GLOBAL GARDEN REPORT 2012 - Husqvarna Group

A CLOSER LOOK AT URBAN GREEN SPACES:
USA
A NEW WAVE OF URBANIZATION
USA is a highly urbanized country, with
approximately 82% of Americans living in
urban areas – a share set to rise to 90% by
mid- century. According to experts, the US
might be heading into a phase of intensified
urbanization in the years to come, as the trend
of suburbanization, very influential in the last
four decades, now show signs of slowing or
even reversing. Among the areas experiencing
the fastest rate of urbanization today are the
cities falling within the mega-region often
referred to as BosWash; stretching from Boston
in the north to Washington in the south, as well
as cities such as Phoenix and Atlanta.
SATISFIED BUT WANTING MORE
On the whole, interest in urban green spaces
appears to be on the rise in the US, both among
experts and the general public. As this report
shows, Chicago and New York are already at
the forefront of urban green space innovation.
Nevertheless, in our survey, green spaces were
still the most frequently mentioned feature that
50 GLOBAL GARDEN REPORT 2012
American respondents (52%) wanted to see
more of in their cities. In terms of satisfaction
with the condition of smaller green areas in their
particular region, US responses were among the
most positive, with 68% being either fairly or
very satisfied with the current condition.
A POSITIVE TREND
With regard to current green space balance,
the US was the only country in the survey for
which more respondents reported experiencing
a growing rather than declining amount of
green spaces in their cities over the last 10 years
– a tentative cause for optimism. American
respondents on the whole were also casually
optimistic about the future, with more people
agreeing with the proposition that their cities
would contain more green spaces twenty years
from now (41%) rather than fewer spaces (36%).
COUNTRY PROFILE:
USA
Population: 313 million
Degree of urbanization
2009*: 82%
Projected degree of
urbanization 2050*: 90%
10 YEAR GREEN
SPACE BALANCE
+6%
The 10 year green space
balance refers to the
difference in percentage
points of respondents in
the US reporting that their
area of the city had become
more green over the last ten
years (33%) compared to
those who believed it had
become less green (27%).
*source: United Nations, 2009