From Canopy to Concrete: Assessing Urban Green Space Depletion's Impact on Biodiversity With OSM Data

Introduction

Urbanization is a process of population concentration (Tisdale, 1942). This process involves different facets including demographic shifts, infrastructural developments, and socioeconomic transitions coupled with big urbanization where rural dwellers are opting to migrate to urban cities for exploitations and amenities. Urbanization forms the basis of significant land use and social pattern changes, affecting culturally entrenched issues such as consumption patterns and identity formation. This concept reflects a holistic reshaping of the spatial organization that is not only concerned with the sustainable utilization of the existing resources but also about the supply of basic services, thus being among the crucial aspects of global developments in our age. Urbanization is a global process that brings about emerging patterns in land use and land cover distribution, especially within urban settlements where population growth and development pressures are high (Fox, 2012; Zhang, 2008).

Urban green spaces act as a key to sustainable urban environments that safeguard human health and create a robust city as highlighted by (Jabbar et al., 2022). These spaces act as vital links in the process of promoting total health in the urban setting and building urban resilience. These green spaces, which comprise parks, forests, and community gardens, bring about health gains to urban dwellers in terms of psychological and physical well-being as elucidated by (Wolch et al., 2014). Apart from enhancing the popularity and fitness levels of citizens both for exercising and recreation, these spaces contribute extensively to psychological well-being endeavors and stress mitigation in the midst of urban hustle. Besides that, the cities’ green spaces are prime ecosystems, sheltering biodiversity and mitigating the pollution impacts, consequently, the cities become more ecological. Such outcomes clearly point to the necessity of preservation and equitable distribution of urban green spaces, being components of the policy tools and vision of urban development, which, in turn, serves as a foundation for healthy and resilient communities.

However, the rapid pace of urbanization is diminishing green spaces within cities. As urban areas expand to accommodate growing populations and infrastructural demands, green spaces are often sacrificed, leading to increased fragmentation and loss of biodiversity. For example, rapid urban expansion in Southeast Asian cities has reduced green space from 45% to 20 as noted by (Nor et al., 2021). Similarly, Ethiopia, experienced a 51.8% decrease in green space at a rate of 3.9% annual loss between 2003 and 2016, driven by factors such as population growth, high land values, and lax enforcement of planning regulations as endorsed by (Girma et al., 2019).

The continuous development of a city and the depletion of green areas contribute to the increased focus on biodiversity and ecological health status. As highlighted by (Nor et al., 2017) The rampant urbanization that is engaged now raises a decline in urban green spaces, and that inevitably reduces connectivity in and between these ecosystems. It also contributes to destroying the balanced network of biodiversity in urban areas and decreasing the amount of stability and efficiency of urban ecosystems. Knowledge of how urban green space decline is related to biodiversity reduction is essential for overcoming the problem caused by urbanization and maintaining sustainable urban development. Urban green spaces are an irreplaceable element for balanced ecosystems, a home for wildlife, a climate regulator, and also support for human well-being. One of the outcomes of evaluating the effect of the degradation of urban green space on biodiversity will be informed land use management, conservation plans, and policy legislations aimed at neutralizing unbridled urbanization on ecosystems and biodiversity.