Assessing Green Space in Manchester - Case Study Example

Introduction

Manchester is one of the major cities in the United Kingdom, and it boasts of a very rich industrial heritage. Other than this, Manchester is considered to be one of United Kingdom’s vast metropolis and though it is landlocked and is one of the counties in the UK that are densely populated and highly urbanized. It is, however, important to note that not all areas in Manchester are densely populated. As a matter of fact, the land that is in overwhelming use and that is mostly densely populated is the urban areas probably owing to the myriad of activities that take place in the urban areas every day. The magnitude and the division of Manchester into urban, suburb, semi-rural and rural areas make it relevant for the study of the geography in the UK.

Literature review

According to Miller et.al, (2015), the existence of one or more green spaces or as they are commonly referred to as public spaces in every city center is of great importance for a lot of reasons. The term greenspace is derived from the fact that most of the public spaces are characterized by green vegetation and particularly trees and tendered grass. Most cities around the world have these green spaces, and Manchester is no exception. However, as highlighted by Peschardt et.al, (2012), the green spaces in Manchester city are smaller than some other green spaces in rural areas of this country such as the Heaton Park, Alexandra Park, and the Platt fields. That notwithstanding, Polyakova, (2012) states that Manchester has a lot of green spaces, only the thing is that these individual spaces are that very big. Some are too small such that most people do not realize they are green spaces accessible to the public. Considering all the green spaces in Manchester, that is, those in the City Centre and those in the rural areas, Manchester can be said to have very large green spaces improve the geographical look at the UK as a whole.

According to Stigsdotter et.al, (2010), Manchester City is vast which means that it cannot be sufficiently served by one green space. Some areas around Manchester city had lacked these spaces mostly owing to the high industrialization in this city. For instance, the area around Hardman Square had lacked such a space and this result to the launch of what is now known as The Garden. This space is fitted with outdoor heaters which can be used by the members of the public accessing that greenspace. Another prominent green space within Manchester is Cathedral Gardens, which stands between the National Football Museum, the Corn Exchange and Chetham’s School of music. These institutions do attract a lot of people which means that this green space is strategically positioned. In addition to that, the Parsonage Gardens comprise the list of the green spaces in Manchester, and it is located just behind the House of Fraser. This space is considered an optimal for a peaceful retreat away from the Deansgate, which is an urban center a few miles from this park.

Based on Pauleit et.al, (2005), green spaces have a lot of benefits which range from economic benefits to health benefits. For instance, one of the economic benefits is that residential or commercial buildings that neighbor green spaces attract higher rental costs than those further from the greenspace. Furthermore, Lafortezza et.al, (2009) states that green spaces contribute to the growth in the tourism sector, something that has been realized in Manchester and the UK as a whole. Moreover, one of the health benefits of the green spaces is improved health, a fact that has been proven through studies and research. Green spaces have also been found to be effective in helping people relieve stress, a benefit that is of great significance to the UK especially considering that depression and mental illness cost the country £ 26.1 billion. Other than that green spaces improve the geographical view of Manchester and United Kingdom entirely.

Case studies

A lot of research and studies have been done to evaluate the importance and the significance of green spaces and especially in urban centers. Some of the case studies will be discussed in this paper in appreciation of the thesis of the question. Development of greenspaces is majorly a responsibility of the local government or the state as the case may be, but this responsibility has extended to private developers in recent years as well. The green space developments can be classified into simplex and complex designs, and this is mainly based on the size of the city centers.

One of the case studies regarding green space developments regards the development of the Kerekardo Park in Hungary by the government (Takács, 2012). The park is established around an area that was once cluttered with debris from demolished rental building which caused this area to be neglected for a long time. The government lacked sufficient funds to rebuild the flats, so it resulted in the development of a green space close to this location in a bid to improve the environment in this area and its appeal in an attempt to attract investors. This move attracted real estate developers as hoped and since then real estate developer in this part of Budapest has grown widely. However, a green area covering about 9000m2 has been developed as a green space. This case shows how green spaces can boost a country’s economy and represents a green space development initiated by the government.

Some other green places are created as semi-public or private areas by their contribution to the improvement of the environment, and the geographical appeal of a location is the same as that of large public green spaces. An example of green space that has limited access is the Roman Garden in the eight district of Budapest. A study was constructed to evaluate how this green space came into existence considering that it is surrounded almost entirely by both commercial and residential buildings. This space is considered to be an interior garden, and it covers an area of 4000m2. The area doubles up as a leisure area and a playground as well (Szkordilisz, 2014). At the time of developing the buildings surrounding this area, no landscaping plans were taken into consideration which means there was no plan to have a green space in the middle of these establishments. The sale and rental of these properties were slow which prompted the investor to make plans and consequently develop the Roman Garden at the center of this flats. A soon as the garden was developed, the sales increased. This clearly indicates the economic benefit of the green spaces and in addition to that, it shows that people are concerned with their environment and not only with the state of the flats they reside in. Green spaces have been found to stimulate chemicals in the body that reduce the levels of stress in addition to having positive implications on blood pressure.

Critical analysis

In the United Kingdom, the temperatures in the urban centers such as Manchester City have been found to be about one to two degrees higher than the temperatures in the rural areas (Bell et.al, 2007). This anomaly has been attributed to the materials used for construction in the cities which absorb more heat energy than the natural vegetation they replace. This exposes the urban dwellers to the risk of heat waves which can be very lethal. However, it is proven that the green spaces in the urban areas, for instance, those in Manchester city are cooler than the areas built up in the city by about one degree Celsius on average (Gill, 2006). Additionally, research has shown that this cool atmosphere in the green spaces extends to the surrounding urban areas. As a matter of fact, urban centers that have large green spaces can save on air conditioning costs during summer since the breeze from the green spaces is considered to be sufficient.

Since the onset of industrialization, the carbon dioxide composition of the atmosphere is estimated to have increased by more than 40%. Manchester for instance boasts of immense industrialization but much as this may have its benefits, it has demerits as well which can be mitigated through the development of larger green spaces (Skelhorn et.al, 2014). Scientific studies have proved that plants including trees utilize a certain percentage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store some of it in their stems and roots further emphasizing on the need for more green spaces. In addition to that, green spaces improve the geographical appeal of urban centers which consequently boosts tourism in that particular area (Lawson & Carter, 2009). It is very important therefore that even as industrialization continues, private developers and the government ensure that green spaces are provided for. To better understand the importance of green spaces in urban centers, qualitative data collection techniques such as action research and quantitative techniques should be used in further research.

Conclusion

Manchester is one of the largest cities in the United Kingdom and has vast urban areas. In addition to that, it is one of the cities that has seen great industrialization which has taken up most of the land. However, it is important that amidst this real estate developments, green spaces be developed as well especially because they have vast benefits regarding improved health, economic growth, and environmental conservation. Green spaces motivate people to engage in physical exercise which improves their health and they also help reduce the amount of the carbon dioxide composition of the atmosphere.