Muhammad Shakeeb Umer1,Hafiz Muhammad Bilal1,2*, Haq Nawaz3, Shahla Rashid1, Haseeb Islam1, Khurram Shehzad4
1Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Pakistan
2Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Isparta University of Applied Sciences, Turkey
3Department of field crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Isparta University of Applied Sciences, Turkey
4College of Resources & Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
IMPACT OF GREEN SPACES IN URBAN AREAS
In Islam Prophet (S.A.W.W.) said “Planting a tree is continuous charity” (Shih Muslim 1552).
Open green spaces refers to the places that has no buildings and easily accessible to the public. Green spaces are the picture representing the section of beauty of nature. Environment play an important role in life of any person but now a day’s environment of urban areas are very polluted that has negative effect on our life. So we should take step to overcome this problem. One of the easiest solutions of this problem is plantation and it done everywhere in hospital, offices, homes and also roadsides.
Open urban space first developed in London in 18 and 19 centuries and London is one of the greenest city of the world. This trend is developing in America in 1890s and 1900s. Green spaces play important role in our life because it give us a pleasant environment for living. It reduce the mental stress and it also reduce noise pollution. Plants have ability to low the blood pressure. Indoor plantation in hospital can effect in recovery of patient a previous research show that plant can cause the reducing of pain as compared to that room which have no plant also increase attention and reduce fear and anger feelings. Greenery enhances attractiveness and it has been checked by experiment two classrooms one contained plants and foliage and other is not, then you can observe that students improve their results improve 70 percent of attractiveness then the students in other class room that are free from plant. Plantation also provide us many health benefits by cleaning our environment in many ways such as it improves water quality by stop the nitrate leaching in soil. Large plants remove the pollutant from air and improve the quality of air. In urban areas due too many factories and smoke from transport pollute the environment that causes many health hazards, landscape is the only cheap source to overcome it. A research show that a women that spent six hours in wood for two days cause the increase in white blood cell and its remain till seven days afterwards. Park is important factor of improving the environment of urban areas and also provides recreation for people because physical activity is very important to maintain our health and if it is coupled with greenery then it leads many benefits such as low depression, low level of stress and also increase in frequency for exercise.
Home garden also reduces the temperature and in this way it plays as a source of energy conservation and utility bills. Plants in front of home protect our home from hard winter wind and warm home inside and also in summer it cools home by providing shade that ultimately reduces the temperature and safe the cost of air conditioner and heater. Green space not only improve our environment and safe our health but also provide us many other benefits in our daily routine life as it increase the property value by making it more attractive than other and property dealer also mentioned the property first that have well landscape. Property near the parks has more value than other. It is also a worthy business and also opens space like parks are the source of employment for long time. It not only provides recreation for people but also open spaces are mostly graffiti free due to gathering instead of abandoned places. Open spaces are also provide shelter to wildlife. Wildlife are attract to the plants and if you add bird tables in your garden then more wild life attract to your garden . Landscape provides shelter to wildlife from predators and also provides food throughout the year. Now a day’s many modern technologies are present for plant growing such as, if you have no space in your house for plants then you also grow plants in soil less culture like hydroponics e.g. money plant. With the increasing of stress and tension by polluted environment, we should grow plants in our house for keeping us fresh and calm. Many plants serve as medicinal plant and you can easily grow them in your home like mint, lemon, tulsi etc. and many other plants that not only clean our environment and give aesthetic look they also provide us nutritious food. Also the edible landscape garden in home has a major benefit which provides us fresh fruit and vegetables without any use of chemicals.
Open spaces are very beneficial for us but now a day’s its competition with urban growth lies it on the loose end .we should preserve the urban open spaces by improving them and also develop new spaces. For developing new spaces we should have target in our mind that how much land is preserve or new develop? Where the open spaces develop? What type of open space develop (park, forest, wet land, farm etc.) government should also take interest to develop green spaces for the improvement of environment by developing institution like PHA and other horticultural sectors and providing funds for open spaces.
