Posts Tagged ‘urban planning’

Interview with Professor Makoto Yokohari Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Keynote speaker at the IUFRO Regional Congress for Asia and Oceania – Forests for Sustainable Development: The Role of Research


The Role of Forests in Urban Green Spaces

interview-keynote-yokohari-portrait

Professor Makoto Yokohari, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Professor Yokohari, landscape and urban planning, urban ecology, and ecological landscape design are at the core of your academic interests. The IUFRO Regional Congress for Asia and Oceania draws attention to the particular role that forests play for the sustainable development in urban and peri-urban areas and has identified “Urban forestry for human health and community well-being” as one of its key themes.

Q: Urban green spaces have significantly gained in importance worldwide in view of rapid urbanization of society and the development of megacities. What are the major benefits of urban green spaces in general?

A: Three clusters of ecological functions, or benefits, can be listed, which are “human comfort”, “conservation of physical environment” and “conservation of biological environment”. The first cluster includes functions as landscape conservation and recreational uses, the second includes microclimate control and water retention, and the third includes conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity. Read more…

IUFRO - The International Union of Forest Research Organizations