by.
- Places which are
conducive to harmonious social interaction, where it is
possible to meet people casually, people one would not
otherwise come across.
- Places to chat while
children play.
- Places for family
outings.
- People do not want
city greenspaces as substitutes for the countryside, they
want them to be different - to be a contrast with the
built environment and to give them a sense of "contact
with things natural".
City
dwellers want doorstep greenspaces
City dwellers want:
- small spaces
available near the home, not big empty "public open
spaces" which all too frequently are seen as a series of
no-go areas
- spaces to give a
variety of visual experience locally, with colour on the
doorstep; spaces full of interest
- spaces which do not
appear neglected.
Note: The availability
of open spaces in city parks is no substitute for doorstep
spaces and local "just round the corner" communal spaces.
City parks fulfil a different function. Local open spaces
need to be within 6 minutes' walk of every house if they are
to be perceived as accessible.
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