Over the next decades, cities will undergo transformative changes in line with policies aiming for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Cities around the world seek to create resilient and liveable communities in contexts of growth and transformation. Urban greening is a key component of this approach, involving the integration of green spaces such as parks, gardens, urban forests, water bodies or green roofs into urban areas. These green spaces not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of cities but also provide ecological and health benefits, improve air quality, and promote biodiversity. By delivering numerous ecosystem services, urban greening plays a vital role in creating resilient and liveable cities.
A vast and growing area of research focuses on the social impacts of urban transformation in general and urban greening in particular. Studies have shown that the creation of new parks and green areas can lead to gentrification, a phenomenon known as eco- or green gentrification. In some cases, city planners intentionally promote urban greening to boost property values and attract wealthier residents. However, the relationship between urban greening and gentrification is far from straightforward: urban greening often takes place as part of broader patterns of urban development, sometimes referred to as ‘green growth’.
In our lab we research the link between urban growth, greening, and social impacts through detailed analysis of development processes at local level. Through case studies in Switzerland, we examine how urban growth and greening processes are intertwined in practice. We focus particularly on the role of local governance and the involvement of various stakeholders in shaping the outcomes of these development processes. Importantly, we examine the role of property relations and landownership in steering urban growth.
While the crucial role of green spaces for urban resilience is widely recognized, the social consequences of greening processes are often overlooked in planning processes. Gentrification processes, exclusive park design, and uneven green space distribution can reproduce or even exacerbate existing social inequalities. Our research aims to address this gap through detailed qualitative analysis of specific planning projects.