Ways of creating usable, multipurpose greenspace in impoverished settlements in cities of the Global South

This chapter looks at how urban greenspace has developed and is being managed in Hanoi, Viet Nam and Accra, Ghana as examples of how problems faced by communities and local governments in providing and protecting urban green infrastructure have developed and are being overcome. Hanoi is interesting in that due to its colonial history, greenspace planning has been influenced by ideas from France, the Soviet Union, and domestic economic liberation and globalization. Remotely sensed satellite images show that land formerly consisting mostly of greenspaces and open spaces is being converted to paved and constructed surfaces. The first is the cost of keeping green areas as compared to the benefits of destroying greenspaces in the city environment. In urban planning, greenspaces often refer to publicly accessible lands that contain a high proportion of vegetation and are mainly designed for leisure activities.