A new study by the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment is calls for incorporating more natural green features, such as trees and natural spaces, into urban development.
The study, entitled "Nearby Nature in the City: Preserving and Enhancing Livability," says bringing such amenities into new development helps increase the livability and vitality of the area and uses the city of Ann Arbor as an example. The city is using the research from the study in planning for future mixed-use downtown redevelopment.
Historically, Ann Arbor has made a point of incorporating green features into its planning. The city has set aside more than 2,000 acres for 140 parks over the years. While this has played a major part in making Ann Arbor one of Michigan's most successful cities, it also has created pressure to find more space for development.
"Communities have a natural tendency to react against the suburban model of development, with its sprawl and concrete paving, by adopting a new urban model that calls for a compact central core with green fringes around the edge," says Wendy Rampson, systems planner for the City of Ann Arbor. "However, residents still want greenery in that compacted area. We need to remember that the urban environment must incorporate nature or it will be as unlivable as the suburbs."
The study emphasizes incorporate nature into dense urban areas by planting lots of trees, bushes, hedges or gardens along sidewalks and parking lots to lead people to courtyards and parks. Other things, such as window boxes and green roofs, are also given as ways to bring more greenery to urban places without sacrificing density.
For information on the study, visit sitemaker.umich.edu/urban.nature/home.
Source: The University of Michigan
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