Good Practices for Urban Greening
By Mark Sorensen, Kari Keipi, Valerie Barzetti, John Williams (05/97, ENV-109, En, Es) See also Environment and Natural Resources
Good Practices for Urban Greening by Mark Sorensen, Jac Smit, Valerie Barzetti and John
Williams explains that urban greening offers improvements in air, water and land resources by
absorbing air pollutants, increasing water catchment and flood plain surfaces and stabilizing
soils. Urban forests provide shade in the sumer and wind break in the winter, as well as reduce
noise pollution and carbon dioxide levels. The economic benefits include marketable timber and
agricultural products, and a variety of non-timber forest products. Lastly, the overall benefits to
society, and particularly to the urban poor, include the contribution of trees and vegetation to
mental and physical health, recreational opportunities, an outdoor classroom for environmental
education and aesthetic improvements to the city scape.
In financing urban greening, private funding is an essential counterpart to public support. There is a diverse range of options, including advertizing opportunities, entrance fees, philanthropic donations, payments in kind, etc. Cost avoidance and reduction mechanisms provide a means of accounting to show the public and city officials how a green area saves city money. Cost recovery and sharing can be achieved, for example, by renting out agricultural plots or offering firewood collection in exchange for labor inputs. Debt-for-nature swaps and the establishment of trust funds can provide communities with green areas without draining capital-scarce public accounts. The report seeks to provide a broad readership with a strong background on the benefits, chanllenges and approaches to the development of a sustainable urban greening program. Included are a variety of examples from case studies throughout Latin America and the world. The examples and ideas in the report draw on the expertise and insight of over 300 professionals from 23 countries-people who work in all reaches of the private and public sectors.