Michael Jenkins

Evaluating the Impact of Urban Expansion on Green Spaces in São Paulo, Brazil -) Student name: Institution: Course: Instructor: Due date: Evaluating the Impact of Urban Expansion on Green Spaces in São Paulo, Brazil -) Introduction Land use changes have been the central component of urbanization, with major importance to the essential characteristics of large cities in South America, such as the loss of green areas. Landscape elements inclusively green areas are important for sustaining avian biological diversity, improving air quality, and recreationally serving the populace in cities. However, with burgeoning cities development, such areas tend to be invaded. This paper seeks to establish the effect of urbanization on green spaces in São Paulo, Brazil during the period- with the aid of QGIS. It uses data from the selected databases together with thematic mapping and quantization of the shifts in green space. Body Data and Methods The datasets of the study include the various Urban Land Extent datasets which are available from SEDAC at 1-km resolution in the year 2024. In this dataset there are projections from the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) which can therefore be used to track growth of the urban areas over time. QuickBird images were processed and analysed by using the Geographic Information System (GIS) tool called QGIS software to visualize the spatial changes in São Paulo’s urban green spaces. We chose data for 2016, 2020 and 2024, because these are important years in the further development of São Paulo as an urbanized city. This means that the analysis involves the identifying of areas that have experienced loss of green space, and measuring the loss by comparing the urban land cover with the green space coverage. Urban Expansion in São Paulo -) São Paulo the city of 12 million inhabitants and one of the largest ones in South America saw the trend of urbanization in last decade. We were able to map out the changes in the city’s urban area through 2024 by using the QGIS. The thematic maps created depict an alarming trend of expanding urbanized area especially in the peri-urban interface where the green space had been developed into residential and business entities. To conduct this analysis, the year 2016 forms the reference date. According to data obtained this year, significantly large green zones were noted along the outskirts of the city, particularly in the southern and eastern parts. However, by 2020, it was Observable that these regions relaxed whereas the outward physical extension of urban area augmented. As of the year 2024, there had been some diminution in these green spaces since urban expansion had advanced to areas that were earlier not touched; thereby decreasing the green space index. Quantification of Green Space Loss By applying the spatial analysis tools in QGIS, quantification of green space lost that occurred between year 2016 to 2024 was arrived at. According to the National Institute for Space Research in 2016, green spaces occupied 0.25m ha of São Paulo’s total territorial extent. But in the year 2020, it was reduced to close 19% and in the year 2024 it was reduced to 15%. This sums up to roughly 10% of the green area loss of São Paulo within the period of eight years. To map these changes thematic maps were prepared through which it becomes quite evident which region of the city was undergoing a more stressed experience of urbanization. The metropolitan region of São Paulo is specially the southern and eastern zones was the region that suffered most of the loses they are areas that used to be agricultural or forest land. Consequence of Reduction in Green Space São Paulo has suffered several environmental and social consequences as result of the shrinking of green areas. These are essential for combating heat, which contributes to what is referred to as the urban heat island and for cooling the city, the air quality in the city would also improve (Pereira et al., 2022). These changes can result in high temperatures in the spaces left and in the decline of air quality, which are already problematic in São Paulo. Also, the removal of the opportunity to recreate changes residents’ quality of life and the absence of such opportunities to be outside in the company of other people. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, the authorities supportive of the urban planning processes should be encouraged to pay more attention to the role of green areas in the growth of brand cities. Analysing São Paulo’s urban growth rate from 2016 to 2024, the research finds that the loss of vegetation, especially in the outskirts, is considerable. The thematic maps using QGIS properly depict all these changes as well as show regions that are most impacted by this process. To address this loss on the negative side of future city construction, for successive construction plans, green space needs to be protected and developed. References Gao, J., & Pesaresi, M. (2021). Global 1-km downscaled urban land extent projection and base year grids by SSP scenarios,-. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), 3. Oliveira, D., & Lima, A. (2021). Green Spaces in Rapidly Growing Cities: Challenges and Strategies in Latin America. Urban Ecosystems, 24(3), 473-490. Pereira, M. C., Soares, P., & Silva, L. (2022). Urban Expansion and the Impact on Green Spaces: A Case Study of São Paulo, Brazil. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 65(5), 879-895. SEDAC. (2024). Global 1-km Downscaled Urban Land Extent Projection and Base Year Grids by SSP Scenarios,-. Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). https://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/ssp-1-km-downscaled-urban-land-extent-projection-base-year-ssp- Silva, R. L., & Gomes, J. (2020). The Urban Heat Island Effect and the Role of Green Spaces in São Paulo: A GIS-Based Analysis. Environmental Research Letters, 15(2), 024022.