REDEFINING ‘ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE’ FOR BETTER GREENSPACES

This check has revealed the key to unlocking ‘green sky’ opportunities as part of post-pandemic economic recovery.

‘Essential’ or ‘Critical Infrastructure’ means assets, infrastructure, systems and networks that provide essential services necessary for social and economic wellbeing and is typically public infrastructure.

Jess Miller, Greener Spaces Better Places Program Director, said, “Often times, we don’t appreciate the importance of assets, systems and infrastructure until it is under threat, and that is exactly what we saw happen as part of the COVID-19 response from local government and from the communities that they represent.”

The Pulse Check found 60 percent of respondents said urban greening, including tree-planting, maintenance, potted colour displays and other capital works projects like new parks, were considered “essential”, and expenditure would remain the same or be brought forward; while 40 percent said that the future of activities like new plantings, community greening projects and major works were considered at risk in the COVID-19 environment and beyond.

Miller said, “Our conversations with local government further highlighted a real shift in community attitudes toward greenspaces. Given public health orders pertaining especially to the closure of gyms and team sports, there was a huge increase in the reliance on public open spaces, gardens and streets for a natural dose of physical and mental.

“In high density areas and for apartment dwellers, access to high quality greenspace heightened the value of these assets, infrastructure, and indeed networks (such as active transport routes) as essential services necessary to social and economic wellbeing.”

The shift in positive sentiment for green spaces was reported by the majority of councils surveyed (87 percent), where parks, promenades and open spaces became vital community places during the COVID-19 lockdown period. The Department of Industry and Planning in NSW also confirmed dramatic increases in green space use from their community survey and the CSIRO are conducting an ongoing national study into the importance of neighbourhood and private greenspaces.

Anthony Kachenko, Hort Innovation's General Manager of Data and Extension, said, “Given how critical these spaces are for mental health and wellbeing during a time of increased community stress, it's so important we have access to nature when we most need it. With some of the first studies coming out on the impact of the pandemic on mental health, more and better greenspace could mean more than ever.”

Greener Spaces Better Places advocates Professor Thomas Astell-Burt and Associate Professor Xiaoqi Feng from the University of Wollongong confirmed last year the type of green space also matters to mental health. Their research found adults with 30 percent or more of their neighbourhood covered in some form of tree canopy had 31 percent lower odds of developing psychological distress, and 33 percent lower odds of developing fair to poor general health.

Kachenko explained the increased and diversified usage of these spaces during this time is still yet to be properly explored in terms of what it meant for people during the lockdown, but also after, and something is something they are keen to explore further.

“As we will be living in varied stages of COVID-19 restrictions for some time, let’s leverage this critical opportunity to gather this information while behaviours and attitudes are changing, and promote activities that encourage longer-term behaviour change in the community,” said Kachenko.

While community behaviour and attitudes did indeed reflect the attitude that green space is ‘essential infrastructure’, council funding priorities and state and federal conversations about critical infrastructure spending, are not yet consistent with this reality.

Miller concluded, “The best opportunities for local government is to continue to highlight that urban greening projects are most effective in generating ‘triple point score’ outcomes of economic, health, wellbeing and environmental benefits. For the hearts of so many communities and places – particularly during a crisis – to beat strongly, requires nourishment via state and federal stimulus.

“Were this to happen, we believe that not only would this heal our wounded economy, but we would also ensure the future fitness of our local communities, eco systems and instead transition from a narrow idea of ‘critical infrastructure’ to appreciating the value of ‘regenerative infrastructure’.”

Via Greener Spaces Better Places