Abstract:
Urban green infrastructure planning and implementation is a strategic approach to develop a network of green infrastructure in urban centers. Studies on the planning and implementation of urban green infrastructure have often been carried out in developed countries, while relatively little is known in developing countries. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess urban green infrastructure planning and implementation of Bishoftu city. The research design for assessing urban green infrastructure planning and implementation in the study area used mixed methods to collect reliable and valid data from primary and secondary sources. The study was conducted with purposively selected four sample kebeles from the study area. The sample size is chosen proportionally by stratified random sampling from selected sample kebeles. Simple random sampling was used to select respondents. This study found that the implementation status of planned urban green infrastructure was low due to lack of tracking and evaluation, stakeholder involvement, and societal accountability. There was an attempt to incorporate urban green infrastructure planning principles into current green infrastructure planning and implementation. The results showed that the main challenges in adopting the principles of urban green infrastructure planning into current green infrastructure planning and implementation include the integration of different government sectors, low public awareness and participation, and insufficient professional skills and experience in urban green infrastructure planning and implementation. The existence of urban green infrastructure planning standards and climate-resilient green economy strategy provide major opportunities for urban green infrastructure planning and implementation. Finally, this study recommends that urban planning institutions and city administrations should consider urban green infrastructure planning principles during green infrastructure planning and implementation to improve the sustainability of urban environments. To better understand the implications of these findings, future studies could address the assessment, follow-up, and evaluation of the planning and implementation of urban green infrastructure.
