ABSTRACT
Cities have been built up to create structures and amenities for people. They cater to the needs of people through a continuous process of vertical and horizontal expansion. The expansion of cities leads to contraction of vegetated land, fallow land and green land. It leads to hampering of the environment in several ways by overutilising the available resources. It also leads to air and water pollution and degradation of resources like land and soil. The chapter conceptualises the theme of the book by linking green spaces and their significance to health. Trees outside Forest (TOF) or spotted green spaces are of very little help against city’s air pollution. The amount of vehicular and industrial pollution is way more than the trees needed to cater them. The chapter then discusses the impact of air pollution on health. The chapter invariably communicates the need and significance of building green and liveable cities. It highlights the fact that cities are engine of economic growth but they are house to various lifestyle and communicable diseases that results in high out-of-pocket expenditure for maintaining health. Many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are focusing on expansion of green areas, combating air pollution, maintaining health and creating liveable cities. The chapter thus elaborates the need of achieving these goals which are global agendas but need local actions. Planners and policymakers should not only enable the cities economically but also environmentally to deal with the challenges in holistic ways.
