Ecological infrastructure and its role in sustainable urban development: analysis and perspectives
Abstract
Purpose. To systematize and analyze contemporary scientific research and publications on the topic of ecological infrastructure in the context of sustainable urban development. The main goal is to define the concept of "Ecological Infrastructure" and its interrelation with the concept of sustainable development, as well as to identify key sustainable development goals that can be achieved through optimizing ecological infrastructure.
Results. This article explores the significance of ecological infrastructure (EI) for sustainable urban development, various definitions of "ecological infrastructure" and its use in scientific research in Ukraine and globally. The role of EI in reducing cities' impact on climate change and their adaptation to extreme weather conditions is identified. The article examines key components of EI such as green infrastructure (parks, gardens, forests) and blue infrastructure (water bodies), emphasizing their importance in providing ecosystem services and improving residents' quality of life. Global experiences in EI utilization are analyzed, highlighting diverse approaches and practical applications of these concepts in developed countries. It is worth noting that there is rapid development in EI research worldwide, focusing on developing green spaces to support ecological resilience of cities in modern urbanization conditions.
Conclusions. The development and implementation of urban environment projects focused on ecological infrastructure are crucial steps towards achieving sustainable development goals. Key aspect of using the EI concept is to ensure sustainable urban development, and consequently reducing cities' environmental impact, include the organic integration of natural habitats into urbanized areas, design, and implementation of both traditional and innovative approaches to reduce the city's footprint on ecosystems and the environment. Thus, the scope of issues requiring further research on EI includes optimizing its impact on achieving sustainable development goals and engaging with local communities to meet the needs of all population groups.
Downloads
References
Ishwaran, N. (2012). Science in intergovernmental environmental relations: 40 years of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and its future. Environmental Development, 1(1), 91-101. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211464511000029?via%3Dihub
Sun, S., & Jiang, Y. (2020). Research on Ecological Infrastructure from 1990 to 2018: A Bibliometric Analysis. Sustainability, 6 (2304). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062304
Andersson, E., Barthel, S., & Borgström, S. (2014). Reconnecting Cities to the Biosphere: Stewardship of Green Infrastructure and Urban Ecosystem Services. AMBIO, 43, 445–453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-014-0506-y
Rasmussen, L. V., Fold, N., Olesen, R. S., & Shackleton, S. (2021). Socio-economic outcomes of ecological infrastructure investments. Ecosystem Services, 47(101242). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212041620301844
Shyshchenko P.H., Havrylenko O.P., Tsyhanok Ye.Yu. (2021). Accessibility of green spaces in the conditions of a compact city: case study of Kyiv. Visnyk of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, series "Geology. Geography. Ecology", (55), 245-256. https://doi.org/10.26565/2410-7360-2021-55-18 ([in Ukrainian)
Demuzere, M., Orru, K., & Heidrich, O. (2014). Mitigating and adapting to climate change: Multi-functional and multi-scale assessment of green urban infrastructure. Journal of Environmental Management, 146, 107-115. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479714003740
Shcherba, V., & Pylypovych, O. (2023). Ecological infrastructure as a tool for achieving sustainable development in cities. Geographic Education and Science: Challenges and Progress: Proceedings of the international scientific-practical conference dedicated to the 140th anniversary of geography at Lviv University, 3, 68-72. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371012874 ([in Ukrainian)
Maksymenko, N. (2016). Landscape-ecological planning as a basis for management decisions on providing ecosystem services. Visnyk of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Series "Geology. Geography. Ecology", (45), 153-158. Retrieved from https://periodicals.karazin.ua/geoeco/article/view/8192/7666 (in Ukrainian)
Hrechko A. A.(2022). Experience and benefits of using green roofs as an element of green infrastructure. Visnyk of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Series «Еcоlogy», (26), 32-42. https://doi.org/10.26565/1992-4259-2022-26-03 (in Ukrainian)
Ruban, L. (2018). Adaptive model of "blue-green" infrastructure of the city. Modern Problems of Architecture and Urban Planning, (52), 230-237. Retrieved from https://repositary.knuba.edu.ua/items/bc796d54-624d-46e9-98be-8520f4b8a56b (in Ukrainian)
Tsaryk, L., & Kuzik, I. (2022). Geoecological features of the green-blue infrastructure of Ternopil city. Green-blue infrastructure in the cities of the post-Soviet space: studying heritage and connecting to the experience of V4 countries : collective monograph / Ed. by N. V. Maksymenko, A. D. Shkaruba, 172-186. Retrieved from http://dspace.tnpu.edu.ua/bitstream/123456789/27657/1/Tsaryk_Kuzyk.pdf (in Ukrainian)
Nazaruk, M. (2010). Urban ecological infrastructure -the Material Basis of a Harmonious Socio-Ecological Environment. Visnyk of Lviv University. Geography series (38), 238-242. Retrieved from http://publications.lnu.edu.ua/bulletins/index.php/geography/article/view/2274/2332 (in Ukrainian)
Maksymenko N.V., Burchenko, S.V., Utkina K.B., Buhakova M.V.(2021). Influence of green infrastructure objects for quality of surface runoff (on the example of green roofs in Kharkiv). Visnyk of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, series "Geology. Geography. Ecology", (55), 274-284. https://doi.org/10.26565/2410-7360-2021-55-20 (in Ukrainian)
Maksymenko N. V., & Gololobova О. О. (2023). Ecological and aesthetic aspects of the organization of public use areas by means of green infrastructure. Man and Environment. Issues of Neoecology, (39), 98-108. https://doi.org/10.26565/1992-4224-2023-39-09 (in Ukrainian)
Maksymenko, N., & Peresadko, V. (2022). Surface bodies as spring components of the blue infrastructure of Kharkiv. Green-blue infrastructure in the post-USSR cities: exploring legacies and connecting to V4 experience: collective monograph; ed. by N. V. Maksymenko, A. D. Shkaruba, 216-229. Retrieved from https://ecology.karazin.ua/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/kolektivna_monografija_zeleno_blakitna_infrastruktura_v_mistah_postradjanskogo.pdf (in Ukrainian)
Maksymenko, N., Burchenko, S., & Kochanov, E. (2022). Features of the organization of the green infrastructure of the Kharkiv city. Green-blue infrastructure in the post-USSR cities: exploring legacies and connecting to V4 experience: collective monograph; ed. by N. V. Maksymenko, A. D. Shkaruba, 125-154. Retrieved from https://ecology.karazin.ua/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/kolektivna_monografija_zeleno_blakitna_infrastruktura_v_mistah_postradjanskogo.pdf (in Ukrainian)
Dobronos, P., & Maksymenko, N. (2023). Assessment of population access to green infrastructure in Prague (Czech Republic). Current Issues in Formal and Informal Environmental Education Monitoring and Conservation: Collection of Abstracts of the II International Online Conference (Kharkiv, March 23, 2023), 20. Retrieved from https://ekhnuir.karazin.ua/handle/123456789/17836 (in Ukrainian)
Tu, F. (2018). Research on Urban Ecological Infrastructure Construction: An Example of Tianjin. Beijing, China. Social Sciences Academic Press. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/208
Silva, J. M., & Wheeler, E. (2017). Ecosystems as infrastructure. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, 15(1), 32-35. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1679007316300767
Childers, D. L., Bois, P., Hartnett, H. E., & McPhearson, T. (2019). Urban Ecological Infrastructure: An inclusive concept for the non-built urban environment. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 7(46). Retrieved from: https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article/doi/10.1525/elementa.385/112509/Urban-Ecological-Infrastructure-An-inclusive
Palta, M. M., Grimm, N. B., & Groffman, P. M. (2017). “Accidental” urban wetlands: ecosystem functions in unexpected places. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 15(5), 248-256. Retrieved from https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.1494
Mitsch, W., & Gosselink, J. (2015). Wetlands. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271643179_Wetlands_5th_edition
Childers, D., Cadenasso, M., Grove, J., & Marshall, V. (2015). An Ecology for Cities: A Transformational Nexus of Design and Ecology to Advance Climate Change Resilience and Urban Sustainability. Sustainability, 7(4), 3774-3791. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7043774
Li, F., Liu, X., & Zhang, X. (2017). Urban ecological infrastructure: an integrated network for ecosystem services and sustainable urban systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 163, S12-S18. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652616002560
Kajosaari, A., & Hasanzadeh, K. (2024). Predicting context-sensitive urban green space quality to support urban green infrastructure planning. Landscape and Urban Planning, 242(104952). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2023.104952
Pukowiec-Kurda, K. (2022). The urban ecosystem services index as a new indicator for sustainable urban planning and human well-being in cities. Ecological Indicators, 144(109532). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X22010056?via%3Dihub
Bille, R. A. (2023). Global patterns in urban green space are strongly linked to human development and population density. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 86(127980). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866723001516
Maksymenko, N.V., Titenko, G. V., & Aleksandrova, D.O. (2023). Features of the of the Katowice city green infrastructure: problems and prospects. Visnyk of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National Uni-versity, Series «Еcоlogy», (28), 42 -57. https://doi.org/10.26565/1992-4259-2023-28-04 (in Ukrainian)
Hegetschweiler, K. T., Vries, S. d., Arnberger, A., & Bell, S. (2017). Linking demand and supply factors in identifying cultural ecosystem services of urban green infrastructures: A review of European studies. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 21, 48-59. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1618866716302734?via%3Dihub
Pioch, S., Relini, G., Souche, J., & Stive, M. (2018). Enhancing eco-engineering of coastal infrastructure with eco-design: Moving from mitigation to integration. Ecological Engineering, 120, 574-584. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925857418301976?via%3Dihub
Zhang, D., & Li, Z. (2024). A framework for prioritizing urban ecological infrastructure (UEI) implementation tasks based on residents' ecological demands and government policies. Journal of Environmental Management, 354(120369). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479724003554
Fink, H. S. (2016). Human-Nature for Climate Action: Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Sustainability. Sustainability, 8(254). https://doi.org/10.3390/su8030254
Cohen-Shacham, E., Walters, G., Janzen, C., & Maginnis, S. (2016). Nature-Based Solutions to Address Societal Challenges. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. Retrieved from https://serval.unil.ch/resource/serval:BIB_93FD38C8836B.P001/REF
Štrbac, S., Kašanin-Grubin, M., Pezo, L., Stojić, N., Lončar, B., Ćurčić, L., & Pucarević, M. (2023). Green Infrastructure Designed through Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Urban Development. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 20(1102). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021102
United nations official web resource in Ukraine. Retrieved from https://ukraine.un.org/uk/sdgs
Fonseca, L., & Carvalho, F. (2019). The Reporting of SDGs by Quality, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety-Certified Organizations. Sustainability, 11(5797). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11205797
UN-SDGs. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Platform. (2019). Retrieved from Retrieved from https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships
Kravchenko, K.O. (2022). To the question of research of geo-ecological problems of urbanization processes in the aspect of the concept of sustainable development. Man and Environment. Issues of Neoecology, (38), 6-19. https://doi.org/10.26565/1992-4224-2022-38-01 (in Ukrainian)
Stockholm Resilience Centre. Stockholm University. (2016) Retrieved from https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2016-06-14-the-sdgs-wedding-cake.html
Sharifi, A., Allam, Z., Bibri, S. E., & Khavarian-Garmsir, A. R. (2024). Smart cities and sustainable development goals (SDGs): A systematic literature review of co-benefits and trade-offs. Cities, 146(104659). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275123004717
Liu, H.-Y., Ahmed, S., Passani, A., & Bartonova, A. (2023). Understanding the role of cities and citizen science in advancing sustainable development goals across Europe: insights from European research framework projects. Front. Sustain. Cities, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2023.1219768
Giles-Corti, B., Lowe, M., & Arundel, J. (2020). Achieving the SDGs: Evaluating indicators to be used to benchmark and monitor progress towards creating healthy and sustainable cities. Health Policy, 124(6), 581-590. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016885101830441X
Naya, R. B., Nicolás, P. d., & Medina, C. D. (2023). Quality of public space and sustainable development goals: analysis of nine urban projects in Spanish cities. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 12(3). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095263523000067
Copyright (c) 2024 Tertytskyi Ie. P.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication of this work under the terms of a license Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
