Summary

This paper tries to answer the research question if urban areas can be both dense and green. After a review of the scientific literature to understand the quantitative relationships between green spaces and the amount of biodiversity or ecosystem service provision in urban areas, the authors review the empirical data on the relationship between human population density and sustainability. They then focus on an example from the United States, to determine if there is, on average, a trade-off between human population density and the number of green spaces. The paper then investigate brightspots, defined as neighbourhoods that have at least three times more tree canopy than would be expected based upon their level of density. This is followed by a typology of urban forms and how they relate to possible green interventions that can increase green spaces. The paper concludes with a description of policies that enable these green interventions using two case studies: Curitiba and Singapore. This article was published in People and Nature in January 2023.