Urban Green Infrastructure of Russian South: Spatial Justice - Ecological Efficiency Nexus

The incorporation of nature-based solutions into urban planning and development policies has become a pressing issue in many large cities worldwide, aiming to improve the urban environment and the well-being of city-dwellers. However, the establishment and management of urban green infrastructure can be expensive and may lead to spatial injustice or be ecologically inefficient due to the planning decisions. This study focuses on the Spatial Justice-Ecological Efficiency Nexus of urban green infrastructure in large Caucasian cities of Russia, where urbanization rates are rapidly increasing. The hypothesis of this study is that green infrastructure in Russian cities predominantly has an ecological aspect, meaning that it provides a large volume of ecosystem services that are still unavailable to a significant portion of the urban population. To explore this topic, we aim to assess the balance between the social and ecological aspects of green infrastructure in six case study cities, including Makhachkala, Grozny, Nalchik, Maykop, Vladikavkaz, and Stavropol. The assessment framework includes 12 indicators, divided into two categories: spatial justice (6 indicators) and ecological efficiency (6 indicators). The spatial justice indicators assess the availability, accessibility, and distribution of green infrastructure, while the ecological efficiency indicators evaluate the performance of regulating and supporting ecosystem services. The results revealed that despite the common prevalence of ecological side in large Russian cities, the spatial justice side in the southern cities generally dominates over the ecological side, with most cities having an unbalanced nexus. Green infrastructure in the studied cities has a low ecological input, with a mean total score of around 300 points (out of 600), with most cities lacking protected areas and green areas beyond the edge effect. Meanwhile, the social side of the nexus is more developed, with an average score of 400. The study highlights the need for a more integrated approach to urban green infrastructure planning, considering both justice and ecological aspects to ensure a more just and sustainable urban environment. Overall, in this research we introduce a multidimensional approach to understanding the functions and qualities of green infrastructure that will allow for a more comprehensive assessment and planning of the rapidly growing southern cities. This study contributes to the understanding of the complex relationships between urban green infrastructure spatial justice and ecological efficiency, providing valuable insights for urban planners, policymakers, and stakeholders seeking to create more sustainable and equitable urban environment.