A time of transition and the art of noticing
As the weather gets warmer and the days are stretching in length, we spend more and more time outside. We breathe in the fresh air, listen to birds, notice the sounds, the warmth, and our surroundings more. We feel more energy, and if the weather is good, we are hesitant to be stuck behind a desk working and craving to be outside. The time of spring has come, and with it, the art of noticing more. We notice the shade the trees provide, the rustling of the leaves, dogs and kids happily running outside, we notice the colors of the flowers, people shedding layers of clothes, and bumble bees buzzing around; everything seems more positive after darker winter months.
The human brain is evolutionarily programmed to notice more natural elements. Our eyes recognize more shades of green than any other color. And while we don't always consciously notice when green disappears from our lives, subconsciously, we feel its absence. We have let the shades of grey overtake our daily city lives. We think of nature as an escape, a respite, or even a luxury as we dream of our holidays. But does it have to be so?
Even in the busiest cities, people instinctively seek out green spaces—parks, tree-lined streets, tiny gardens—without fully realizing why. It's in our DNA. For me, the lack of greenery is something I notice and feel more than the changes in architecture when I move cities. I come from the second largest city in Slovakia, Kosice. I have never thought of our city greenery as something to be proud of, to me, it was automatic. It was only when I moved to Denmark, the Netherlands, and the UK when I realized how special it is. The greenery of my city is more connected, dense, and luscious, with many living areas with block-like living but plenty of variety of green (see some examples around where I lived in Figures 1 and 2). Not only trees but their density in parks, old, new, different native species, colors, textures, leaves, conifers, and flowers. When you walk through our parks, in between where we live (no need to travel anywhere), you feel respite.
The light coming through the trees is so special for the human brain that it has its own word in Japanese: Komorebi. And in the same country, they have done research on how this light helps to ease and speed up recovery of a variety of mental and physical ailments, from depression to PTSD. Historically, it inspired some of the most visited buildings in Europe designed by Antoni Gaudí. You can see this in the Sagrada Família, where the towering columns inside mimic a forest canopy, branching out like trees to support the structure. His designs often use biomimicry, integrating natural curves, light, and organic shapes into architecture. When you visit several of his buildings in Barcelona, you can still feel the echoes of his presence. Standing there, you feel different, but they also feel right. Why? Because we have not evolved in concrete grey buildings, we have evolved and spent thousands of years outside until a very recent time in human history. In my hometown, the greenery is everywhere, parks are luscious, and there are alleys of trees by the roads, big and old trees, big flowerpots all over the city, with parks integrated even in the heart of the city center with our famous singing fountain, which moves to the rhythm of the music – and always welcomes respite in hot summer days. I was surprised to find out that what we call "trees by the road" in other countries are called parks. Instead of being a shining example of greenery that makes a more cohesive and livable city, some of the plans include cutting down a lot of the greenery for the sake of more modern aesthetics. If I could list only one thing, I miss the most about my hometown, it would be its urban greenery. It's like the city grew with nature and not against it.
The endless supply of benefits
Urban greenery is more than just parks and trees—it's a living infrastructure that shapes our cities in often overlooked ways. It is one of the topics studied in science and practice by many different disciplines and sectors. It is a topic that connects all people regardless of their background, age, culture, race, or socioeconomic background. It improves physical and mental well-being, seeing greenery helps with the developing brains of children and the stressed brains of adults. It is the single most powerful thing that improves our mental and physical state, has therapeutic effects, improves brain activity, our quality of life, and our environment. It cleans the air, regulates temperature, provides biodiversity, and a plethora of other ecosystem services. It helps social cohesion, sense of belonging; it creates a connection between people and space without uttering a single word, and you can feel part of the whole. Research shows that it is particularly relevant for vulnerable people as they can feel more connected. Urban parks are part of rites of passage, where friends and families meet, where celebrations happen, where we take pictures, observe people, read books, and play with dogs…it brings in one space generations, cultures, introverts, and extroverts, and feeds community building. Most people want to live next to the park and greenery. Aesthetics have always been associated with economic value, and this is no different. It boosts the local economy, increases property value, attracts business and visitors, and lowers healthcare costs. It is the lifeline of our well-being, a natural climate shield, a bridge between people and species.
The distant near: Schrödinger's Green City
In today's world, when we keep talking about sustainability and climate regulation (and I would dare say even a climate change denier would like to live next to a park), we think of future cities as green in color. Go to your search engine and search for sustainable cities or cities of the future, you will see green upon green, and yet it is very far from reality. The green city of tomorrow is not a distant dream—it is scattered all around us in blueprints, policies, innovations, and aspirations. Like constellations in the night sky, the pieces exist, but we have yet to draw the lines between them. The question is not if we can build it but when we will decide to connect the dots. To borrow from Schrödinger, the green city is both here and not here, depending on whether we actively make it real.
So, if that is our global and local goal, why do we not have more greenery? Can we blame the costs? Surely, for this many benefits it brings, compared to other solutions, the costs are minimal. Is there a lack of space? Some experts argue that many of the benefits do not need redevelopment of whole space to integrate greenery around the city. The rooftop gardens, the canopies, the green walls, the bushes instead of just grass, the flowerpots and potted trees, natural art installations: the greenery that, if well integrated, requires minimal maintenance.
Thriving together: clicking the puzzle pieces
Many of the solutions are already there, city employees and urban planners pushing for more greenery, companies providing solutions, scientists researching its benefits and functions, and citizens and communities actively and passively wanting more—but too often, these efforts happen in isolation. One of the biggest reasons our cities aren't as green isn't a lack of resources, it's a lack of connection. I believe we already have all the puzzle pieces to bring about the green city of the future. This is where we should bring about individual effort together like beehive making honey. What we need help with is the glue and collaboration that brings it all together. This is not a job for a single person or initiative or department, this is job of many hands, each bringing the pieces to ONE cohesive picture.
Green cities don't happen by accident – they require collaboration across disciplines and sectors. Architects, urban planners, policymakers, artists, businesses, and community members must work together to integrate greenery into the urban fabric. This can be challenging since we need to navigate multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary collaboration for greener, healthier cities; i.e., we need to engage with many different areas, languages, goals and targets, wants and needs, realistic and prospective solutions. To help stakeholders navigate these challenges, we have designed a booklet and a framework to enhance individual and collaborative solutions. This has been brought about by a plethora of research from different disciplines as well as speaking to city officials. Our framework (Figure 3), in the image above breaks down the true impact of urban greenery across different areas to enable:
🔍 Zoom In: It allows each sector, department, company, and researcher to focus deeply on their specific role—whether it's ecosystem services, public health, economic value, or cultural significance. Experts can use it to strengthen their arguments, justify funding, and refine their impact.
🌍 Zoom Out: At the same time, it helps everyone see how their work connects with others. A scientist researching urban biodiversity can see how their findings support community well-being. A policymaker working on city budgets can recognize the financial benefits of investing in green spaces. A business leader can understand how sustainability efforts align with economic growth.
🤝 A Tool for Collaboration: This framework doesn't just categorize benefits—it creates common ground. It encourages professionals from different backgrounds to speak the same language, making it easier to align goals, share resources, and collaborate across disciplines, sectors, and departments.
Making Green Cities a Reality
If we want greener, healthier, more resilient cities, we don't need to start from scratch. We already have the knowledge, the innovations, and the will to make it happen. What we need is to connect the dots. So, whether you're a policymaker, a designer, a scientist, a business leader, or a community activist—this framework is for you. Use it to strengthen your case, broaden your perspective, and build partnerships that turn urban greenery from vision into reality.
Let's move beyond isolated efforts and build networks of change—I invite you to explore the booklet, share ideas, and collaborate on transforming our urban landscapes. A greener city is not just a vision; it's a necessity. The trees, gardens, and green roofs of tomorrow begin with the decisions we make today. Let's plant the seeds together. Because a city without greenery is a city without a future—the air you breathe, the heat you feel, and the stress you carry are all shaped by it, whether you care about it or not.