Development of Environmental Practices and Green Projects to Achieve the Principles of Sustainable Urban Public Spaces

Urbanization creates a significant burden on the environment of urban areas, calling for innovative approaches to the management of public spaces. The purpose of the study was to assess the degree of implementation of environmental practices under the framework of the circular economy in Russian urban projects based on specialist assessments. The subjects of the study were three major public space improvement projects: Zaryadye Park (Moscow), the embankment of Kaban Lakes (Kazan), and New Holland Island (St. Petersburg). The panel of experts consisted of 18 specialists in ecology, landscape architecture, hydrology, and urban studies, who evaluated five categories of practices: water resources management, the use of recycled materials, energy efficiency, support for biodiversity, and modular infrastructure. Statistical data processing was carried out with non-parametric methods (Kendall's coefficient of concordance and the Friedman test). The results revealed significant variability in the degree of implementation of different practices between projects with a high consistency of expert assessments (W = 0.76). Zaryadye Park was the leader in biodiversity, the New Holland project performed best in the use of recycled materials, and Kaban Lakes were superior in water resource management solutions. Statistically significant differences in all categories show the lack of a universal methodological approach. The study substantiates the need to develop standardized requirements for the environmental management of urban areas.