From: Evaluating net community benefits of integrating nature within cities
Aspect | Constraint | Details and examples |
---|---|---|
Biophysical Capability | 1. The biophysical character of built environment | Considering available space, urban space limits; relative demand levels for housing; urban morphology, site contamination, physical geographic and geological features, vegetation characteristics, climate; water conditions and systems |
2. Existing urban form | With strong constraints likely in high density, high population, rapid urbanisation and low open space cities in low and middle-income nations | |
Socio-Political and Economic Feasibility | 3. Maintenance and other immediate economic costs | As listed in section 3.2 |
4. Planning systems - complexity and uncertainty | Planning priorities; institutional inertia; too few planners; uncertainty; rigid traditional planning approaches and knowledge; lack of experience with urban greening; concerns over significant change (e.g. roots encroachment, structural integrity, water damage) | |
5. Other institutional frameworks and decision-making and governance structures - | Including economic; and socio-political factors such as fiscal constraints, governance systems e.g. government role and power vis-a-vis corporate and other private sector actors, public involvement in decision-making and planning. The long-term nature of many urban greening benefits (or costs prevented) conflicts with many aspects of politico-economic systems and short-term economic performance cycles. | |
6. Perceptions and values of residents - biophobia involvement | Disconnect or lack of familiarity with, and hence fear of, nature, partially due to socialisation into artificial, controlled environments; cultural perceptions of nature; economic history and attitudes towards public market forces ideology influence | |
Miscellaneous Constraints | 7. Ambiguity about concepts and approaches | Open space, urban green space, and green infrastructure. Addressing this issue has been one of the major aims of this paper. Uncertainty regarding the “green-ness” or biophilic services associated with some urban features e.g. lawns. |
8. Lack of data about net benefits | Uncertainty, complexity of relevant dose-response relations (and about external changes e.g. climate change); economic valuation limits; “agency of nature” [35] | |
9. Path dependence | Spatial planning and urban form changes as politically unpalatable and expensive - Loss of short-term profit, capital gains, lost revenue and tax, infrastructure cost); property rights constraints |