Topic of study for class

For studio, as i have said before, we are to observe a topic of choise throughout the rest of the semester and document on our blog what we figure out. I chose to do Green Space in the city, and have slightly skimmed the top of this and am delving more into it for the last two months. But as i thought about my topic, I realized that I needed to clarify not only to everyone, but mostly to myself so that I can look at spaces with the objective eye and perspective necessary to truly analyze. SO, here are the first questions that I decided to address:
1. -What is Green Space by definition?
2. -What is Green Space to me?
3. -Does it need/require vegetation?
4. -Does it have to be large like a plaza, or can it be small like a sidewalk?
5. -Where is it appropriate/necessary or not?
6. -How much is to much? Is there such thing as to much?
7. -Do cities today need more Green Space?

After listing out the questions that I feel like needed to be answered, I did some reading and started to answer them.
1. A defenition that I found of green space states that it is any piece of land covered with vegetation. Which stands true to what I originally though it was. But, I feel that in an urban context, which is what i am studying it in, there could potentially hold a slightly different definition.
2. Based on some of the research I have done, and observing the city around, to me Green Space could potentially be something a bit different. In a city, I want to explore if green space can revolve around a gathering space larger that just the area in front of the building. I still lean towards the fact that Green Space requires vegetation, but I am looking to explore if in the urban context other types of areas can be "Green Space".
3. At this point in time I feel that vegetation, at least to some degree, is necessary to make a space a Green Space. But, in walking around a city I have seen some areas with vegetation that dont accomplish what the purpose of green space is and become very un-inviting places, as well as spaces that have no vegetation that break the urban fabric and create less density and outdoor gathering spaces which I feel is a major purpose of Green Space. But Green approaches can be addressed on the small scale on sidewalks and such.
4. Green Space in the urban context is a relief in the density and fabric, and therefore needs to, in my opinion, stand as a larger space than merely a sidewalk or a street corner. It needs to break the urban fabric and create a space in which people can freely gather at least slightly seperated from the busy denseness and built environment of the city.
5. Green Space is necessary wherever the are of the city has gotten to dense, and there are no spaces of relief in which people can gather.
6. When well designed, a specific space can never be to "Green", but excess comes when many plazas begin being put extremely close to one another and removing all of the urban fabric. Green Space is meant as a relief in the city, not to completely replace the city. Excess can also come when nothing is accomplished by the space. This can be caused by poor design or poor location.
7. This is more of an opinion question, but one I feel like can be re-addressed at each analysis and especially at the end. After traveling to a bunch of cities, I feel that all major cities need to address the topic of Green Space more and can start by creating more zones of relief throught the city. So many of the cities, especially the old ones, have some green spaces in the old area, especially around the ruins and things of the sort, but once you move to the outer newer areas it becomes more dense and built up. Even if it is addressed in areas such as making buildings more green and putting Green Space on the tops of buildings, it is something that will help a lot especially with the battles we are fighting with the environment right now.

So, there is my beginning break down of my topic. In breaking down my thoughts, I have narrowed my topic a bit to be Urban Space from a Green perspective. I want to analyze where green spaces are in a city, and what makes something an urban space versus a green space. This may be a lot to tackle in two months, but i am going to try my best to look at spaces and see if they work and which topic they fall under.