COULD PÉCS BE GREENER? – GREEN AREA USAGE AND CASE STUDY OF TÜSKÉSRÉT AS A BROWNFIELD REHABILITATION PROJECT

Abstract

Besides all the problems they symbolize, brownfields are important parts of cities’ structure because they are able to offer good opportunities to develop. These areas are underutilized and usually located in urban areas. To reuse them, local municipalities have to intervene and create new functions in many of the cases. Often the new functions are connected to recreation, including designing new green areas. One of the biggest problems with rehabilitation comes from its long-term maintenance costs because green spaces could not make profit for the investors, so green space developments are usually the local municipality’s task, wherever long-term effects of citizens’ welfare and city’s image could be important. My research tries to answer the question, how these brownfields could be reintegrated to the city’s spatial structure and be used for various functions. I would like to present Pécs (Hungary) as a case study, where brownfields offer good opportunity to create green areas in urban environment, as a kind of correction of the mistakes made by the planning in the last century. Brownfield regeneration as green areas could improve city image and create a healthier atmosphere. My results show that Pécs has good opportunities to create new green areas, and Pécs’ population is open-minded and think that there are not enough parks in the city.