Towards a greener Prishtina Green Infrastructure
Author: Malvina Koliçi (Istrefaj)
Affiliation: Polis University
Abstract
In the global world, Green infrastructure is being a highly suggested framework, as a successful strategy for dealing with smart development and a necessity application towards sustainable spatial planning. Implementing Green Infrastructure in the cities, has resulted with benefits in several aspects regarding the environment, image of the city, population health and also biodiversity conservation. The impact of the Green Infrastructure, especially in the cases of cities dealing with urban sprawl, air pollution, land waste, as well as social and economic chaos, is considered a great potential for addressing most of these issues. Green Infrastructure is achieved through application of processes and policy themes which constitute the principles of Green Infrastructure, as an approach to promote and contribute to the quality of life and resilient cities. This paper argues for a critical and local approach of Green Infrastructure in Prishtina, in order to initiate and facilitate the adaption of this framework in planning processes and implementation phases. The research aims to provide a framework for conceptualizing further applications of GI1 in the level of municipality territory. First, the research aims to understand the principles and concepts of Green Infrastructure systems during the literature review, focusing in the assessment of green systems in the local, national and international policies. Mapping the territory of the city and evidencing the main issues; land use, natural assets as well as agricultural sites, pollutant elements and green urban spaces, is considered an indispensable phase for the elaboration of this study. A further understanding of other cities experience is accomplished by conducting a comparative analysis of GI principle applications in three case studies, to conceptualize successful interventions in green spaces in urban environments.
Hence, to generate an outcome of local elements, as proposals and recommendations for approaching Green Infrastructure in Prishtina, these layers are overlapped with the concept of GI as a system of links, hubs and sites. This concept is elaborated by Benedict and McMohan, two researches who have significantly contributed to the understanding, defining and approaching GI and which would be cited in the following parts of the article. The research finally aims to give in site-recommendations for comprehending, approaching, and implementing the GI Strategy in the specific context of Prishtina Municipality, as a result of researching phase.
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