Motifs, policies, and functions in East and Southeast Asia: "green space" as a travelling concept

The classical gardens of Suzhou, the use of nature as a tool to support urban regeneration in Seoul, urban parks as a symbol of historical power and authority in Tokyo, the cooling effects of urban greening in high density neighbourhoods in Hong Kong, and green space as a marker of technology and innovation in Singapore are all examples of how green and blue space has been used to address complex socio-economic and environmental issues in East and Southeast Asian cities. Each are responses to specific political, spatial and socio-cultural understandings of place and draw on extensive knowledge of the adaptability of urban form and function. However, as urban areas in the region have continued to expand (and latterly contract/renew) there has been a corresponding debate on the role of “urban nature”, as a conduit for liveability, functionality, and prosperity.

This paper aims to illustrate which characteristics have travelled from and between western and Asian contexts in support of green space design, and where localised contextual approaches to development remain prominent. Using examples from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and South Korea the paper traces the prominence of a series of high-level principles – connectivity, multi-functionality, political power/authority, tradition vs. modernity, and landscape-led regeneration – and their influence on what green space is developed. The analysis is intended to identify whether a geographically bespoke form of green space design, planning and management is visible in East and South-East Asia, and if so, what characteristics are used to ensure the concept transcends disciplinary and political boundaries.

Ian Mell is Professor in Environmental & Landscape Planning at the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) at the University of Manchester 

He is a leading expert in Green Infrastructure Planning, Policy and Practice with over fifteen years of research practice experience in local government, academia and research. His work examines how we plan, fund and perceive landscapes, utilising real-world experience from the UK, EU, North America and South and East Asia to better understand the value of green and blue spaces to society. Ian worked with Defra and Natural England in the development of National England’s Green Infrastructure Standards (2023). He is the author of Global Green Infrastructure (Abingdon: Routledge, 2016), Green Belts: Past, Present, Future (with John Sturzaker, Abingdon: Routledge, 2017), and Growing Green Infrastructure in Contemporary Asian Cities (Abingdon: Routledge, 2025). 

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