Functional Biodiversity for Urban Planning: Access to Mitigative Effects and Therapeutic Benefits of UGS

The measure of access to urban green space (UGS) informs planning and expectations for implementation, leading to suggested strategies for optimising UGS integration to urban planning to counteract sprawl developments. The article studies the meaning of access to UGS and the importance of UGS type, selection and configuration for urban planning. A literature review guided by the refined wilding (RW) concept analyses common uses and understandings of access to UGS, and the UGS types often studied and recommended. The studies reviewed are from several different countries. This conceptual guidance is explained for its role in improving sustainable urbanisation and lowering risks most responsible for the challenges faced. The meaning of access to UGS as mitigative effects and therapeutic benefits provides scope for optimised measures, monitoring, planning and design of different UGS across different urban plans and developments. Functional connectivity across UGS and transparent spaces with increases in or reserved UGS, no matter the urban development, densification, redesign of sprawl, suburbanisation or other vertical or horizontal expansions in the urban built environment is recommended. Conclusions provide discussions relevant to recommendations and strategies for planning that can decrease fragmentation and loss of natural landscape, including how peri-urban functionally connects to UGS, and an understanding of the benefits of distanced UGS access. The lessons and recommendations from existing studies of well-intentioned plans for UGS in densification planning inform recommendations and strategies for improved implementation. RW provides conceptual guidance for analysis and for urban green planning. The objective of functional urban biodiversity could provide a basis for a standard for UGS in urban planning to ensure long-term positive outcomes.