Beyond Green: The Interplay of Urban Green Space Naturalness, Walkability, Social Cohesion, and Mental Health – A primitive Study Proposal for Poznań, Poland (1st part of the study)

Urbanization can be regarded as one of the most important changes happening globally in the twenty-first century. By 2050, it’s expected that about 68% of people will be living in cities. It is believed that shift can drive progress and innovation, but of course there will be challenges like overcrowding and social pressures. For example, during the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century, cities experienced economic growth and at the same time serious issues like poor living conditions and disease outbreaks were encountered by many; these problems should be solved and to do so, many European cities—such as London, Paris, and Berlin—started developing public parks to heal the urban life and provide a much-needed escape for their residents. If one wants to understand the importance of green spaces, they probably should study the history of urban green spaces (UGS). Tracking back the course of events in twentieth century, one can notice that the focus was mainly on making cities look nice and providing places for people to relax. Fast forward to now, and we see these green areas as bonding parts of our cities that contribute to sustainability, mental well-being, and community bonding. Organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union are recognizing the role of green spaces as vital for preventing health issues, highlighting how important they are for our overall quality of life. Even though there’s a lot of discussion among scholars about urban green spaces, much of the focus tends to be on numbers—like how much green space there is per person or specific vegetation indexes. Unfortunately, this often overlooks the more personal stories and experiences that show how policies, planning, and expert opinions shape our understanding of how greenery in cities can bring people together and improve our well-being. This study aims to fill that gap by taking a closer look at documents related to Poznań, Poland, exploring both its historical context and current conversations about urban greenery.