EVOLUTION OF CONCEPTS OF GREEN URBAN SPACES FORMATION IN EUROPEAN URBAN PLANNING

The evolution of concepts for forming green urban spaces in European urban planning is a significant aspect of the development of European cities, reflecting changes in cultural paradigms, environmental priorities, and social needs that have unfolded over centuries. Today, in the context of global climate challenges and the growing need to create sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities, green spaces are acquiring new meaning as integral elements of urban infrastructure. The relevance of the study lies in the necessity to understand the historical and conceptual trajectory that has shaped contemporary approaches to green urban design in Europe, in order to gain practical insights for current planning and future transformations. The purpose of the article is to analyze the evolution of theoretical foundations and planning strategies for green urban spaces, tracing their transformation from aesthetic and recreational elements to multifunctional systems integrated into broader frameworks of sustainable urban development. By examining key stages of European urban history – in particular, the classical, industrial, modernist, and post-industrial periods — the study highlights how the concepts of green spaces have responded to changing urban dynamics, technological progress, and growing ecological awareness. The research has shown that the formation of green areas in European cities consistently reflected a balance between aesthetic ideals and functional needs, with increasing emphasis on ecological integrity and social well-being in the 20th and 21st centuries. The study identifies contemporary trends such as green infrastructure planning, nature-based solutions, and the integration of blue-green networks as responses to urban densification, biodiversity loss, and the need for climate adaptation. The results demonstrate that successful European models combine historical urban structure with innovative ecological planning, offering replicable solutions for other regions. The conclusions emphasize the importance of understanding this evolution as a foundation for shaping future urban environments that are both culturally rooted and ecologically sustainable, and underscore the necessity of interdisciplinary approaches and adaptive planning mechanisms in the face of ongoing environmental and social transformations.