Cities and urban areas are places where carbon emissions are most prominent. There are both natural and human sources of carbon dioxide; natural sources include decomposition, ocean release and respiration. Human sources come from activities like building cement sidewalks, deforestation, and things like burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. Urban green space is the most critical land use for carbon storage. Urban forests can contribute to reducing the atmospheric concentration of CO2 in several ways. First, trees near buildings can reduce the demand for heating and air conditioning, reducing emissions associated with electric power production. Finally, footpaths and cycle lanes through green-space can beautify the city and can lead to a switch from cars to more sustainable types of transport. Green-spaces also enable activities that people might otherwise need to drive outside cities to enjoy. Sustainable farming is another idea that has already made a considerable impact on many areas, especially with the price of LED lights decreasing drastically over the years ( Tan, Yang, Yan, Hashim & Chen, 2017). Places like China have built these beautiful living and business structures that make farming and gardening look not only easy, but also practical, beautiful, and most importantly, they save the environment. I will take real-world examples and use sources from educational websites and government program communities from the Internet. I will collect data on the effectiveness of purifying the air as well as how sustainable they are. In this piece of research, I endeavour to use the Sejong City Master Plan for Construction.
Methodology
Bottom-up Approach and Carbon Tree Calculator
There is lots of research that give detailed CO2 reduction calculations through the urban green space in the present cities and urban areas, for instance, Jo and Ahn’s studies in Korea. That, however, it is cumbersome to attain a comprehensive understanding of the Rapid City planning.
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Based on the insufficient information regarding tree planting and associated conditions, the Carbon Tree Calculator method that was designed by the Korea Forest Research Institute is efficient for use in the bottom-up approach for initial calculations of Carbon dioxide reduction by urban city green space premised on the planning of land use. Carbon tree calculator is instrumental in calculating CO2 off by forest measured the development of biomass encompassing the root and stump system on the distinctive tree species, and the ordinary planting densities in the natural environs of China. The results of the study presented a net value of CO2 reduction quantities to 8 species of trees that range from 20 to 80 years under each ordinary planting density.
The framework of this study was to calculate sub-division regions by the land-use planning of the original Master Plan. Further, it is geared to apply proportionate planting area ration on every subdivision regions, and finally to calculate the total CO2 reduction with the uptake of the growth of plants founded on the CO2 rates of reduction assumed.
The first phase of the plan has been set and targeted to end in 2015 for a population of 150,000. The second phase of the project runs from 2016 to 2020 for a target population of 300,000 and a final period from 2021 to 2030 with a target city population of 500,000 people. The study has 20 years planning to attain maturity. The city has both private and public land, and it is subdivided into potions that are set aside for planting trees as set out by the urban district planning.
Table 1: Planting area of sub-divisions
| Sector | Division | Sub-division | Land area | PAR 1 | Planting area | ||
| Public | Park areas | Parks |
Community parks |
Pocket parks | 16,648 | 80% | 13,318 |
| Children parks | 197,169 | 40% | 78,868 | ||||
|
Neighborhood parks |
12,878,330 | 60% | 7,726,998 | ||||
| City parks | Central park | 2,577,511 | 70% | 1,804,258 | |||
| Historical parks | 228,305 | 60% | 136,983 | ||||
| Waterfront parks | 1,016,296 | 60% | 609,778 | ||||
| Ecological parks | 178,136 | 80% | 142,509 | ||||
| Cemetery | 360,580 | 80% | 288,464 | ||||
| Preserved green | Buffer green | 1,509,858 | 80% | 1,207,886 | |||
| Connection green | 617,358 | 50% | 308,679 | ||||
| Preserved green | 5,028,265 | 80% | 4,022,612 | ||||
| Miscellaneous | Open spaces | 582,470 | 50% | 291,235 | |||
| Plazas | 41,410 | 40% | 16,564 | ||||
| Ecology learning | 42,170 | 80% | 33,736 | ||||
| sites | |||||||
| Arboretum | 70,941 | 90% | 63,847 | ||||
| Reservoirs | 544,308 | 10% | 54,431 | ||||
| Playground | 141,568 | 50% | 70,784 | ||||
| Riverside parks | 12,127,296 | 50.5% 2 | 6,121,000 | ||||
| Building area | Public facilities | 996,602 | 10% | ||||
| Educational facilities | 2,911,000 | 8% | 232,880 | ||||
| Welfare facilities | 94,000 | 8% | 7,520 | ||||
| Cultural facilities | 327,000 | 8% | 26,160 | ||||
| Medical facilities | 215,000 | 8% | 17,200 | ||||
| Recreational facilities | 1,233,000 | 10% | 123,300 | ||||
| Infrastructure facilities | 10,225,000 | 3% | 306,750 | ||||
| Reserved lands | 704,000 | 50% | 352,000 | ||||
| Other facilities | 239,000 | 10% | 23,900 | ||||
| Private | Building area | Multi-residential housing | 11,129,000 | 30% | 3,338,700 | ||
| Detached housing | 4,382,000 | 40% | 1,752,800 | ||||
| Commercial lands | 1,492,000 | 8% | 119,360 | ||||
| Industrial lands | 802,000 | 4% | 32,080 | ||||
| City total | 72,908,221 | 40.4% | 29,424,860 | ||||
| Peripheral areas | 64,900,000 | 57.1%3 | 37,057,900 | ||||
Important notes:
PAR means Planting Area Ratio to land area.
The riverside parks green spaces is estimated in accordance with the “Report of Water Space Planning for Multifunctional Administrative City” (KLHC, 2009).
Estimation of the peripheral area green space is performed in accordance to the average of PAR based in Y eonGi-gun.
Results and Analysis
In this piece of study, it is essential to find the volume of carbon dioxide that is emitted from the activities in the city. That will involve ascertaining the emission factor. That assists in knowing the weight and carbon dioxide issued at a given time. With regards to the ordinary tree species from the central region of Korea and Quercus mongolica got chosen as a typical evergreen and a deciduous for this piece of research. The real ages of the trees for planting and the life cycles are exceedingly variable. The twenty year period of maturity is much assumed ( Jenks, 2017) . The mean ration for planting between the deciduous and evergreen is considered at fifty per cent for most urban settings.
Table 2: Yearly carbon dioxide reduction rate per unit area
| Tree types | Evergreen | Deciduous | Average |
| (Pinus rigida Mill.) | (Quercus mongolica) | ||
| Planting density | 0.2144 trees/m 2 | 0.2382 trees/m 2 | 0.2263 trees/m 2 |
| Annual CO 2 reduction | 0.000825 tCO 2 /m 2 ·year | 0.001552 tCO 2 /m 2 ·year | 0.001188 tCO 2 /m 2 ·year |
| rate per unit area |
Regarding the planting density standards on every sub-division because of restrictions by urban district planning, landscape acts, architectural acts, yearly reduction of carbon dioxide rates per unit area on subdivisions of urban spaces are varied as herein explained.
The planting density of peripheral regions preserved green, and neighbourhood park areas are assumed to have similar density to the average planting density of 0.2264 trees/square metre as an ordinary Korean forest ( Joff & Smith, 2016) . The calculation of the yearly reduction in the carbon dioxide reduction rate per unit area is gotten to 0.001188 Tco2/m2.year. The other park areas with the exception of Riverside Park have a planting density of 0.095 Tco2/m2.year. With regards to the planting guidelines of the riverside parks, the planting density calculated 0.0025 trees/m2. That holds true if only deciduous planting and the yearly reduction of carbon dioxide per unit area is calculated as 0.000016 tco2/m2.year.The building areas has a planting density of 0.2 trees per metre square for both private and public sites, and the annual reduction in the quantity of carbon dioxide rate per unit area is 0.001051 tCO2/m2.year.
Table 3: Estimates of total annual carbon dioxide reduction
| Division | Annual CO 2 reduction |
| Park areas | 17,539 tCO 2 /year |
| Riverside park areas | 98 tCO 2 /year |
| Public building areas | 1,249 tCO 2 /year |
| Private building areas | 5,505 tCO 2 /year |
| Peripheral areas | 44,025 tCO 2 /year |
| Total | 68,416 tCO 2 /year |
The results depict a total annual value of 68,416 Tco2 reductions via the urban green space. Further, it shows a 0.14 Tco2/year capita for a population of 500,000 people for the targeted year. Carbon dioxide reduction through the peripheral regions is estimated at 64.35 per cent of the total. That implies that particular areas for the neighbouring forest got to be considered not only as green belts that are pivotal for preventing uncontrolled expansions but also as a removal points for carbon dioxide against the gas release within the city region ( Jenks, 2017) .
This piece of research never put into consideration carbon dioxide reduction by the shrubs and other smaller portions of the urban green space for instance roof gardens and street trees. That, therefore, implies that carbon dioxide reduction ratio by urban green space can significantly be increased.
Recommendations
The urban green space is influential in providing benefits of CO2 reduction not only by plant growth intake by also in other energy saving impacts. That can be achieved through the improvement of the integrated urban planning.
In order to optimize the reduction of carbon dioxide in the urban green space, trees are left to grow to maturity and used when necessary. Tree planting needs to be planned carefully incorporating tree growth patterns, and that should depend on the tree species and age. The selection of trees for planting should be made dependent on the planning conditions in an urban setup ( Jenks, 2017) . That ranges from one urban setting to another. For example, in a region that contains bright conditions for fast-growing trees is endorsed for the intensive planting of deciduous species of high growth such as Liriodendron tulipifera.
Minimising carbon dioxide emission emanating from the building blocks is essential. That can be achieved by having robust planning strategies of urban green space and that need to be focussed on the relief of the urban heat island phenomena. The urban green space reduces cooling energy by the provision of the green cover of land and appropriate tree canopies to adjacent buildings. At that moment, it is crucial to increase opportunities for natural ventilation through the provision of fresh and cool air via wind corridors and urban green space.
Joff and Smith (2016) recommended that instead of using applications for a similar planting density and tree selection under separate bio-climate conditions, the detailed zoning of the urban tree planting is obtainable from the architectural design processes and urban district planning. This gives a reflection of tree growth, tree selection, rate of carbon dioxide reduction, effects of energy saving on building blocks and the degree of care for maintenance planting ( Kibert, 2016) .
It is therefore significant for landscape designers, architects and urban planners to do a consideration on the integrated impacts on atmospheric carbon dioxide reduction, and additional benefits, for instance, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and reduction of pollutants, aesthetic amenities, noise controls by the urban green space ( Kibert, 2016).
Conclusion
Premised on the master plan land use planning of the city, the urban green space was approximately as 68,416 tco2 annually. There was a 0.14 Tco2/year capita on the growth of plants. The reduction of carbon dioxide by peripheral regions was estimated 63.45 percent of the total. Nonetheless, the CO2 ration of reduction was estimated 2.32 to emission emanating from the usage of fossil fuels in the building department ( De Jong, Joss, Schraven, Zhan & Weijnen, 2015).
The urban green spaces do lots of several duties beyond the quantity of carbon dioxide reduction, and it is the unique manner to archive the idea of CO2 neutral. To attain the objective of CO2 neutral, both sides of CO2 emission and reduction are solidly put into consideration as integrated strategies on building design, urban planning and landscape design. Based on this test data provided in this research, it can censoriously be summarised that green spaces in cities are a sustainable way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the future. Carbon dioxide is a crucial pointer to global warming and consumption of fossil fuels. It is therefore imperative to emphasize the appropriate technologies and policies to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide in urban settings. It is critical to balance the amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted into the atmosphere through the appropriate mechanisms as recommended in this piece of research.
Other considerations
The study was done relying on a limited information base. Future pieces of research on this subject should be premised on detailed tree information. That should incorporate growth patterns, species, CO2 uptake rate and the maintenance properties got to be followed for the aim of completing CO2 neutral state.
References
De Jong, M., Joss, S., Schraven, D., Zhan, C., & Weijnen, M. (2015). Sustainable–smart–resilient–low carbon–eco–knowledge cities; making sense of a multitude of concepts promoting sustainable urbanization. Journal of Cleaner production , 109 , 25-38.
Jenks, M. (2017). The sustainable city: a good and secure quality of life?. In Growing Compact (pp. 139-154). Routledge.
Joffe, H., & Smith, N. (2016). City dweller aspirations for cities of the future: How do environmental and personal wellbeing feature?. Cities , 59 , 102-112.
Kibert, C. J. (2016). Sustainable construction: green building design and delivery . John Wiley & Sons.
Tan, S., Yang, J., Yan, J., Lee, C., Hashim, H., & Chen, B. (2017). A holistic low carbon city indicator framework for sustainable development. Applied Energy , 185 , 1919-1930.
