Tallinn residents value biodiversity but prefer short lawns

Even residents of Raua, a neighbourhood in central Tallinn, want a nature-rich urban environment, but many also prefer short, well-kept grass, clean street edges and paved surfaces, according to a recent student study reported by ERR.

Only a small share of residents in Raua, in the Kadriorg area of central Tallinn, perceive their urban surroundings as green and biologically diverse. The study also found wide variation in plant diversity on public street areas and in how residents view the design of their neighbourhood, writes Kristiina Mark, a junior professor of functional ecology at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

More than half of Estonia’s population lives in cities, and urbanisation is continuing. As cities grow denser, construction reduces the area of suitable habitats and fragments existing biodiverse spaces. Urban biodiversity can also affect people’s quality of life and health, making the preservation of habitats part of modern city planning, the article says.

Elea Adele Helena Vihalem, a student at Tallinn Reaalkool, mapped plant species in Raua’s public street spaces during the summer and assessed the neighbourhood’s greenery. She counted plants in grass strips, planting beds created by residents or the local government, flower boxes, cracks and holes in paving, and along walls.

Plant diversity in public street spaces was generally limited, but varied greatly between properties. The most diverse roadside green strip had 77 plant species, while some properties had no soil for plants and no vegetation. A larger green space did not automatically mean greater biodiversity; species-rich areas included plants well adapted to their growing conditions.

Residents themselves had created a significant share of Raua’s street greenery, and cultivated plants made up a large proportion. On the most diverse properties, many plants had been planted or sown in the ground, planters or pots.