Squares and Shopping Areas

Benefits

• Green areas are more often awarded in tenders. The planning process is also approved more quickly.
• Green resting points in shopping areas lead to longer stays. Greenery in and near stores can generate up to 12% more turnover. Shoppers are willing to pay more for a product in a shopping street with greenery than in a shopping street without greenery.
• A roof garden or roof park can also be used for multiple use of space and offers opportunities for exploitation. This can be an interesting solution, especially in the built environment, with limited and expensive square meters.
• In green cities, there are more opportunities for tourism and recreation. Greenery can be used to strengthen the image or message of the city or shopping area.

Energy

• A green environment can contribute to less energy consumption of air conditioners needed for cooling. In combination with greenery, the efficiency of solar panels is increased by 6%.

Maintenance

• The Living Public Space and a low-maintenance square or shopping area go well together. This starts with a well-thought-out design in which the municipality, companies, (landscape) architect and green professional 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.
• Think of varied planting that contributes to more biodiversity.

Biodiversity

• For butterflies and bees, a green outdoor space is an important part of their food network in the city or surrounding area.

Flowers & Food

• The public space can also be used for local healthy food production. Herbs can be grown for a healthy canteen/restaurant.

Water

• Greenery can contribute to water quality if it is used for biological purification of released wastewater. This function can be combined with the absorption of peak showers.

Temperature

• Squares and shopping areas are often petrified to accommodate large flows of people. Heat can then be a big problem, because the wind chill during hot summers also rises enormously here. At a wind chill above 35 °C, people hardly want to stay there because standing still is too hot. This has an impact on the number of visitors and consumer spending.
• An ample amount of greenery can reduce the temperature at street level during warm periods and improve the thermal comfort of pedestrians. This leads to a more pleasant and longer stay.
• Greenery of sufficient size around shops provides shaded areas and helps to limit the heating of buildings.
• Green roofs, whether or not in combination with green facades, are particularly useful for (larger) buildings to combat global warming. They also improve the indoor climate.

Air Quality

• Greenery around buildings leads to a reduction in the energy consumption of, for example, air conditioners. As a result, CO2 emissions also decrease.
• Both indoors and outdoors, greenery can be used to remove contaminants from the air and improve air quality.

Smell

• Pleasantly scented plants help to create a desired experience.

Appearance

• A view of greenery contributes to reducing and recovering faster from stress. Green facades or green walls are also very effective for this.
• For shops and restaurants, the construction of a green (roof) terrace is interesting.

Noise

• Greenery and water can produce pleasant sounds of nature. Greenery can help to make traffic noise pollution less annoying.
• Green façades reduce noise at street level.

Productivity

• Employees and visitors feel more comfortable in the greenery. They experience less stress, can concentrate better, are more creative and productive. Greenery has a positive effect on job satisfaction, health and well-being.
• Greenery in the workplace ensures higher satisfaction with that workplace.

Socialisation

• A green outdoor space can serve well as an extra meeting place.
• Provide green outdoor spaces at commercial buildings and shopping centres where visitors and employees can take a break or consult in a green environment.

Movement & Play

• An attractive green outdoor space can ensure that employees from the area (during breaks) go here more often for a walk or errand.

Safety

• Green environments are more often seen as better, safer and cleaner. Visitors will be more inclined to consume something there.
• Greenery leads to less crime and vandalism. Neighbourhoods with green spaces have an average of 42% less crime than neighbourhoods without green spaces. Green facades also contribute to a sense of security.