A ‘tug of war’ between more parks or better greenspace: The dilemma of meeting ‘community expectations’ with limited resources

《A ‘tug of war’ between more parks or better greenspace: The dilemma of meeting ‘community expectations’ with limited resources》

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作者: Chris Boulton;Aysin Dedekorkut-Howes;Jason Byrne

来源: CITIES,Vol.126,Issue1,Article 103665

语言: 英文

关键字: Parks;Open space planning;Supply and demand;Municipal service delivery;Australia

作者单位: Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia;School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Churchill Avenue, Hobart, Tas 7001, Australia;Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia;School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Churchill Avenue, Hobart, Tas 7001, Australia

摘要: Rapid urbanisation is impacting availability of greenspace, regarded as a cornerstone of liveability in cities across the globe, presenting challenges for residents and governments alike. Scholars from fields as diverse as planning, engineering, health and psychology, are calling for more urban greenspace to remedy manifold urban challenges (e.g. stormwater attenuation, pollution reduction, health promotion and temperature modulation). Yet few have paused to question the viability of urban greenspace provision, especially its financial and administrative burdens for local government, nor whether simply providing more greenspace is efficacious. This paper investigates the perspectives of elected officials and local government officers towards greenspace provision in a rapidly growing Australian city: Logan, Queensland. Employing an in-depth case study including semi-structured interviews, public documents, and municipal and census data, the paper elucidates key factors that affect provision, highlighting the tension between supply and demand, and the role of planning practices. In determining greenspace provision, three clusters of factors are particularly instructive: (i) community expectations; (ii) governance tools; and (iii) financial resources. The findings point to a critical issue: providing urban greenspace cannot be simply reduced to a matter of inadequate resources - community expectations are a pivotal and often over-looked factor shaping urban greenspace provision.