Factsheet 4: Green spaces and gentrification

COVID-19 and the associated policy measures that curbed vast stretches of public life highlighted the need for more urban green spaces, as people started to utilise existing green areas significantly more (in countries where parks and other green spaces were not closed down). This trend also emphasised the fact that some neighbourhoods – often populated by vulnerable socioeconomic groups, such as ethnic minorities, low-skilled and informal workers, etc. – have a lot less green space than others, exacerbating physical and mental health problems, as well as making it more difficult for people to socialise and engage in community-building.