Recital (39)

Soils in settlement areas that are not sealed, and in densely populated urban areas in particular, are as important to monitor and manage sustainably as any other soils, as they still provide ecosystem services that are vital in maintaining a good quality of life within urban areas. A wide array of environmental issues are present and concentrated in a comparatively small surface area, in densely populated urban areas. Those issues could include, among others, a higher rate of contaminated sites due to past industrial activities, a higher risk of flooding because of soil sealing, a higher prevalence of heat islands and more limited access to green areas essential for mental and physical well-being. Soil ecosystem services provided by healthy soils in urban areas can have a very strong positive impact on a great number of people by addressing those specific issues, and their importance should not be understated. Urban green spaces, both public and private, also contribute to the blue-green network and to biodiversity, and are a key element of other environmental policies. This is also in line with Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the restoration of urban ecosystems, which reflects the need for Member States to maintain and increase the surface area of urban green spaces.