Breathing Life into Beijing: The Transformative Power of Greenspaces

View Fullscreen

The world needs to go green, and because of this, many countries are putting in place bold new sustainability plans. China is one of the countries taking the forefront in this movement, implementing lofty initiatives such as one to go completely carbon neutral by 2060. One place where these new steps to become more eco-friendly can be seen is Beijing, with its green spaces increasing by 77.41% from 2000 to 2020 (1).  This change in Beijing was prompted by the Chinese governments’ new emphasis on ecological security and the expanding of green spaces in urban settings. Beijing is a highly populous city which leads to an increased demand for ecological services and therefore puts pressure on the environment, which is why focus has been put on improving urban green spaces in Beijing. Urban green spaces in Beijing improve the health and well-being of residents and provide other benefits such as economic growth, an improved public image, and a more sustainable environment.

Urban green spaces, or UGS, are described as urban land that is partially or completely covered by vegetation such as grass, trees, or shrubs. These spaces can also be blue-green zones, as urban water can be considered as UGS. Some examples of UGS include parks, community gardens, meadows, woods, canals, rivers, riverbanks, etc. Beijing has a wide variety of green spaces: mainly public parks such as the Olympic Forest Park, Chaoyang Park, Jingshan Park, and Tiantan Park. Some other examples of green spaces in Beijing include the Liangma River and informal green spaces. These different spaces represent different benefits and impacts that green spaces can have on a city; from improved wellbeing of citizens to increased cost of housing, there are various changes that have occurred in Beijing with the expansion of green spaces.

In recent years, green spaces have seen an increase in growth and development in Beijing. A study done by academics from prominent Chinese universities looked at not only how UGS have changed in Beijing, but also the effects that this change has had (1). Their study took place from 2000 to 2020 and used remote sensing images that evaluated the green space. There has been a large increase in coverage of green space in Beijing, but also a fragmentation of green spaces. Though there has been proliferation of new UGS, the fragmentation of green space is also an important factor to consider when analyzing the number of green spaces. For example, the Number of Patches showed an increase from 11,326 to 57,913 blocks, which suggests fragmentation. The true gauge of growth of UGS is the Total Patch Area, which demonstrates the growth and development of new green spaces. This same study also demonstrated some of the ecosystem services that the implementation of new green spaces had during this time period. The dust retention, SO2 absorption, NO2 absorption, cooling and humidification, carbon fixation and oxygen release, and rainwater runoff reduction all improved with the increase of UGS in Beijing. This study is one of many that shows the range of ecological benefits that urban green spaces can produce, but these are not the only positive impacts they can have.

Health and well-being of citizens is another crucial benefit that can be brought about by urban green spaces. Multiple studies show the impact that urban green spaces have on those who interact with them. One study by Jialin He, Li Li, and Jiaming Li, academics from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (CAS) in Beijing, concluded that visiting large urban green spaces is effective in relieving stress and has other mental health benefits, especially in an over 50 age group (2). These benefits are able to be reaped by people of all backgrounds, regardless of gender, education level, age, or living situation. However, the topic of fair access to green spaces is a highly discussed issue that can be seen at play in Beijing, as not all of these demographics have equal access to UGS. This is why the concept of informal green spaces, or IGS, is such an interesting one. The growth of IGS and inclusion of the community in maintaining these spaces could be a way to provide more equal access and opportunity to experience the benefits of green spaces to everyone, regardless of demographic.

Finally, economic benefits can be introduced by these urban green spaces. In Beijing, this was seen through the improvement of neighborhoods due to the renovation of green spaces as well as an increase in housing prices by the development of new UGS. Chaoyang District was a previously low-income and undesirable neighborhood. With the renovation of the Liangma River as well as the building of the Chaoyang Park, this district flourished into a popular, thriving, business center (3). These sites are now popular attractions for tourists and locals alike. Not only this, but studies show that access to green spaces can raise local housing prices because of the value that UGS have (4). These projects are prime examples of how the city intervened to help create UGS and the benefits that are reaped from projects like this, as it created a center for social life as well as improving the environment and economy in the city

However, the development of urban green spaces is not always positive. In some cases, the building of UGS can harm residents. One example of this is the development of the Beijing green belt. This project disrupted many rural residents' homes and upended their lives. Through propaganda and selective journalism, the Chinese government displayed this project as a major success, but in reality, it is much more complicated than that. Urban green spaces in Beijing is a fascinating topic as it positively affects the lives of urban dwellers, but there is still a layer of complexity and analysis of intent behind the development of these spaces. 

Explore each of the Waypoints to learn more in-depth about how different areas of the beautiful city of Beijing showcase the impact of urban green spaces, both on the people who live in Beijing as well as the city as a whole!