Park availability,accessibility, and attractiveness in relation to the least and most vulnerable inhabitants

With this paper, we enrich the environmental justice debate by investigating differences in the provision of parks in Lodz, Poland, at three levels: availability, accessibility, and attractiveness. A park is ‘available’ when it exists within a suitable distance from where we live; it is ‘accessible’ when we feel that we are welcome there, and we can freely reach and safely use this park; it is ‘attractive’ when we willingly want to use it and spend time there. Our research hypothesis is that the most vulnerable groups of inhabitants concentrate around parks whose provision is affected by the largest number of barriers at each of the three levels, while the least vulnerable benefit from the vicinity of parks that are the least affected. Apart from the statistical analysis – the correlation between the indicators that represent the three levels of park provision and those that represent the most and least economically vulnerable using Pearson’s coefficient – we scrutinize three case study parks. The results confirm that there are inequalities at the level of attractiveness for the most vulnerable groups; meanwhile, no statistically significant results were recorded for the least vulnerable groups. The differences would probably be more explicit had socioeconomic segregation been higher in Lodz. The results may also be influenced by the unique postsocialist and postindustrial legacy of our city. The ongoing revitalization of the city center and the increased activity of developers may exclude the most vulnerable inhabitants and deepen segregation.     

Accessibility to urban parks: Comparing GIS based measures in the city of Padova (Italy)

Accessibility to urban green spaces is essential for urban dwellers’ health and well-being. For planning purposes different accessibility measures and indicators have been used. Some are only based on availability, others consider distance from residences, yet others rely on gravity-based methods that consider both supply and demand. Different indicators often provide diverse and sometimes contradictory results and many issues remain in developing a comprehensive measure of accessibility, and representativity problems remain in matching indices with reality. In this study different accessibility measures have been developed and applied to the urban parks of the city of Padova, in northeastern Italy. Effectiveness and reliability of ten indicators derived from these measures, in identifying needs, inadequacies and disparities in park access have been tested at the urban unit scale. The study confirmed that multiple indicators need to be used to provide a useful planning tool for the provision of adequate and equal opportunities for open space access to the citizens. The study has also shown which indicators can be replaced by each other without losing important information.     

Recreational mapping and planning for enlargement of the green structure in greater Copenhagen

Since 1947, the development of greater Copenhagen has followed a plan that divided the city into a centre and five urban ‘fingers’. The ‘Finger Plan’ has constituted an important part of the planning framework, albeit informally. Under this plan, four green wedges and three green rings, located between the urban ‘fingers’, form a multifunctional recreational landscape of high value to the citizens. In 2006, the Greater Copenhagen Authority put forward a proposal for the enlargement of the existing green wedges and the addition of a new fourth green ring. In order to achieve this plan, detailed mapping of recreational opportunities was needed. Based on existing planning approaches combined with theoretical and empirical studies on preferences, use, and composition of green spaces, a method for monitoring and analyzing recreational experiences using seven specific categories was adapted and further developed to Danish conditions and applied to land use categories in greater Copenhagen. Areas that comprised one or more recreational experience values were designated by use of GIS techniques and map-based indicators for each of the seven ‘experience classes’ (wilderness; feeling of the forest; panoramic views, water, and scenery; biodiversity and land form; cultural history; activity and challenge; service and gathering). For incorporation into the regional and municipal planning policy, the seven experience classes were transformed into GIS, creating a decision support system for use at municipal and regional levels in order to facilitate future planning of the recreational landscape in greater Copenhagen. The method proved capable of pointing out important areas for recreational development in the enlarged but not yet developed areas. Further, the division of the recreational potential into seven classes makes possible site-specific development that utilizes existing potential.     

Evaluating the accessibility of urban parks and waterfronts through online map services: A case study of Shaoxing,China

Regular access to natural environment has many physical and mental health benefits for urban residents. This study was to evaluate the accessibility of urban parks and waterfronts in a Chinese canal city at the household level. Shaoxing, a typical canal town in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, was selected as the case study because of its abundant but underused natural resources. The study had measured the shortest travel routes from individual households to parks and waterfronts using data from the online map service and intensive fieldwork. The results showed that only 22% of Shaoxing residents live within a 500 m walking distance to parks, but scenario analysis showed if the canals were well used, almost all the residents would have access to natural environment within 15 min’ walk. Thus, the route-based accessibility evaluation method developed in this research offers a fine-grained understanding of household inequality in access to natural environments. It not only provides specific recommendations for planning intervention to improve the accessibility of natural resources in Shaoxing, but also contributes to the advancement of accessibility measures for planning practice. This route-based measure makes it possible to combine other accessibility measures of the travel routes such as sidewalk qualities in future research. The simplicity of this method means that it can be used to evaluate accessibility to other public facilities at the household level to develop walkable neighborhoods in cities.     

Greenway service supply and public demand in Guangzhou city,China

Small-size green spaces contain convenient service capabilities for urban residents and satisfy the daily needs of citizens for high-quality ecological products. A greenway is a kind of linear green space, which can create a beautiful and livable environment in a high-density urban area. This study explored whether the services provided by the greenway can meet the daily needs of urban residents for green space in Guangzhou, a mega city in south China. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and the entropy weight (EW) method, both the coupling coordination degree model and spatial autocorrelation analysis were adopted to quantify and determine the coordination degree of greenway service supply and public demand in Guangzhou. The results showed that the comprehensive score of the greenway service supply (GSS) subsystem and the public demand (PD) subsystem in Guangzhou was 0.3865 ± 0.08 and 0.3778 ± 0.03 (mean±s.e., n = 11), respectively. The GSS subsystem score was slightly higher than that of PD subsystem (P > 0.05), indicating that the two subsystems had no significant differences. The supply and demand subsystem of ten districts (excluding Conghua) in Guangzhou achieved different levels of coordination, and the average coupling coordination degree was 0.5885, suggesting that the districts were barely balanced at the city level. The Moran's I value was 0.580, indicating that the coupling coordination degree had significant positive global spatial autocorrelation and showed a spatial agglomeration effect. Furthermore, the local Moran’s I spatial autocorrelation showed that three districts (i.e., Yuexiu, Haizhu and Liwan) formed a high supply-high demand cluster and a spatial difference was detected when coupling the GSS and PD in Guangzhou. Therefore, we proposed the differentiated optimization strategies based on the results of the coupling coordination degree and the development status of each district and the entire city. This knowledge can better guide the subsequent construction and development of greenway in Guangzhou and may be useful for adjacent cities in Asia-Pacific region.     

Evaluating geographic and social inequity of urban parks in Shanghai through mobile phone-derived human activities

The equity of urban park access has received great attention from studies on public service provision. However, individuals’ growing demands for recreational activities have brought diversity and complexity to park usages, drawing doubts on traditional measurements of park accessibility. To fill the gap, this study explores park equity issues with a dataset containing 12.03 million mobile phone users who accessed one of the 332 parks in Shanghai. We measured community-level park accessibility with two traditional place-based indicators – park area proportion and Gaussian-based 2SFCA accessibility, and three innovative activity-based indicators – park activity frequency, park activity trip length, and park activity duration. We then explored the geographic and social inequity by calculating Gini index and conducting correlation analysis. The results show that place-based and activity-based indicators presented citywide differences, indicating a significant impact of human activities on urban park accessibility. The geographic inequality of park distribution was undermined by people’s actual park usages. However, residents in communities with higher quality of built-environment had higher park activity frequency while shorter trip length, and social inequity of park access among the total population was more obvious than the low-recreation-demand population. Therefore, policy-makers should rethink how to provide park resources to address the inequity issues brought by human activities. Our study contributes to the existing literature in the following ways: (1) compared place-based park accessibility and activity-based park accessibility in the same context, and (2) identified low-recreation-demand population as a comparison group to explore impacts of recreation demand on park equity.     

Spatial impacts of multimodal accessibility to green spaces on housing price in Cook County,Illinois

This study explores the impacts of multimodal accessibility to green space on housing price. Quantifying the benefits of green space accessibility is important for supporting green infrastructure planning and guiding land use development. In this study, we calculate multimodal travel times (walking and driving) from each residential property in Cook County (Chicago metro), Illinois to each articulated (public or significant private) green space. A gravity-model based method is used to compute accessibility (by travel mode), which considers the access to multiple green spaces and weights prioritization. Green spaces are divided into seven categories depending on their type and size to differentiate their potential benefits. Hedonic models using housing structural features, locational attributes, socio-economic factors and green space accessibility as explanatory variables, are used to evaluate housing price (using housing transactions records from 2010 sales in the county). The spatial effects of green space accessibilities on housing prices are explored by an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, with and without fixed locational effects, and a Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR). Results show walking and driving accessibility to all sizes of recreational, medium conversational and private green spaces present positive impacts on housing price, with some negative impacts to larger (and smaller) conservation areas. The relationship also exhibits different heterogeneous spatial pattern over the study area between walking and driving accessibility to green space, possibly related to economic variation.     

From explanation to application: introducing a practice-oriented ecosystem services evaluation (PRESET) model adapted to the context of landscape planning and management

The development and use of the conceptual framework of ecosystem services (ES) has been very successful in supporting the broad diffusion and application of ES within science and policy communities. However, most of the currently proposed interpretations of the framework neither correlate to environmental planning nor to decision-making contexts at the local and regional scale, which is a potential reason for the slow adoption and practice of the ES conceptual framework. This paper proposes a practice-oriented ES evaluation (PRESET) model specifically adapted to the requirements of local and regional planning and decision-making contexts, and discusses its potential benefits and implications for practice. Through the usage of PRESET we suggest making a distinction between ‘offered ES’, ‘utilized ES’, ‘human input’, and ‘ES benefits’ as relevant information for decision-making. Furthermore, we consider it important to link these decision-support categories to different value dimensions relevant in planning and management practice. PRESET provides guidance to inject the ES concept into planning, but needs to be implemented together with concrete assessment methods, indicators and data. The planning strategic benefits of using PRESET include its reference to existing legislative objectives, avoiding the risk that monetized ES values might dominate decision-making, clarification of human contributions, and easier identification of land use conflicts and synergies. Examples are given for offered and utilized ES, as well as for respective evaluation approaches and instruments of implementation.     

Inequalities in the quality and proximity of green space exposure are more pronounced than in quantity aspect: Evidence from a rapidly urbanizing Chinese city

Substantial studies have revealed that exposure to green spaces (GSs) yields a variety of health benefits. However, daily GS exposure scenarios are multidimensional, and relevant analyses require a comprehensive framework that assesses GS exposure from overhead- to eye-level perspectives, focusing on GS attributes from quantity and proximity to quality. Moreover, GSs are often unevenly distributed across cities, resulting in green distribution injustice. To this end, this study aimed to systematically evaluate multiple GS exposures considering two-dimensional (2D) spatial exposures (i.e., quantity-based availability, distance-based accessibility, and quality-based attractiveness) and three-dimensional (3D) visual exposures (quantity-based street GS visibility and quality-based street GS perceivability). It then examined the inequalities in GS exposure among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Housing prices were employed as proxies for socioeconomic status. Local indicators of spatial association(LISA) were employed to examine the existence of bivariate statistically significant spatial clusters of housing prices and multiple GS exposure. Furthermore, the spatial lag regression model was used to determine inequities in GS exposure among urban residents living in communities with different housing prices. The Nanjing metropolitan area, one of the most densely populated cities in China, was selected as the study case. Residential exposure to GS was comprehensively assessed using a 15-min walkable zone lens. The results suggest that: 1) the spatial cluster of ‘low GS exposure – low housing price’ occupied the largest proportion; 2) all five types of GS exposure were positively associated with housing prices, indicating that the affluent groups are more likely to have access to various GSs; and 3) GS exposure inequalities are more pronounced in measurements of quality(and proximity) than quantity in both spatial and visual exposure metrics. These findings can inform the development of environmental planning and policy strategies for more effective, efficient, and equitable GS provisions that address health issues and green injustice in rapidly urbanizing cities.     

Comparing green spaces provision and accessibility indicators over a latitudinal gradient and multiple climate zones

Monitoring urban green space (UGS) indicators is key to assessing progress against the UNs sustainable development goals (SDGs). Within these indicators, measuring the provision of UGS as well as its accessibility is considered a major objective. However, neither the relationship between the two indicators, nor differences related to different types of UGS have been adequately evaluated. In this paper, these two indicators are calculated and analyzed for four size-based types of UGS and for 69 municipalities, which are part of the 16 regional capital cities of Chile. For the provision indicator, the average calculated over all municipalities does not reach the often proposed standard of 11 sq.m/inhab., but only 5.29 sq.m/inhab. Regarding the accessibility indicator, when a walking speed of 4 km/h is considered, the smaller residential green spaces have the highest accessibility (65 % of the population have access), but accessibility for larger GS is low. When a walking speed of 2 km/h is assumed, then accessibility drops to 29 %, 5 %, 5 % and 5 % respectively. We found that calculation results for the four types of UGS are statistically different, and therefore one type cannot replace another in case of monitoring: Higher UGS provision does not guarantee higher accessibility.     

景观规划控制构建城市特色研究

通过对欧美和日本等国景观规划控制的总结和我国景观规划控制现状的分析,促使在借鉴他国先进经验的基础上,结合我国实际情况,提出相应的手段与方法以提升我国景观规划控制水平,并展望新的目标,以有效保护和构建有特色的城市形象。     

High-precision monitoring of urban structures to understand changes in multiple ecosystem services

To safeguard the well-being of urban dwellers, it is vital to restore, protect and enhance urban green infrastructures (uGI), their related ecosystem services (ES) and the associated benefits for a large number of inhabitants. This study maps and monitors land cover between 2012 and 2018 in the fast-growing German city of Leipzig to produce precise information using OBIA and very high-resolution digital orthophotos. Based on this, this research pinpoints spatially differentiated multiple ES. Research has revealed that essential ES, which comprise regulating, socio-cultural and cultural-aesthetic services, have a multifunctional impact on the human urban habitat. The study provides insight into each ES type by evaluating specific classes of objects within the urban environment in a spatially explicit way and at a very high scale of resolution. In doing so, it illustrates variations in the provision of ES and renders visible disparities in the accessibility to uGI in Leipzig. By analysing the number and stands of trees and their respective height development, the study confirms that intensive management is successfully rejuvenating the urban forest, but also that foliage in this forest is suffering from drought. The mapping procedure reveals a high spatial and temporal variation in the rates of carbon storage. This is also the case for the provision of recreation areas which has an impact on the equitable distribution of ES to Leipzig’s inhabitants. Residential areas with a relatively high uGI on the outskirts of the city actually register lower market rents and rent growth rates than in those districts which lie closer to the city centre and have a comparably lower uGI. Thus, market rents and uGI have become decoupled in the fast growing city. In order to ensure and maintain the well-being of all residents in a fair way, fast growing cities like Leipzig must make even greater efforts in urban planning.     

Optimizing urban green space patterns to improve spatial equity using location-allocation model: A case study in Wuhan

Green space allocation aims to support the UNs sustainable development goals (SDGs) and to mitigate the conflicts between supply and demand. Previous studies have shown that the uneven distribution of populations and natural locations of green space results in environmental inequity. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on strategies for reducing mismatches of supply and demand by optimizing spatial patterns in highly dense cities. Developed urbanized areas are featured in fewer spaces for greening. In this study, we set three scenarios for coordinating the provision and demand of urban green spaces at a block scale. Taking the main city of Wuhan as an example, we apply the location-allocation model in order to identify potential sites for new green spaces. Then, the simulations of the three scenarios are used to depict various development strategies by evaluating the improvement of green equity. Our results show that the levels of green space accessibility are lower on the west side of the city center, while relatively higher on the east side, due to abundant natural resources. The Gini coefficient is 0.715, indicating unequal access for citizens to green space. Increasing green areas could enhance green equity, and the most effective way to allocate new increments is based on the accessibility. For developed cities, blocks with lower accessibility should be given priority when increasing green areas; doing so could offset the shortage of large green areas and reduce green inequity within daily walking distances. Optimal green space planning of small and functional parks near communities has the potential to meet higher recreational demands in densely populated areas.     

Sidewalks,trees and shade matter: A visual landscape assessment approach to understanding people’s preferences for walking

IntroductionPublic health professionals and urban designers consider neighborhood sidewalks as a vehicle for promoting outdoor physical activity. The design of streetscape and available greenness may also influence walking behaviors and physical activity more generally.MethodData collection included a visual landscape assessment (VLA) survey, followed by focus groups to evaluate streetscape features that influence participants’ preferences for and choice of walking routes. With the considerations of equity in access to the environmental amenities, the study was conducted in marginalized communities. Sixty-nine people from low-income neighborhoods in Denver, CO participated in this study. Data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively, using multilevel statistical models.ResultsMore shade and trees, higher levels of maintenance, and the presence of a buffer between the street and sidewalk increase the likelihood of intuitively choosing a street for walking. The availability of natural surveillance, the presence of an open view, and the presence of attractive buildings increase the likelihood of cognitively choosing a street for walking.ConclusionPeople‘s preferences for and choice of walking routes, which include desired shade and walkability, should be considered in neighborhood planning to promote walkable environments.     

Classification of institutional barriers affecting the availability,accessibility and attractiveness of urban green spaces

The main goal of this article is to identify and classify institutional barriers which prevent the use of urban green spaces (UGS) at three levels: availability (whether a UGS exists), accessibility (whether it is physically and psychologically accessible, e.g., not fenced off), and attractiveness (whether it is attractive enough for potential users to visit). We reviewed the impacts on UGS provision exerted by different actors (individuals, formal and informal groups, community councils, city authorities, national governmental and non-governmental organizations), along with the relevant institutional foundations of those impacts. As a result, we identified and classified the different barriers for which these actors are responsible in the case of fifteen UGS types in our case study city, Lodz (Łódź) in Poland. The main barriers at different levels concern conflicting interests, physical barriers (private green spaces), and the lack of funds, together with legal and governmental failures (public green spaces). These barriers result from the different actors’ mandates or lack thereof. Our analysis has implications for the operationalization of UGS availability, accessibility and attractiveness, and, in particular, for mapping UGS and setting the relevant indicators and thresholds for UGS availability, accessibility and attractiveness.     

Envisioning the future—Creating sustainable,healthy and resilient BioCities

Numerous challenges – from population increase to climate change – threaten the sustainable development of cities and call for a fundamental change of urban development and green-blue resource management. Urban forests are vital in this transition, as they provide various ecosystem services and allow to re-shape and re-think cities. Based on a Europe-wide community effort with diverse experts centered around urban forests and urban greening, we propose five key research fields to generate the knowledge required to unlock fundamental changes in urban development and green-blue resource management: circular bioeconomy, climate resilience, governance, social and human environment, and biodiversity. To support the design of greener, cooler, more inclusive and resilient cities, all these research fields require inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration, engaging stakeholders in transforming urban engagement and functioning. We summarise main inter-, trans- und multi-disciplinary research paths for each field and the cross-cutting knowledge areas that can help to address the challenges many cities face (e.g., modelling and assessment of the urban microclimate). For transforming cities further knowledge is needed on e.g., urban innovation, transition, participation, and more. Finally, we address how the identified research gaps can be implemented (e.g., international coordinated research effort, interdisciplinary networks).     

商业步行街公共停车空间规划及景观设计探析

城市日益增长的汽车数量在方便人们日常生活的同时,也给中心区商业步行街的静态交通带来严峻的挑战,在很大程度上阻碍了商业步行街的健康发展。因此,创造高质、高效的停车空间是当下步行街整体规划设计的重要任务。通过对商业步行街停车空间现存问题、绿化方式与设计原则等方面进行分析研究,力争使其规划更具合理性、指导性与前瞻性。     

How perceived sensory dimensions of urban green spaces are associated with adults’ perceived restoration,stress, and mental health?

This study investigates associations between perceived sensory dimensions (PSDs) of urban green spaces (UGSs) and adults’ perceived restoration, stress, and mental health. Data were collected through surveys with 426 adults in 2019 in seven different UGSs in Aydın, Turkey. The PSDs of UGSs (nature, serene, space, rich in species, social, prospect, culture, and refuge) were evaluated and rated by two professional landscape architects. The perceived restorativeness (being away, fascination, coherence, and compatibility) was measured with the Perceived Restorativeness Scale, and health indicators (stress, mental health, mental health diagnosis, mental health treatment, general health, and quality of life) were measured with self-reported questions. Multivariate multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations controlling for confounding factors. Four of the eight PSDs were analyzed due to multicollinearity issues in the study. Regression analyses showed that ‘nature’ was positively associated with perceived restorativeness, stress, and mental health, while ‘refuge’ was only positively associated with perceived restorativeness. On the other hand, ‘serene’ was negatively associated with perceived restorativeness. Whereas ‘rich in species’ was found to be negatively associated with perceived restorativeness and positively associated with mental health diagnosis. In addition, findings showed that frequency of and duration of UGSs visit were negatively associated with perceived restorativeness. The findings suggest that providing characteristics of ‘nature’ and ‘refuge’ in UGSs may provide restorative effects and mental benefits to adults. However, unexpected results suggest that further research is needed before using these characteristics as a tool by landscape architects and city planners.     

Thermal Comfort Maps to estimate the impact of urban greening on the outdoor human comfort

Outdoor human comfort is an important factor in the evaluation of the liveability of a city as well as for promoting people’s health and well-being. In hot arid climates in particular, urban planning and design can considerably impact the day-to-day thermal comfort of the pedestrians, for better or for worse. Strategies to reduce thermal discomfort include shading structures, water bodies, and the promotion of natural ventilation – and most significantly, green areas. Trees have a major impact on the pedestrians in the built environment as they not only provide shading but also improve the microclimate in urban areas, thereby reducing the time during which discomfort is felt. The objective of this paper is to present a new methodology for dynamically quantifying the impact of different plants in urban areas on outdoor human comfort, through 3D urban energy modelling. The proposed methodology makes use of an urban energy modelling tool, providing a comprehensive view of the city energy fluxes, with a focus on the impact of trees on the human thermal comfort. Outdoor human comfort is assessed using the Index of Thermal Stress for the campus of the Swiss International Scientific School of Dubai (UAE), where “Thermal Comfort Maps” are designed to quantify the pedestrian thermal sensation and its variation in time and space. Additionally, the energy fluxes impinging on the urban pedestrians are quantified, dynamically, in hourly time step, providing an important instrument to understand their thermal stress, and the environmental factors affecting it. Based on the simulations, thanks to native greening, a significant improvement in outdoor comfort conditions was achieved in the campus, reducing the “warm/hot” and “very hot” thermal sensations from 1,291 h (on average over the entire campus) to less than 300 h by planting Ghaf and Acacia trees.     

Making trees visible: A GIS method and tool for modelling visibility in the valuation of urban trees

Tree visibility is a key determinant of cultural ecosystem services of urban trees. This paper develops a flexible, efficient and easy-to-use GIS method for modelling individual tree visibility to support tree valuation. The method is implemented as a GRASS GIS AddOn tool called v.viewshed.impact, making it available to a broad spectrum of users and purposes. Thanks to empirically validated underlying algorithms and parallel processing, the method is accurate and fast in analysing high-resolution datasets and large numbers of trees. We demonstrate the method in two use cases in Oslo, Norway, showing that it provides an alternative to field-based assessment of visibility indicators in tree valuation methods and facilitates the inclusion of complex visibility indicators not possible to assess in the field. We argue that the method could also be used for tree management and planning, urban ecosystem accounting and neighbour conflict resolution related to trees.