Green infrastructure benefits – medium and small-sized cities perspective derived from their programming and planning documents

The awareness of city authorities and planning officials regarding the importance of green infrastructure (GI) is essential for its effective implementation. Planning documents serve as indicators of this awareness, reflecting the extent to which cities are prepared to develop GI and comprehend its associated benefits. We hypothesize that in Polish small and medium-sized cities, a traditional approach persists, primarily emphasizing well-established benefits. To test this hypothesis, we analysed development, spatial, and environmental policies from 20 Polish cities using content analysis, guided by the GRETA 2018 benefits catalogue. Our methodology included correlation, cluster, and principal component analyses to examine how cities recognize and incorporate these benefits. Of the 26 potential benefits linked to GI, 21 were identified within the documents. However, benefits traditionally recognised - such as recreation, environmental quality, and habitat preservation - remained predominant. The greatest acknowledgment of benefits was observed in spatial development policies. Statistical analyses indicated no significant correlation between the size of GI elements, the number of facilities, and the benefits recognised. Overall, small and medium-sized cities in Poland have yet to fully recognize the multifunctionality of GI and its potential to deliver multiple benefits. • The concept of Green Infrastructure (GI) emphasizes the benefits that green spaces provide to urban inhabitants. • Planning documents in Poland do not refer to ecosystem services, but they do identify the benefits of GS at the local level. • The importance and role of GS are not yet noticed in terms specific to the green infrastructure concept. • There is a lack of cohesion of the GS benefits in the individual cities' documents.