Promoting ecosystem and human health in urban areas using Green Infrastructure: A literature review

Europe is a highly urbanised continent. The consequent loss and degradation of urban and peri-urban green space could adversely affect ecosystems as well as human health and well-being. The aim of this paper is to formulate a conceptual framework of associations between urban green space, and ecosys...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Landscape and urban planning 2007-06, Vol.81 (3), p.167-178
Main Authors: Tzoulas, Konstantinos, Korpela, Kalevi, Venn, Stephen, Yli-Pelkonen, Vesa, Kaźmierczak, Aleksandra, Niemela, Jari, James, Philip
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Ecosystem health
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Green Infrastructure
Human well-being
Public health
Urban ecosystem
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Summary:Europe is a highly urbanised continent. The consequent loss and degradation of urban and peri-urban green space could adversely affect ecosystems as well as human health and well-being. The aim of this paper is to formulate a conceptual framework of associations between urban green space, and ecosystem and human health. Through an interdisciplinary literature review the concepts of Green Infrastructure, ecosystem health, and human health and well-being are discussed. The possible contributions of urban and peri-urban green space systems, or Green Infrastructure, on both ecosystem and human health are critically reviewed. Finally, based on a synthesis of the literature a conceptual framework is presented. The proposed conceptual framework highlights many dynamic factors, and their complex interactions, affecting ecosystem health and human health in urban areas. This framework forms the context into which extant and new research can be placed. In this way it forms the basis for a new interdisciplinary research agenda.
ISSN:0169-2046
1872-6062
DOI:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.02.001