All that surrounds us in the modern city first once was born in someone’s head and then was implemented in practice. Now let us remember Maslow’s pyramid if a person is satisfied with his physical needs (water, food, safe housing), he begins to strive for spiritual values (friendship, love, self-realization). The theory of the hierarchies of the needs of A. Maslow (five levels) can be expanded with the help of eight levels of development of the values of C. Graves, who determine the systems of thinking and behavior of all persons living in the world. According to his theory, man alone and humankind altogether continuously develop and change depending on the awareness of the values of the world around them.
The special value of the theory of C. Graves is that the highest levels of development of values do not deny, but include all the previous ones. The model is open, that is, the final, higher stage of development is unknown. To date, eight levels of value evolution have been described and the situation is developing very dynamically. The emergence of a green economy and smart cities was the result of the birth of green values comprehension (green meme), which began to appear more than 50 years ago. People with green memes do not want to live in a world of concrete jungles, they want to stop making the ocean the World Ocean in a waste dump and want to preserve for the future generations the diversity of the animal world.
The world does not stand still and green memes take more and more people. Although simultaneously on the planet Earth still lives people who are stuck on the awareness of the red memes, for which the main values are money and power. For such people, the main goal in any way is to grab more natural resources for their own enrichment. Therefore, in the world, there are those who feed, treats, and breed rare animals (green meme) and those who catch, sell and kill animals for the sake of earning (red meme).
Man is the most complex creation of Evolution and evolution continues in the development of consciousness, in increasing complexity, volume, the significance of tasks that a person is able to solve. Global urbanization and the growth of the problems of modern cities is another challenge that we all witness today, which raises many questions about the direction humanity will take in the future.
Modern world cities make great efforts to find space for green spaces and improve the quality of life of the citizens. There are many health benefits associated with access to open spaces and parks. Access to vegetation areas, such as parks, open spaces, and playgrounds, is associated with improved overall health, reduced stress, depression, etc.
According to the World Health Organization, physical inactivity is one of the main risks to the health of the population. In Australia, nearly half of all Australians do not even meet the 30-minute physical activity recommendations. One study found that people who use open space in open access are three times more likely to reach the recommended levels of physical activity than those who do not use space. Potential users prefer neighboring, attractive, and large parks and open spaces. Thus, improving access to open space has the potential to increase physical activity, as well as to gain mental health benefits and lower health care costs. City parks also bring economic benefits. A network of parks and open spaces that include protected areas, wetlands, and other green areas is critical to providing healthy habitats for people, wildlife, and plants in tightly constructed locations. Natural landscapes are vital for the conservation of regional ecosystems in the face of urban growth.
Trees reduce on-site heat build-up, shrubs remove smoke, dust, and other pollutants from the air. One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, equalling 11,000 miles of car emissions. The study showed that one acre of trees has the ability to remove 13 tons of particles and gases annually. Lawns will be 30 degrees cooler than asphalt and 14 degrees cooler than bare soil in the heat of summer. The study led by cities such as Chicago and Toronto, as well as a number of universities, showed that green roof mounting (i.e. roofs totally or partially covered with vegetation) can play an important role in saving energy, reducing the urban heat effect, and adding more green space to the environment.
The most successful steps in the “green” direction have been implemented in Singapore, half of which is covered with green plantations such as gardens and national parks. In the city, you can breathe fresh and cool air in the “Cloud Forest”, which is located under a huge glass dome and maintains a special microclimate. Singapore’s Park Royal Luxury Hotel has more than 15,000 square meters and six levels of heavenly gardens suspended between rooms’ blocks.
The modern environmental high-tech design allows the building to collect rainwater for irrigation and save energy through additional thermal insulation and natural light. Thickets of palm trees, bushes, and flowerbeds surround the modern building. In the gardens, even artistic waterfalls and pools are arranged.
A city with well-planned and properly managed green infrastructure becomes more resilient to external influences, sustainable ecologically and fairly from the point of view of food security, livelihood improvement, mitigation, and adaptation to climate change. City parks and gardens reduce the risk of natural disasters and preserve ecosystems. In this way, throughout their lives, the trees give a set of benefits, which are three times more than the investment in their planting and care.
To summarize the most important, in communicating with wildlife, a person can experience an active state of joy when pleasure merges with efforts and meaning. To test this state can each of us, says the discoverer of the “flow state” American psychologist Mihai Chiksentmihayi.
