Mapping Green Spaces

A look at gardens, parks and boulevards from cities around the globe

New Delhi, India

There are a plethora of benefits associated with urban green spaces, namely pollution control, temperature regulation, and biodiversity -- all of which ultimately add to the quality of life of city dwellers. Like other urban common areas used for sports and recreational activities, green spaces have a direct impact on the health and well being of the residents who use them.

Public access to a city's green spaces is determined by their location and distribution which in turn is decided based on urban planning, the historic context in which they are created, the topography of the region, and the population density of an area. Essentially, no two green spaces are exactly the same.

One of the best ways to capture the differences in distribution of green spaces is with aerial images, which have become essential tools in their study and planning. With this compilation of aerial images, we get an idea of how new green spaces can be created within urban centers.

From left: Bern, Switzerland; Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California; and the Friedenau neighborhood in Berlin, Germany.

Small and Medium-Scale Parks

For the most part, small and medium-sized parks serve the neighborhoods immediately surrounding them in the form of gardens, pocket parks, playgrounds, and sports facilities. Because of their small size, they serve a limited number of users, meaning that they don't have a significant impact on a city's overall quality of life. Examples of these small parks can be seen in La Plata, Argentina, Montevideo, Uruguay, and Madrid, Spain.

Madrid, Spain

Large Parks

Many cities have at least one large park, typically located in a central zone of the city, that provides space for sports, recreation, and socializing for locals and tourists alike. Prime examples of these world renowned parks include Central Park in New York City and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California.

Central Park in Manhattan, New York

Waterfront Green Spaces

When placed next to lakes and other bodies of water, greenery and vegetation serve as environmental buffers, regulating the water's temperature through shade, and thereby protecting habitat of the aquatic species living there, as well as providing nutrients and protection from pollution. Vegetation also stabilizes the ground surrounding the water by preventing erosion. Prime examples of water-front green spaces can be found in Minsk, Belarus and Bern, Switzerland.