Green space: A Luxury or a Necessity? Green Spaces in Condominium Sites in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Green spaces in cities have a positive impact on the health of the urban population. They decrease urban heat Island effects. Hence, green and open space should not be considered a luxury but an integral part of urban planning. However, the green spaces in Colombo city, Sri Lanka are declining at a rapid rate. Therefore this study investigates the reasons behind the decline of green space and high density housing developments in Colombo. Considered as a “green space” if the land cover has vegetation, the study found that 90% of small condominium developments (number of units ranging from 15 to 65) and 50% of large condominium developments (over 65 units) had less than 1% of green space on site. The reason for lack of green space was found to be high plot coverage, high FAR, small site extent and the absence of landscape, communal space and green buffer requirements in the current planning and building regulations for condominium developments.