A recent study described in Nature’s Journal of Urban Sustainability examines the natural processes happening within the soil in over fifty-six worldwide urban areas. To a much greater extent than the scientists expected, the urban green spaces resembled untouched wild areas in many ways. This suggests that small parks within cities might be able to contribute even more than we thought to ecological sustainability and the restoration of the world’s natural ecosystems.

An article by Ida Sofie Gotzche Lang and Chrisann Neysa Rodriguez in Europe Now highlights the role of urban green spaces in cleaning pollutants out of the air and providing homes for wildlife, thus fostering biodiversity. These spaces also provide shade and relief from heat, reducing the ambient daily temperature of an entire city as well as toning down noise pollution.

Humans also benefit from and appreciate these green spaces. An article from Sarah Cafasso of Stanford University, republished by the World Economic Forum, brings up the many ways small parks can improve the health of people in cities. These include giving people spaces to walk and exercise outdoors, helping people cool down and relax in peace and quiet in the shade, and providing spaces to gather and connect with others.

Another piece from London’s Natural History Museum points out how urban green spaces absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and help cool cities so residents can save on energy costs. Even a backyard garden or potted plants on a balcony contribute to that cooling effect, as do rooftop gardens on public buildings.

The authors point out that, despite the many positive effects of urban green spaces for all forms of urban life, these small innovative city parks can be linked to gentrification. This economic force can make life unaffordable for and displace lower income city residents. To lessen this potentially negative effect, the authors recommend evening out the impact of these urban parks by building more of them and placing them everywhere throughout our cities.

An environmental science piece in the journal Frontiers delves even more deeply into these equity issues. The authors survey three projects in the Netherlands designed to provide urban green space and associated enrichment activities for low-income people, those with mental health diagnoses, and the elderly with dementia. They came away positive about the promise and benefits of urban green space and highlighted the importance of working with and listening to the needs of the local communities surrounding the parks.

Additionally, they advocated private–public partnerships for park management and using the parks to provide resources and economic opportunities to local residents. In addition, they supported allowing local residents to use whatever public land and natural resources were not privately owned for their own benefit.

Urban green spaces represent the potential for reintegrating nature back into our daily lives in a sustainable and workable way. When designed and built with local residents and ecosystems in mind, they can bring great benefits to city residents, wildlife, pollinators, and our global climate.