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"CITY GREEN PLAN" as a means to achieve sustainable development - GIS APPROACH
Environmental functions of an ecosystem
De Groot (1992) identified the critical role of “environmental functions” of the ecosystem, which produces good and services directly or indirectly for the human’s survival on this planet (25), which is controlled by it ‘s various biological, physical and chemical components (i.e. Land, air, water, vegetation, animals, etc.) collectively known as biophysical variables. Fundamental types of the functional categories are distinguished: Nature providing all this services everywhere freely without any geographical constraint and cost. None of this service can be replaceable by our modern technology. The GREENS / VEGETATIONS are the prime biophysical elements of the terrestrial ecosystem, which performing most of this services either as a single element or combine with other biophysical variables, directly or indirectly. 
Fig 1: Symmetry and Balance
Role of the city green in the urban ecosystem The integrated system of human components and the biophysical variables (environment) of the city are commonly known as the urban ecosystem. The relationships between these two components are extremely complex and always conflicting with each other (23). The cities are expanding in its size at the expense of the nature (biophysical variables). The city greens (trees, lawns / parks, forest and cultivated land etc), are the only potential biophysical elements to sustain our city, (since man modified all the other elements in the city are irreparable), which can provide basic services to the man’s survival, such as According to American Forestry Association (AFA) one city tree can provide over $57,000 worth of air conditioning, erosion, storm water control, wild life shelter and also air pollution control over 50 years of its life span. (Web 2).
Roll of city green in the urban landscape The ever-increasing demands for building and paving in the urban area impaired physical environment to the extend that; the spatial patterns are more fragmented and confusing, city becomes less humane in nature. The gap between the urban man and the nature is widened ever then before. The city green are the potential / prominent design element (apart from its ecological / environmental benefits), capable of bring together the entire city through defining / reinforce / creating varies spaces in different levels (i.e. Micro level to Macro level). (15,16) That is Image Table 8.1 Technical factors determining the city green
The potential use of the trees in shaping and humanizing our cities remain unperceived one. As an animal, man always relates himself empathically to his environment. Many social scientist proved that the improvement / introducing the nature in the form of vegetations, wild life, soil and water in significant quantity, close relationships to the living and working place will improve the community health and the working efficiency of an individual in the city. (14) Need for the integration of city green Present works in this direction in the urban area (Ex: urban agriculture, social forestry, urban forestry, silviculture, a forestation, urban farming, etc.,) emphasize, either on the marketable returns (food, fodder, revenue), or merely engaging in the development of the forest in the city (19). To get the quick and faster results, introduction of single (some times few) species or exotic plants in large extent, (Ex. Eucalyptus, Lucaena lecocephala, Cassurina equtifolia, etc.), creating many problems in the urban area, such as,
Design aspects of the city green Like words, urban trees are powerful symbols, which can produce poetry or confusion depends on the way it is handled. The arrangement, spacing, location and type of species must be identified individually to meet the functional requirement of the each urban space. (16,18). Some of the important design implications to use the city green as design elements in the urban area are,(fig. 2, 3,4,5)
Physical Design Principles This is physical arrangement of trees in the space. Through, 1. Coherence. 2. Organizing, 3. Geometric pattern. (fig. 1) Abstract Design Principle This is designer’s pre-conceived idea about creating / ordering spatial organization in the city, it can be divided into following ways 1. Transition .2. Scale 3. Light and shadow. Spatial composition Trees are defining the spaces in two different ways, horizontally (by visually enclosing it) and vertically (by creating airy ceiling of branches). Using spatial arrangement in terms of spacing and physical character of the trees it is possible to crate interesting spaces in the city.
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