Creating Greener Places for Healthy and Sustainable Communities – Ideas for Quality Green Public Space in South Australia

Green spaces are critical for providing healthy places for people, wildlife, trees and plants. They provide many advantages including: improved physical and mental health and wellbeing, improved community and social connectedness, opportunities for sport and recreation activities, preservation of natural environments, climate change adaptation benefits, and urban stormwater management.
The State Government has committed to the establishment of Green Adelaide, as a new entity for metropolitan Adelaide’s environment and its community, Greener Neighbourhoods grant program to fund the greening of neighbourhoods with local government, as well as reforming the state’s planning system. The design and delivery of quality green public space is becoming a key challenge for the urban planning and design, health and environment sectors as cities grow and densify.
The Quality Green Public Space principles described in this booklet are a guide to help recognise and support the role of quality green open spaces in changing neighbourhoods. The principles can inform state and local government professionals as well as being of interest to the community and the business sector.
To achieve this, green open space needs to be recognised and valued like other community assets and considered at all stages in planning and development processes. Integrating quality green public space into urban development is complex. By working together – government, industry and the community – a more liveable neighbourhood and enhancement of the urban environment can be achieved.
This booklet aims to advocate for quality green public spaces and to provide inspiration and ideas on what is possible in a changing urban profile. This document is not a technical guide nor is it a manual on how to specifically create quality green public spaces. Rather, it is positioned as a catalyst to promote the importance and prioritisation of green public space and consider new and different ways of shaping our neighbourhoods. It is hoped that the principles described in this booklet stimulate discussion and progress the dialogue on how to support the growth of Adelaide in a way that protects and enhances our green spaces alongside the creation of new open space destinations.