28. The City Green Landscapes: Environmental Benefits and Typologies of Green Landscapes in Delhi

Green landscapes help and provide many environmental benefits that will improve the air quality, water quality, biodiversity and habitat protection. The negative impact and pressure of an increase in population affect the environment locally, regionally and globally. Major environmental challenges which the cities are facing nowadays are the episodes of urban floods, urban heat, pollution, earthquakes, pandemics, etc. It is agreed through different literature that green landscapes are essential for the wellbeing of the people. Environmental strategies for an urban area need to be supported by several factors that are biotic and abiotic. The ecosystem services in the cities and the chain of the ecosystem’s sustainability help to overcome the issues of environmental stresses in urban areas. Vegetation is considered one of the important biotic factors that immensely protects the environment and its surroundings in several ways. The density and spatial configuration of urban green landscapes like the canopy covers, buffers along the roads and patches of greens in between the built-up areas affect immediate environments and help in regulating the land surface temperatures and improve both local and city-wide urban air quality. This chapter will focus on the different typologies and environmental services of urban green landscapes in Delhi. The green landscapes in Delhi are maintained by various organisations and that is mainstream at the levels of spatial plans. The Planning Norms have tried to mainstream green landscapes but still, the green landscapes are in process of incorporating the different current environmental challenges like Climate Change, Urban Heat Islands effects and Air Pollution Management. Well-planned and designed green landscapes along different land uses have positive impacts on the environment.