Urban Green Space in Transition: Historical Parks and Soviet Heritage in Arkhangelsk, Russia

Abstract

Urban green space has been largely underestimated as a prospect for healthy and liveable environments in many post-socialist countries after the fall of state socialism. In the Soviet Union, green space in the city was a part of urban planning, albeit more as a proclamation and was, for the most part, implemented in a top-down manner. During the post-socialist transformation, economic restructuring dwarfed the debate on urban nature and greening. Over the last few years, a change can be witnessed in this respect: urban nature relating to residential quality and well-being has become more relevant to people, their perceptions and daily practices. This paper analyses the development and main characteristics of urban green spaces in Arkhangelsk, Russia. It discusses the importance of urban nature for people’s well-being and housing and its contribution to social cohesion and local identity. This paper argues that urban greening is not only a planning tool used to create liveable and healthy urban environments but also an important strategy in awareness raising and public involvement activities

Published in

Critical Housing Analysis
2016, Volume: 3, number: 2, pages: 61 - 70

UKÄ Subject classification

Other Earth and Related Environmental Sciences


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13060/23362839.2016.3.2.300

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/89393