Green spaces and the public realm: Driving well-being and enhancing value
The emergence of COVID-19 and resulting social distancing measures has only further highlighted the significance of green spaces within our urban environment
30 Jun 2020
Parks and green spaces play a unique role in our cities and have increasingly begun to represent a focus of discussions on our communities in recent years. The emergence of COVID-19 and resulting social distancing measures has only further highlighted the significance of these spaces within our urban environment.
With people confined to their homes over the past months and as stay-at-home restrictions have been lifted, we have witnessed communities flocking to and yearning for nature and the great outdoors. Walking trails and promenades have never been more popular, with new micro-mobility solutions, such as Careem Bikes, facilitating movement for the purposes of transport, exercise and enjoyment.
Green and open spaces add value to our cities in immeasurable ways. From providing a place for social interaction and community events to helping define the character and sense of place within a neighborhood, these highly versatile spaces are critical to supporting the well-being of the many people within our communities.
A survey conducted earlier this year by Masdar, The National and the World Future Energy Summit, prior to the pandemic, found that the main purposes for visiting a park among UAE respondents were:
Similarly, close to 40% of participants indicated that the main role of parks and green spaces was centered on mental health. With social distancing measures in place, one can imagine the heightened importance these spaces have more recently played on supporting mental health and well-being.
At a global level, Governments and organizations are also paying more attention to the impact of open spaces on quality of life. The United Nations, for example, has focused one of its Sustainable Development Goals on precisely this topic, aiming to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable,” and measuring this goal in part by the average share of the built environment which is open for public use.
This project, which now welcomes approximately 6 million visitors per year, has served to stimulate the surrounding area and has spurred the development of 30 new real estate projects since 2009. Furthermore, this highly popular public amenity has positively impacted residential and commercial property values nearby, with the latter at one point commanding 50% higher rents than similar commercial offering one block away.
Dubai developers have also seemingly understood the value of green and open spaces, with communities such as Al Barari dedicating more than 60% of the 1.4 million sqm development to green spaces, lakes and streams. Similarly, Emaar’s Dubai Hills Estate is slated to include 1.4 million sqm of parks and open spaces, coupled with a 54-km bicycle route to support its future residents.
With people confined to their homes over the past months and as stay-at-home restrictions have been lifted, we have witnessed communities flocking to and yearning for nature and the great outdoors. Walking trails and promenades have never been more popular, with new micro-mobility solutions, such as Careem Bikes, facilitating movement for the purposes of transport, exercise and enjoyment.
Green and open spaces add value to our cities in immeasurable ways. From providing a place for social interaction and community events to helping define the character and sense of place within a neighborhood, these highly versatile spaces are critical to supporting the well-being of the many people within our communities.
A survey conducted earlier this year by Masdar, The National and the World Future Energy Summit, prior to the pandemic, found that the main purposes for visiting a park among UAE respondents were:
Similarly, close to 40% of participants indicated that the main role of parks and green spaces was centered on mental health. With social distancing measures in place, one can imagine the heightened importance these spaces have more recently played on supporting mental health and well-being.
At a global level, Governments and organizations are also paying more attention to the impact of open spaces on quality of life. The United Nations, for example, has focused one of its Sustainable Development Goals on precisely this topic, aiming to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable,” and measuring this goal in part by the average share of the built environment which is open for public use.
Real Estate Value
Beyond the human benefits, green and open spaces contribute in many other ways to communities and mixed-use developments and play a central role in enhancing real estate value. This enhancement can be achieved in a variety of ways – from altering the image of an area to creating a new destination for residents, workers and visitors. One such example studied in a report by CBRE on placemaking is High Line in New York, which centered on the development of a major urban walkway.This project, which now welcomes approximately 6 million visitors per year, has served to stimulate the surrounding area and has spurred the development of 30 new real estate projects since 2009. Furthermore, this highly popular public amenity has positively impacted residential and commercial property values nearby, with the latter at one point commanding 50% higher rents than similar commercial offering one block away.
Dubai developers have also seemingly understood the value of green and open spaces, with communities such as Al Barari dedicating more than 60% of the 1.4 million sqm development to green spaces, lakes and streams. Similarly, Emaar’s Dubai Hills Estate is slated to include 1.4 million sqm of parks and open spaces, coupled with a 54-km bicycle route to support its future residents.
Society is maturing and looking at green spaces as being integral to their lifestyles and quality of life.
The New Normal
Pandemics and other global crises have been instrumental in shaping our built environment throughout history. This pandemic should be no different, and it has already offered some key learnings around the importance of our public spaces. As a rapid response to these changes, cities around the world are pedestrianizing more and more streets and effectively “giving the streets back to the people.” And as we witness this shift, another question becomes what do with spaces which are no longer in high use? As people increasingly choose other forms of mobility, what becomes of our parking garages and parking lots? These and other areas are expected to offer new opportunities for repurposing spaces for public use in creative and innovative ways.As we go back to life in the “new normal,” we should not forget the lessons our communities have given us on the importance of the public realm. If we keep in mind the benefits of our parks and public areas, not just to the human psyche but also to our surrounding real estate, these unique and versatile places will be well-poised to continue playing their intended role in our developments and communities.