The Impact of Urban Greenspace Changes Using a Systems Thinking Approach and Interactive Tools

The VNiC-Health project, funded by Research Ireland, uses a systems thinking approach to model the impact of urban greenspace changes on ecosystem services and public health. By integrating environmental and health data, this project provides urban planners with a powerful tool to explore how different land-use changes—such as tree growth, mowing reductions, or other land-use alterations—affect key ecosystem services like carbon sequestration, air quality, and flood risk management.

Central to the tool is the use of the national land cover map, which enables precise modeling of greenspace types and land uses across urban areas. This map forms the basis for understanding how changes in land management practices can influence the surrounding environment and health outcomes. The model allows users to visualise and simulate various scenarios, such as the effects of increasing tree cover or reducing mowing, and observe their impacts on the environment and public health in real time.

The project’s technical backbone is a systems dynamics model developed in Vensim, which incorporates data from literature and real-world inputs. To make the tool user-friendly and accessible, an interactive front-end interface was created, enabling stakeholders—ranging from urban planners to community members—to input their own data and test potential solutions. The tool’s visualisation capabilities help to translate complex systems dynamics into actionable insights.

Through participatory mapping and collaboration with local stakeholders, including residents and healthcare professionals, the project ensures that the model’s design reflects real-world needs and is accessible to a wide range of users. Ultimately, this approach offers a new way for urban planners to incorporate environmental changes and health data into the decision-making process, helping to create healthier, more sustainable cities.