Mapping values for urban green space in New South Wales, Australia

Project description

This project aimed to explore the multiple values that urban residents have for open green spaces, and determine the kind of landscape features and configurations that contribute to these values. The context for this work was a rapidly urbanising region in the Hunter Valley, located on the east coast of Australia. Four suburban regions were selected as case studies, and participants mapped landscape values and important activities using paper maps as part of a mail-out survey. Results showed that a plurality of tangible and intangible values for green spaces are important to urban populations. This information informed a process of strategic regional planning in NSW, Australia.

Research themes

Integrated landscape management

Participatory planning

Ecosystem management

Project details

Start date:

January 1, 2014
End date:

December 31, 2017
Location:

Lower Hunter Region, New South Wales
Funded by:

Australian Government, National Environmental Research Program
Objectives:

Assess the diversity of salient values for urban green space, and relate these to biophysical landscape features.

Project contact

Dr Christopher Ives

Nottingham University, UK and previously RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

Participating partners

Sarah Bekessy

RMIT University

Ascelin Gordon

RMIT University

Cathy Oke

University of Melbourne

Related publications

Ives, C. D., Biggs, D., Hardy, M. J., Lechner, A. M., Wolnicki, M. & Raymond, C. M. (2015). Using social data in strategic environmental assessment to conserve biodiversity. Land Use Policy 47, 332-341. doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.04.002

Ives, C. D., Gordon, A., Oke, C., Raymond, C. M., Hehir, A. & Bekessy, S. A. (2018). Spatial scale influences how people value and perceive green open space. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 61(12), 2133-2150. doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2017.1388219

Ives, C. D., Oke, C., Hehir, A., Gordon, A., Wang, Y. & Bekessy, S. A. (2017). Capturing residents’ values for urban green space: Mapping, analysis and guidance for practice. Landscape and Urban Planning 161, 32-43. doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.12.010