Public green spaces in CBDS: reconsidering the central business district of İstanbul

Abstract

This chapter underlines the crucial relationship between public green space and tall buildings, which is increasingly integral to the quality of urban life as the pace of urbanization reaches its global peak. The specific focus will be on the central business districts (CBDs) of global cities, as these areas have the greatest density of high-rises, it argues the quality of life provided through public green space in between tall buildings. The chapter reviews the characteristics of CBDs of global cities in terms of their public green space characteristics. The findings show that there has been a considerable effort to green the CBDs of global cities, especially in integrating waterfront developments and intelligent transportation systems integrated for connectivity within the sub-areas. However, not all cities have the same level of green infrastructure and connectivity, and this is deeply connected with the planning decisions regarding the prioritization of public green space in the planning of the CBD, as is mainly seen in the case of Istanbul. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Peng Du, Kheir Al-Kodmany, and Mir M. Ali; individual chapters, the contributors.