Greening of Riyadh
Abstract
Green spaces have a large impact on urban areas. As a result, it is critical that people constantly assess these effects and their societal benefits. It goes without saying that what people do to the environment or the earth has the potential to destroy them. The goal of this project is to look into the ethical implications of Riyadh’s greening on the city’s society. Riyadh’s greening has numerous benefits for both city residents and the environment. Among other benefits, Riyadh will be able to combat air and noise pollution. This study’s methodology was a survey via Google forms. A 5-point Likert scale was used to create the sample survey. The utilitarian theory can be applied to the quandary of greening Riyadh in order to provide clean air and healthy living conditions. Following the utilitarian principle, we anticipate that many people will have access to clean air and a healthy lifestyle after green spaces are fully implemented. Based on the results, people were less likely to plan outdoor events, but this has improved over time. This indicates that people either did not see the need or did not have enough space to engage in outdoor activities. More green spaces will promote a healthy city in which everyone wants to live.
The Project’s Introduction and Goal
Green spaces have a significant impact on cities. As a result, it is critical for people to constantly consider these impacts and the benefits to society. It is obvious that what people do to the environment or the earth has the potential to destroy it. The effects of human environmental destruction can be seen in rising global temperatures, rising sea levels, and the presence of heatwaves. Furthermore, the destruction of the environment in cities has resulted in foul odors in the city, resulting in a lack of clean air, dirty environments, and even smog. People and leaders are learning how to correct the current situation by ensuring the environment is protected in the best way possible as a result of these effects. Among the measures taken by cities is the inclusion of green cities in urban planning.
The goal of this project is to look into the ethical implications of Riyadh’s greening on the city’s society. Urban greening refers to projects like urban forestry and landscaping that take place in cities to foster a relationship between humans and the environment. There are numerous advantages to greening Riyadh for both city dwellers and the environment. Among the advantages will be Riyadh’s ability to combat air and noise pollution. Furthermore, the green spaces will offset carbon emissions from automobiles and industrial machinery. Green spaces also play an important role in improving people’s morale and Helping in the treatment of mental health issues. These concerns can be addressed within the context of Vision 2030, which aims to introduce livable green cities, resulting in higher quality of life.
Review of Literature
Previous research has been conducted to document the effects of urban pollution. According to Staricco and Brovarone (2022), car traffic in many urban areas has a significant impact on cities and neighborhoods in terms of noise, air pollution, and safety. Having a large number of automobiles driving around the city has been shown to have a significant impact on the quality of life. The authors discuss the Supermanzana model, which was used in Barcelona, and how it identifies the main road network and establishes a system of superblocks within the meshes of this network (Staricco & Brovarone, 2022, p. 355). This model, once implemented, ensures city livability, equity, and health. According to research, the model has helped to reclaim public spaces, resulting in more sustainable cities. It has been proposed that greening cities, which include activities such as planting trees along streets, installing new parks, and cultivating rooftop gardens, makes cities more appealing and, more importantly, improves residents’ well-being (Haase et al., 2017). Green strategies are now being used as an ingredient in urban renewal and the upgrading of urban revitalizations. According to Haase et al. (2017), urban greening has many positive effects, but it may also have negative social consequences, such as favoring the middle and upper classes at the expense of less privileged residents.
Methodology
This study’s methodology was a survey hosted on Google Forms. A 5-point Likert scale was used to create the sample survey. Participants were assured that their responses would be kept private and anonymous. The survey has ten questions in total, with eight of them focusing on physical health and the other on social/recreational aspects. The participants were asked to indicate how much they agreed or disagreed with each statement. For example, how likely are you to organize an outdoor event this year versus last? Participants could choose between 1 (much less) and 5 (much more) (Much more).
Data Examination
The utilitarian theory can be used to analyze the dilemma of greening Riyadh in order to provide clean air and a healthy lifestyle. The utilitarian theory is concerned with the outcomes or consequences of people’s actions. Utilitarianism promotes actions that increase happiness or do the most good for the greatest number of people. When considering the greening of Riyadh, one must consider the benefits that such a project would bring in terms of improved mental and physical health for citizens. Following the utilitarian principle, we anticipate that many people will have access to clean air and a healthy lifestyle. Green spaces ensure that city residents’ mental health improves and that their health is not jeopardized by excessive pollution. Negative aspects such as people being relocated to make way for green spaces cannot outweigh the benefits that residents will receive throughout the project.
Data Outcomes
The results below represent some of the most important outcomes from the 20 responses.
How likely are you to organize an outdoor event this year compared to this time last year?
How would you rate the ease of access to green outdoor areas compared to this time last year?
Did your time spent outside increase or decrease compared to this time last year, and if so, how much?
Implications for Practice
According to the findings, people were unlikely to organize outdoor events. This means that people either did not see the need or did not have enough space to hold their outdoor events. However, the number of people attending outdoor events has increased over the previous year. According to the data, 35% of people say they are more likely to organize outdoor events in the city this year than the previous year. Furthermore, no one claims to be less interested in organizing outdoor events, which is a good sign of progress. The second report discusses the likelihood of gaining access to green spaces. This means that participants can go for a walk on their own or relax without having to be in an event setting. In this area, we see significant improvement over the previous year. Fifty percent of those polled said they value access to green outdoor spaces. This means that by walking around the city, they can find a green space to relax in. It is worth noting that the majority of participants stated that they are likely to access green spaces, with only a few stating that they have difficulty accessing them. The third important question was whether or not people spent more time outside over time. In comparison to the previous year, the majority of participants admit to spending more time outside. It is clear that the established green spaces around Riyadh have been bringing in a lot of money for the people. This is a positive trend because people enjoy themselves when they visit green spaces. It means they can relax and relieve mental tension, avoiding mental stress. Creating more green spaces in the city is a good step in the right direction. As a business professional, green spaces ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Implications for Society
This project has Helped in identifying some of the trends that people in Riyadh have adopted in the event of an increase in green spaces. Green spaces promote positive interactions and lay a solid foundation for social cohesion, which improves well-being and health. Clean air is available to society, which is essential for good health. Cases of respiratory problems have been reported in cities with high levels of pollution. Green spaces encourage people to exercise by going for jogs or participating in team activities. One goal of having green spaces, according to Vision 2030, is to ensure that people exercise at least once a week.
As more people enjoy green spaces, we will see an increase in social responsibility among corporations and the general public. Corporates will even contribute financially to the development of green spaces as part of the push for more green spaces. Policies will be developed to ensure that people do not degrade the quality of these green spaces by littering, for example.
Conclusion
People and leaders have an ethical responsibility to ensure that cities have access to green spaces in order to protect everyone from the dangers that come with polluting the environment. This project demonstrates that people have a positive attitude toward the implementation of green spaces, and it is prudent to continue with Riyadh’s greening. This initiative will ensure that the city contributes to the achievement of Vision 2030 and the improvement of people’s quality of life.
References
Andersson, E., Banzhaf, E., Baró, F., Brenck, M., Fischer, L. K., Frantzeskaki, N., Kabisch, N., Krellenberg, K., Kremer, P., Kronenberg, J., Larondelle, N., Mathey, J., Pauleit, S., Ring, I., Rink, D., Schwarz, N.,… M. Wolff (2017). To be socially inclusive, cities must be greened. Concerning the alleged contradiction between society and ecology in cities. 64, 41-48, Habitat International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2017.04.005
L. Staricco and E. V. Brovarone (2022). Insights from Barcelona on livable neighborhoods for sustainable cities. 354-361 in Transportation Research Procedia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2021.12.046
G. McCombe, A. Harrold, C. McMeel, G. Mills, N. Moore-Cherry, and W. Cullen (2020): A scoping review of the impact of green spaces on mental health in urban settings, DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2020.1755027 Journal of Mental Health
