Parks and Cemeteries

Parks have traditionally functioned both as the ‘green lungs’ of the city and as recreational areas. More and more people are visiting parks increasingly often. This can lead to pressure on public space. It is important that there is sufficient accessible green space that is evenly distributed across the city.

To create more greenery in the urban environment, existing parks can be expanded, smaller parks can be merged, and some locations can be transformed into parks.

All forms of (semi) public parks – from pocket parks, neighbourhood parks, allotments to city parks – are valuable for liveable cities. Consider how they contribute to relaxation, social cohesion, biodiversity, water management and air quality.

Cemeteries can be green oases of peace. They often have a cultural-historical significance and a high natural value, such as heritage trees. They are increasingly becoming part of public green spaces and they are mostly quiet places with beautiful trees, where local residents can take a walk. We are increasingly seeing a switch to nature-friendly management in these areas.

Mind Map

The Parks and Cemetaries Mind Map provides a handy overview of the various green possibilities to discuss together and/or include in integral designs.

 

Mind Map Explained

Benefits

  • Green and sustainable locations are more often awarded in tenders. The planning process is also approved more quickly.
  • An attractive green park can be used for multiple use of space. This can be an interesting solution, especially in the built environment – with limited and expensive square meters.
  • Greenery promotes the occupancy rate of homes in the neighbourhood; They don’t sit empty for long. Real estate in a green environment is more attractive and worth 4 to 15% more. Higher rents may be charged.
  • Part of the investments in green space is recouped by a higher value of the property, or – in the case of public investments in green space – by higher tax revenues (WOZ, house value lump sum).

Energy

  • Solar panels in combination with greenery provide 6% more efficiency. The aging process of the silicon in the panels is also slowed down, so that power loss only occurs after ten years.

Maintenance

  • The Living Public Space and the maintenance-friendly management of a park or cemetery go hand in hand. This starts with a well-thought-out design in which the green professional, (landscape) architect, municipality, client and local residents sit around the table together in a timely manner.

Sustainable Materials

  • The attention for the importance of using sustainable materials in society is growing enormously. The use of greenery contributes to a sustainable image and to obtaining various building certifications.

Education

  • Green spaces can be used for inspiration and education in nature.

Biodiversity

  • With 10% green space, a city can be a good habitat for birds, butterflies and bees. Condition
  • What is that the greenery is varied, offers sufficient food and is present as a network spread throughout the city.
  • Where possible, make use of native tree and plant species to improve living conditions for native animals that depend on them.
  • In cities, species richness is higher in urban forests than in green areas without trees. Parks and other wooded areas can therefore act as ‘islands of biodiversity’ in urban areas.

Flowers & Food

  • Parks (or parts of them) can be used for the local production of healthy food. For example, let a vegetable garden, herb garden and food trees be part of a park. Also consider a picking route!

Water

  • Greenery regulates rainwater drainage and thus limits any nuisance.
  • Rainwater can be reused for planting.
  • Green banks and helophyte filters can contribute to improving water quality. They can be used, for example, for the biological purification of released wastewater. This function can be combined with the absorption of peak showers.

Temperature

  • If it gets (too) hot in homes and buildings during warm periods, parks and other green areas can be a relatively cool haven, especially for the elderly. To do this, these green areas must be within walking distance. The advice is therefore to create a network of smaller and larger green areas spread across the city.
  • More greenery in the city limits the heat island effect. All types of greenery contribute to this, especially trees have the greatest effect due to their size and volume.
  • In order to make the most of the cooling effect of parks and other green areas on the environment, cool air must be able to flow from the green area into the surrounding neighbourhoods.
  • Greenery not only reduces the warming of the city as a whole, it also increases thermal comfort for pedestrians and other users of public space.

Air Quality

  • All forms of greenery protect us from pollution from traffic and industry.
  • A city tree captures 100 grams of particulate matter every year. This corresponds to the particulate matter production of 5,500 car kilometres.

Smell

  • Scent enhances the experience and evokes memories. Smelling scents that we recognise makes us feel safe. This is particularly pleasant for people with dementia.

Noise

  • City dwellers who live close to parks or other green areas experience less nuisance with the same level of noise nuisance than city dwellers who do not have a park or other green area near their home.
  • It can be quieter in a green park than in the surrounding area, so that traffic noise is perceived as less annoying.
  • In addition to places for activities, create quiet areas in parks.

Appearance

  • Just a view of (preferably a lot and varied) of greenery is associated with a lower level of the stress hormone cortisol and a higher sense of well-being.
  • Make parks attractive by giving them their own recognizable character. For example, with a clear entrance or a demarcation in the form of trees, (vegetated) fences, walls or a water feature.

Relaxation

  • In neighbourhoods with more greenery, residents suffer less from anxiety disorders and depression. There is also less cardiovascular disease.
  • The more greenery in a neighbourhood, the less medication is used by children with ADHD.

Productivity

  • A green environment contributes to less stress, better concentration, more creativity, and higher work productivity.

Socialisation

  • Greenery leads to a better social climate and more informal encounters. Local residents feel more connected to each other and are less lonely.

Movement & Play

  • In a green environment, people are more outdoors (in daylight) and more active during the day.
  • Children who play outside in the green more often are more creative, more confident, fitter and smarter. Children who grow up with greenery in their immediate environment are less overweight.

Safety

  • Greenery leads to less crime and vandalism. Neighbourhoods with green spaces have an average of 42% less crime than neighbourhoods without green spaces.
  • Loss of trees (e.g. due to disease) and neglect of greenery can lead to higher crime rates in the area.

Examples

View the below Case Studies to discover how green practices have been utilised in parks around the globe.

Brimbank, Australia
Fortaleza, Brazil
Briefing: Seeding a Sense of Place in Urban Parks

How to use this manual

This manual is divided into several chapters, which can be accessed via the buttons below.

Manual Introduction
Concept and Certifications
Environments
Themes
Bibliography and Sources
Tendering and Integral Process Steps
  • Cemetery – Weverling Groenproviders
  • Urban Micro Park, Fortaleza, Brazil – José Leon
  • Highgate Cemetery, London, UK – Hannah Pinnells, AIPH
  • Suncheon, Republic of Korea – Hannah Pinnells, AIPH
  • Sunvale Community Park, Brimbank, Australia – Brimbank City Council