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Abstract |
As the global level of urbanization is rising, with 74% of Europeans living in urban areas (United Nations, 2018), public green spaces located with-in urban and peri-urban zone remain the most accessible (and sometimes unique) option of di-rect contact with nature. Such a contact can pro-vide a variety of immaterial benefits for humans, identified as Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES). Like other Ecosystem Services (ES), CES are vul-nerable to external impacts, such as urbanization processes. However, unlike other types of ES, cultural values of ecosystems or landscapes are irreplaceable: once destroyed, cannot be resti-tuted (Plieninger et al., 2013). Therefore, their proper management is the issue of a great im-portance. CES are co-production of environmen-tal features and cultural practices, what results in a constant need for new methodological solu-tions based on interdisciplinary approaches. Un-derstanding patterns of CES flow is recognized as crucial for effective landscape management and policy development (van Zanten et al., 2016).Hegetschweiler et al. (2017) found out that studies which had examined CES in urban areas tend to focus on supply or demand factors, but rarely establish links between one another. The need of further research on linkages be-tween different types of green infrastructure, a variety of forms of their use as well as on gained benefits is also underlined by OBrien et al. (2017). Such an approach requires combining natural and social data together. In this study we address this challenge. The aim of the research is to develop a typology of public green spaces (hereinafter PGS) in an urban zone, basing on the character of CES flow. As this flow can be influenced by manage-ment, it is important to propose an approach which will include a variety of data reflecting natural features of PGS as well as preferences and behaviours of its visitors. A typology of urban green areas can help in successful management especially on the urban zone level, where a more holistic and integrated approach is needed. |
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