The Benefits of Green Spaces

This diploma thesis with the theme of The benefits of green spaces deals with the benefits of green space and their value. The main part of the thesis is a literary review summarizing the theme of the benefits of green space and the methods of their evaluation. The first part of the review focuses mainly on the identification of the functions of green spaces in an urban environment and a closer look at their effects, utility and functioning. In this section the effects of the phenomena that occur in urban environments and which are suppressed thanks to green spaces are also analyzed. The second part of the review is devoted to the importance of evaluating green spaces and their benefits and further to methodologies, which are discussed in detail. The following section analyzes the evaluation methodologies and their positive and critical points are identified. This section also divides the methodologies according to their relevance in the Czech environment, which is specific and the methodologies developed in the Anglo-Saxon context cannot be applied without modification. This chapter also compares data sources needed to develop a methodology for evaluating the benefits of green spaces. In the fifth chapter of the thesis, a methodology for calculating the economic value of the benefits of green spaces in the city is created, based on the knowledge gained in the literature review. The methodology combines methods from various sources and adjusts them to the Czech context. It also examines the data sources needed in order to set up the whole balance sheet. The sixth part deals with the discussion, in which is the summary of the data, which arise from the assembled methodology and compares them with the literature and the application of similar methodologies in other territories. The conclusion summarizes the information obtained in the research and suggests other possibilities of their future use