New Urban Spaces: The Emergence of Green Economies

Abstract

‘Green’ in the context of cities has long been associated with open ­recreational spaces, urban forestry, ambient air quality, and similar attributes that portray a ‘healthy’ and arguably, sustainable urban environment. Seen as a design concept, green (as opposed to ‘brown’) cities epitomized a conscious and sustainable approach to urban planning. With the emergence of climate change as the defining issue at the turn of the twenty-first century, the notion of green cities has progressively taken on a new meaning underlined by an emphasis on “green growth”, “low carbon development”, “climate compatible development”, etc. The new focus of the green cities concept – energy efficiency, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and green jobs – has transformed how we think about urbanization, especially how we (re)create and use urban spaces. Therefore, this chapter will trace the origins of this shift, explore the multifaceted dimensions of a green urban economy, and critically analyze the significance of greening of cities in terms of policy and practice.