Cities are many things. They are sites of economic activity and culture; spaces to live in, work and play. They are also, almost by definition, the product of an ongoing war against nature.
The urban theorist Henri Lefebvre describes urban space as a “concrete abstraction” of social structures, where land is transformed into wealth that is then fixed in the buildings and infrastructures that give form to urban space. It is not surprising then, that nature doesn’t get a look in.
Tiny hotspots of biodiversity persist in derelict sites and the odd park, but the greenery that exists is largely comprised of bedding plants, low-maintenance shrubs and grass kept in check with regular mowing and glyphosate. Concrete, asphalt and steel dominate the urban landscape, and the suburbs are not much better, with sprawling habitats traversed by roads and sterile open spaces.
Despite being more energy efficient than low-density developments or rural one-off housing, cities have a large ecological footprint. All of our food, materials, energy, and water are all trucked or piped in and our wastes are disposed of elsewhere.
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A more sustainable vision of a city would seek to minimise waste and energy by adopting the principles of a circular economy, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible.
Contact with nature is essential for human existence, urban wellbeing and a good quality of life. Green spaces in cities – big or small – all contribute to the health and wellbeing of residents.
However, most Irish cities do not offer residents easy access to these green spaces, and the average park and open space does little for biodiversity and pollinators.
Dublin has one of the biggest and most beautiful urban parks in Europe in the Phoenix Park, but there is still no bus service that takes you right into it, making it inaccessible for many city residents.
Trees play an important role in drawing down and storing carbon, mitigating climate change and providing cooling and shade during hotter summers. Yet, tree cover is very unevenly distributed throughout Dublin.
A 2018 study by UCD researchers that mapped Dublin’s trees found that most of the city had very low tree cover. The neighbourhoods with the highest tree density were in Donnybrook and Clontarf near the coast and around Phoenix Park.
The researchers found that residents of Dublin 8 had just 0.22 trees per person, and that tree cover was closely correlated with traffic: more traffic – fewer trees. Isn’t it time for local “natural infrastructure” strategies to be put on the political and policy agenda?
[ Why is it so hard to find an allotment in Ireland?Opens in new window ]
Giving citizens access to land to grow food, in allotments or community gardens, is another way to provide access to green space, community and food security. The Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun – which is a social enterprise that promotes sustainability and creativity, and supports four reuse social enterprises that recycle paint and furniture among other items – is a model for the kind of facilities that show what can be done. As is GIY in Waterford, based at Grow HQ, which supports communities to become more sustainable by growing their own food.
Unfortunately, a 2020 Local Government Management Agency report found that there are just 2,500 council allotments and community gardens in Ireland. While the average suburban garden could be repurposed to grow as much as 50kg of fruit and vegetables every year, that is not a practical option for many people living in cities with no gardens or tiny yards.
However, housing estates, with a bit of imagination and community co-operation, could become important reservoirs of biodiversity with ponds, uncultivated wild areas and pocket forests.
A green city would also have solar panels on many roofs, district heating schemes and shared facilities such as launderettes, libraries and playgrounds, enabling higher levels of wellbeing in more compact housing and apartment schemes. Rainwater could be collected and reused, and permeable paving and city gardens would allow excess rainfall and flooding to be managed.
As cities now grapple with the social and environmental costs of car dominance and poor urban planning, they are increasingly looking to reclaim this space by shifting people into public transport and cycling, and to green the city by making room for nature. This is all the more important in the context of Ireland’s population growth, which will add to the demand for housing and green spaces alike in urban areas. If we replicate the model of car-centric sprawl, however, we will only add to existing problems of congestion, pollution and estrangement from nature.
Sadhbh O’Neill is a researcher in climate policy