Urban green spaces are open areas intentionally designed, that are allocated through spatial planning and serve ecological, social and recreational purposes. These areas can include parks, gardens, playgrounds, allotments and others. Considering soil, urban green spaces can keep the urban land unsealed and biologically active. They can limit the sealing and can maintain living soils storing carbon, supporting biodiversity, regulating water and cooling the city. When created on brownfields or degraded land they can also restore soil through the processes of de-sealing, decompaction and remediation.

Recommendations for Implementation

Urban green spaces should be creating according to the condition and functional potential of the existing soil.

• Where soils are already open and functional: prioritise their protection from sealing, compaction and unnecessary disturbance and improve their quality through appropriate vegetation and low-intensity management.
• Where sites are sealed or degraded: undertake site-specific soil and contamination assessment followed, where appropriate, by de-sealing or de-paving, removal of artificial materials, decompaction, remediation and reconstruction of the soil profile, and other restoration and regeneration practices. Reuse suitable excavated soil on site where possible and provide sufficient soil depth, volume and rooting space to support the intended vegetation. Integrate trees, native and climate-adapted vegetation, rain gardens, swales, floodable areas and other SuDS/blue-green infrastructure according to local hydrological conditions and the intended ecosystem services. Use permeable surfaces only where a hard surface is required, and protect restored soils during construction and through appropriate long-term management

Examples enhancing soil health

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Planning examples

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Technical guides and inspiring research

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