Ecosystem services provided by urban green spaces in Bangkok Metropolis: Public awareness and planning implications
Journal article
Authors/Editors
Strategic Research Themes
Publication Details
Author list: Nguyen C.T.; Chidthaisong A.
Publisher: Springer
Publication year: 2023
Volume number: 27
Start page: 855
End page: 868
Number of pages: 14
ISSN: 1083-8155
eISSN: 1573-1642
Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)
Abstract
Urban green spaces (UGS) are a cost-effective solution to overcome various problems faced by cities worldwide, such as air pollution, urban microclimate change, and pressure in urban life by providing diverse ecosystem services (ESS). Green space planning is increasingly focused on increasing UGS in cities. However, these strategies may not receive widespread public support because managers’ expected values and people's perceptions may not be the same. Therefore, this study aims to investigate public awareness of ESS provided by UGS, the relationships between UGS and ESS and ESS with each other, as well as the influences of sociodemographic characteristics on people’s perceptions in Bangkok metropolis. The research findings revealed highly consistent perceptions of different UGS, especially for public parks and residential gardens, against rooftops and household gardens. These are also the UGS generating the most diverse ESS, especially regulating and cultural ESS. Air quality regulating services (CO2 absorption, air pollutant purification, and temperature reduction) and cultural services (spiritual values, aesthetics, and health improvement) are the most crucial ESS of UGS perceived by entire urban residents. This research also reveals that cognitive differences come from differences in demographic characteristics. People with lower awareness of UGS and ESS are often low-income and younger, who frequently live far from UGS leading to low accessibility to UGS. The research also draws critical implications regarding UGS categories, ecosystem services and disservices of interest, and the population groups that need to be encouraged during the greening campaigns. This will be important information for the city government to achieve successful implementation of the “Green Bangkok 2030” project, which aims to further improve UGS and quality of life. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Keywords
Cultural services, Disservices, Ecosystem services, Public Awareness, Regulating services, Urban green space
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