Innovation and technology in agriculture and alternative foods
Without sustainable agricultural innovation, such as the use of artificial intelligence, the world faces persistent food insecurity and degraded resources.
This brief provides an overview of the ecosystem service contributions of urban biodiversity and green infrastructure and the challenges for improving their provision - complementing POSTnote 538 on Green Space and Health.
Urban Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Services (623 KB , PDF)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58248/PB26
Human health and subjective wellbeing (emotional states and life satisfaction) can be considered the overarching outcome of optimal ecosystem service provision. Ecosystem services are the benefits provided to humans by natural systems that range from food and water to recreation and climate regulation. In urban areas, the elements of the natural environment providing ecosystem services are referred to as ‘green infrastructure’. Strategic improvement of urban geen infrastructure has been proposed as a cost effective public health measure. For a detailed overview of the evidence on urban green space and health, see POSTnote 538.
Urban green infrastructure is not just open spaces such as parks, playing fields, cemeteries, allotments, and private gardens, but also green roofs and walls, street trees and sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDs), as well as ponds, rivers and canals. However, existing urban green infrastructure in the UK has not been strategically planned to deliver ecosystem services. This brief provides an overview of the ecosystem service contributions of urban green infrastructure and the challenges for improving the provision of these services.
Acknowledgements
POSTbriefs are based on mini literature reviews and are externally peer reviewed. POST would like to thank peer reviewers for kindly giving up their time during the preparation of this briefing, including:
Photo credit: DCMS, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Urban Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Services (623 KB , PDF)
Without sustainable agricultural innovation, such as the use of artificial intelligence, the world faces persistent food insecurity and degraded resources.
How can a land use framework best address food security, climate mitigation and adaptation, and nature recovery challenges within England’s finite land area.
Digital technologies are revolutionising much of the UK’s infrastructure. What are the are opportunities and challenges?