A thriving compact green city where buildings and nature coexist harmoniously.

Green Cities: How Urban Planning Can Save Our Planet (and Our Sanity)

Jordan Keane in Climate & Environment August 2025 • 3 min read.

"Discover how the green infrastructure concept is transforming cityscapes and promoting eco-friendly urban development for a healthier, more sustainable future."

The world is rapidly urbanizing, placing immense strain on resources and demanding innovative solutions for sustainable living. The concept of the "compact city" has emerged as a powerful approach to address these challenges, aiming to concentrate development and reduce urban sprawl. However, simply packing people together isn't enough. We need to ensure our cities are also green, offering access to nature and its vital benefits.

This is where the concepts of green infrastructure and ecosystem services come into play. Green infrastructure refers to strategically planned networks of natural and semi-natural areas within urban environments, designed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. These services include everything from cleaner air and water to recreational spaces and climate regulation.

But how do we integrate these concepts into urban planning effectively? How can we create cities that are both compact and green, balancing the needs of a growing population with the imperative to protect our environment? This article delves into these critical questions, exploring the principles of green infrastructure and ecosystem services, and how they can be applied to create more sustainable, resilient, and livable urban environments.

The Greenprint: Key Strategies for Compact and Green Cities

A thriving compact green city where buildings and nature coexist harmoniously.

So, what are the essential elements of a successful compact and green city? Research points to several key strategies:

Multi-Object Approach: Embrace a variety of green spaces. Think beyond traditional parks to include green roofs, roadside trees, community gardens, and restored waterways. Each type of green space offers unique benefits and caters to diverse needs.

Integration: Weave green spaces into the urban fabric. Integrate green infrastructure into existing gray infrastructure like transport networks and buildings.
Connectivity: Create green corridors. Link separate green spaces to form ecological networks, allowing for the movement of wildlife and the flow of ecosystem services.
Multi-Functionality: Design for multiple benefits. Ensure green spaces provide a range of services, from recreation and habitat to stormwater management and climate regulation.

Beyond these structural elements, effective governance is crucial. This includes:

The Greener Tomorrow: Investing in Sustainable Urban Futures

Creating compact and green cities is not merely an environmental imperative, but an investment in our collective well-being. By embracing innovative urban planning strategies, prioritizing green infrastructure, and valuing ecosystem services, we can build cities that are not only sustainable but also healthier, more resilient, and more enjoyable places to live. It's time to reimagine our urban landscapes and pave the way for a greener, more vibrant future.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.3390/su9020198, Alternate LINK

Title: Using The Concepts Of Green Infrastructure And Ecosystem Services To Specify Leitbilder For Compact And Green Cities—The Example Of The Landscape Plan Of Dresden (Germany)

Subject: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Journal: Sustainability

Publisher: MDPI AG

Authors: Martina Artmann, Olaf Bastian, Karsten Grunewald

Published: 2017-02-01

Everything You Need To Know

How do the concepts of "compact city", "green infrastructure", and "ecosystem services" work together to address urbanization challenges?

The concept of "compact city" focuses on concentrating development to reduce urban sprawl. This, combined with the concepts of "green infrastructure" and "ecosystem services," aims to create urban environments that are not only densely populated but also sustainable and enjoyable. "Green infrastructure" strategically uses natural and semi-natural areas to provide "ecosystem services" like clean air and recreational spaces. Without the focus on "green infrastructure", compact cities could become overcrowded and unsustainable.

What exactly is "green infrastructure," and how does it differ from traditional parks or green spaces?

"Green infrastructure" refers to the network of natural and semi-natural areas planned within urban settings. These areas are designed to provide "ecosystem services", which are the benefits that humans receive from ecosystems. These services include clean air and water, recreational spaces, and climate regulation. Traditional parks are just one component; "green infrastructure" also includes green roofs, roadside trees, community gardens, and restored waterways.

What are the key strategies for creating successful compact and green cities, and how do these strategies contribute to overall sustainability?

Key strategies involve a multi-object approach, which embraces various green spaces, not just traditional parks. Integration is key, weaving green spaces into existing urban structures like transport networks. Connectivity involves creating green corridors to link separate green spaces, forming ecological networks. Finally, multi-functionality means designing green spaces to provide multiple benefits, such as recreation, habitat, stormwater management, and climate regulation.

Is governance important in creating compact and green cities, and if so, how does it contribute to their success?

Yes, effective governance is crucial. Sustainable urban planning necessitates policies that prioritize "green infrastructure" and "ecosystem services". This involves integrating environmental considerations into all levels of decision-making, fostering collaboration between different sectors, and engaging citizens in the planning process. Without effective governance, the implementation of "green infrastructure" may lack coordination and fail to achieve its full potential.

What are the long-term benefits of creating compact and green cities, and why is it considered an investment in our future?

Creating compact, green cities is an investment in collective well-being. Prioritizing "green infrastructure" and valuing "ecosystem services" can lead to cities that are not only environmentally sustainable but also healthier, more resilient, and more enjoyable places to live. This includes benefits such as improved air and water quality, increased opportunities for recreation, and reduced vulnerability to climate change impacts. Failure to implement these concepts leads to environmental decline and diminished quality of life for urban residents.