Planning for a green city: The Green Factor tool

Abstract

In recent years, new planning tools have emerged to aid planners to achieve multiple goals to sustainability. The Green Factor tool has been adopted by some cities to increase the share and effectiveness of green areas. This short communication asks how useful the Green Factor tool is and how it fits with the existing planning procedures regarding green areas through a qualitative case study in the city of Helsinki. The results show that while the tool functions well, improvements could be made in relation to monitoring, for example. Also, an ambitious target set in the tool could encourage or force developers to aim higher with the planning of green areas and construction, but existing regulations challenge its use.