Urban green spaces (UGS) are crucial for delivering ecosystem services (ES), enhancing urban resilience, and enhancing public well-being. However, despite increased awareness and policy attention, the management of UGS continues to face significant challenges. This work synthesises findings from literature published between January 2010 and September 2025 addressing the limitations affecting UGS management in urban contexts, with a world coverage. A total of 40 documents were assessed. The analysis identifies a set of recurrent themes such as improper planning and management (42.5% of the documents), lack of supporting data (30.0%), accessibility and environmental equity issues (including gentrification risks) (17.5%), competing land use demands (15.0%), fragmented governance and inter-institutional silos (15.0%), financial and human resource constraints (12.5%), limited stakeholder participation (12.5%), or resistance to bottom-up approaches (7.5%). Despite contextual variations, shared principles emerge across case studies, including the importance of co-governance, multifunctionality, participatory planning, and integrated decision-making. Addressing these systemic barriers will require long-term investment, intersectoral collaboration, and planning cultures that prioritise equity, adaptability, and local capacity. The findings underscore the importance of cross-sector coordination, equitable access, and context-sensitive approaches in supporting transformative change in UGS planning and management. The review concludes by outlining research gaps and suggesting priorities for policy and practice that align with environmental sustainability and social justice goals. A final section proposes measures to address the highlighted issues in an integrated way, oriented towards the definition of a UGS sustainable management framework.
- Open Access
- Review
Barriers to Sustainable Urban Green Space Management: A Review of Limitations and Integrative Proposals
- Luís Valença Pinto
Author Information
Received: 02 Jul 2025 | Revised: 29 Sep 2025 | Accepted: 05 Nov 2025 | Published: 11 Nov 2025
Abstract
Graphical Abstract
Keywords
urban green spaces | environmental justice | participatory planning | green infrastructure governance | nature-based solutions | sustainable management
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