Garden City = Green Metropolis? The role of heritage planning in the transition from garden city to green metropolis

To develop more sustainably, Metropolises today are in the race to grow greener. The lack of greenery in cities has proven to cause congestion and pollution, disruption of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, greater exposure to environmental hazards and risk to public health and well-being. Instead, abundant greenery contributes to well-being by moderating climate, improving air quality, mitigating urban heat island effects, and providing recreation and social interaction. However, some Metropolises may have a head start as they were initially planned

as garden cities, with a balanced ratio between urban and rural activities and spaces and green belt areas, among other key attributes. Only these attributes might have been neglected and forgotten over time in guiding the urban expansions and densifications beyond the original plans, which may hamper their sustainable development.

Recent research focuses on the classical planning of garden cities or the modern planning of green metropolis. There is seldom research on the evolution from garden cities to green metropolis. Research on heritage's role in urban planning focuses today on specific heritage listings. There is seldom research revealing and discussing the role of heritage listings as a whole - tangible, intangible, natural, cultural, movable, immovable (when existent), nor in their role in the evolution from garden cities to green metropolises.

This research examines the role of heritage planning in the evolution of garden cities into green metropolis, taking the city of Tel Aviv as a case study. A mixed method was selected, integrating systematic literature review, policy analysis and longitudinal spatial analysis on urban growth and heritage planning. The framework on cultural significance, distinguishing attributes, values, and their relation, is expected to enable a comparative analysis over time and place. The first step is to identify the attributes and values defining the planning of Garden cities. Second, to identify the values defining the planning of Garden cities applied to Tel Aviv. Third, a selection of key attributes will be mapped over time, complementing spatial analysis methods (GUF – DLR and GIS). Fourth, heritage planning is to be reviewed. Fifth and last, a comparative analysis is to be done between heritage planning and the selection of key attributes mapped over time.

The results help metropolises grow greener, and former garden cities, to evaluate and, if needed, to reform the guidance on their urban expansion and densification. Heritage planning is assumed to be vital in conserving attributes and values. This research provides a baseline to initiate a grounded discussion on the role of heritage planning in the evolution from garden cities to green metropolis.