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Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (27 February 2023) | Viewed by 24265

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Prof. Dr. Zhonghua Gou

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Guest Editor

School of Urban Design, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Interests: sustainable design; green building; building performance studies; urban green space
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Xiaohuan Xie

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Guest Editor

School of Architecture & Urban Planning, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: green building; healthy building; sustainable landscape
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Karine Dupre

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Guest Editor

School Engineering and Built Environ - Arch and Design, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
Interests: architecture and urban studies; social design; heritage; tourism and cities; regional development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban green space has been associated with many benefits, such as physical activities, stress alleviation, relaxation, health and well-being [1]. This has been addressed in recent studies about COVID-19, demonstrating the vital necessity of green spaces [2]. On the other hand, studies have disclosed the inequity of green space distribution, accessibility and ownership in cities [3], some even forecasting that inequity and injustice will be likely to become severe after the pandemic [4]. Furthermore, recent studies introducing green gentrification and the Gini coefficient measure the economic impact of urban green spaces [5, 6], which is not negligible. Therefore, it is of great necessity and importance to have this critical understanding to inform policies, planning and design and to bring this issue into decision-making processes. This Special Issue aims to collect efforts from different perspectives to investigate, disclose, and understand the inequity and injustice of urban green spaces in cities as well as in urban–rural contexts. The Special Issue will cover but not be confined to the following topics:

Inequity in green space use;
Green space for urban minorities, vulnerabilities;
Urban green space injustice;
Demographics of urban green space use;
Spatiotemporal analysis of urban green space use;
Urban green space and resilience.

References:

[1] Owen Douglas, Mick Lennon, Mark Scott. Green space benefits for health and well-being: A life-course approach for urban planning, design and management. Cities, 2017, 66: 53-62;

[2] Zander S Venter, David N Barton, Vegard Gundersen, Helene Figari, Megan Nowell. Urban nature in a time of crisis: recreational use of green space increases during the COVID-19 outbreak in Oslo, Norway. Environmental Research Letters, 2020, 15: 104075;

[3] Tim G Williams, Tom M. Logan, Connie T Zuo, Kevin D Liberman, Seth D Guikema. Parks and safety: a comparative study of green space access and inequity in five US cities. Landscape and Urban Planning, 2020, 201: 103841;

[4] Frank J. Elgar, Anna Stefaniak, Michael J.A. Wohl. The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and COVID-19 deaths in 84 countries. Social Science & Medicine, 2020, 263: 113365.

[5] Shue Feng, Liding Chen, Ranhao Sun, Zhiqiang Feng, Junran Li, Muhammad Sadiq Khan and Yongcai Jin, The Distribution and Accessibility of Urban Parks in Beihing, China: Implications of Social Equity, Int. Journal of Environmental Research Public Health, 2019, 16 (24): 103390.

[6] Kenneth Gould, Tammy Lewis, Green Gentrification: Urban Sustainability and the Struggle for Environmental Justice, 2016 Routledge, DOI: 10.4324/9781315687322

Prof. Dr. Zhonghua Gou
Dr. Xiaohuan Xie
Prof. Dr. Karine Dupre
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (10 papers)

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26 pages, 9391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Park Recreation Intention and Satisfaction of Blue-Collar Workers Based on the ACSI Model: A Case Study of Anning Industrial Park in Yunnan

by Xiaohuan Xie, Yinrong Li, Ruobing Wang and Zhonghua Gou

Land 2023, 12(4), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040798 - 31 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1675

Abstract

The negative effects of long working hours and shift work on the physical and mental health of blue-collar groups should not be underestimated. Under intense stress, they have limited time to access recreational green space, and their own health is thus affected. In this study, a conceptual model of recreational satisfaction among blue-collar workers was established based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The model explores the factors affecting their level of satisfaction when using recreational spaces. Anning Industrial Park in Yunnan Province was used as an example. User data were collected and analyzed using a questionnaire survey and structural equation methods. The results indicate that recreation intention, perceived park quality characteristics, and perceived value all had significant and positive effects on the park recreation satisfaction of blue-collar workers. This study applied social economics theory to the field of landscape planning, identified the typical characteristics of blue-collar workers and their green space use, and strived to optimize the UGS configuration and functional facilities through the evaluation of recreation satisfaction indexes, which provided guidance and reference for improving the service quality of green spaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity)

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22 pages, 8403 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying Park Spatial Characteristics That Encourage Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity among Park Visitors

by Mingxin Liu, Chenxi Chen and Jiaqi Yan

Land 2023, 12(3), 717; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030717 - 21 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2233

Abstract

The general consensus is that physical activity can prevent and manage lifestyle-induced chronic diseases, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has been included in several guidelines of WHO as an indicative intensity standard. Numerous studies have confirmed that improving the spatial quality of urban parks can be very helpful in supporting physical activities, and that the quality of parks is significantly related to the intensity of physical activities. However, few studies have explored the spatial characteristics of activating physical activities. Using a modified System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC), this study examines the relationship between spatial characteristics and MVPA through a binary logistic regression model. The results reveal that: firstly, inconsistent with other similar studies, the most observed group in the park is the adults rather than the seniors, and the proportion of the females (51%) is higher; secondly, the distribution of MVPA in different groups shows that the seniors have less interaction with other groups, and they have a significant spatial attachment. Thirdly, in functionality, large lawn and jogging trails have been proved to be the most effective features to promote the occurrence of MVPA; among the activity, except for the significant correlation between equipped and MVPA, other attributes can be proved to encourage MVPA as well as those in comfort. In conclusion, our results can contribute to the planning and design of the urban park as well as the further management and allocation of the space and facilities under the vision of promoting public health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity)

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20 pages, 10303 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Are Green Spaces More Available and Accessible to Green Building Users? A Comparative Study in Texas

by Senhong Cai and Zhonghua Gou

Land 2023, 12(1), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010226 - 11 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1703

Abstract

Green buildings (GBs) and green spaces (GSs) play a key foundational role as important drivers of urban Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There have been many studies on the spatial distribution of GBs and GSs, but relevant studies exploring the spatial relationship between GBs and GSs are lacking. The research questions were: whether GBs are more likely to access GSs than nongreen buildings (NGBs) and whether GBs with higher certification levels are more likely to access GSs. In this study, we used Texas and its four major cities (Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio) as case studies to compare the availability and accessibility of GSs to GBs (certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED by U.S. Green Building Council) and NGBs. The study was conducted using spatial analysis tools in a geographic information system (GIS) to explore the spatial distribution of GBs and quantify the availability and accessibility of GSs in a comparison of GBs and NGBs and different GB certification levels. The study found that GBs in each city showed uneven distribution with multicore distribution. In addition, the availability and accessibility of GSs for GBs are lower than for NGBs, and the ability to obtain GSs does not increase with higher GB certification levels. This is because many GBs are located in areas far from the city center or in small cities around large cities where there are few GSs available, resulting in a mismatch in the distribution of GBs and GSs. The study also reviewed the certification manuals and found that LEED has regulated GSs at the city and community levels, yet has ignored them at the building level, and thus further suggests specific improvements. This study provides references and suggestions for adding GSs to the certification content, helping policymakers to optimize future efforts to improve GB certification programs and contributing to the eventual greater role of GBs and GSs together in urban SDGs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity)

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23 pages, 2577 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trees on Buildings: A Tree Selection Framework Based on Industry Best Practice

by Majed Abuseif, Karine Dupre and Ruby N. Michael

Land 2023, 12(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010097 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5504

Abstract

Trees on buildings have received increased interest, and installations have multiplied over recent years, yet there is limited literature and policies guiding the successful implementation of projects relating to trees on buildings. This study investigates the tree selection process for implementation on buildings, using a survey and follow-up interviews with experienced experts to reveal current worldwide industry best practice, and provides a systematic framework for selecting the most appropriate tree species. A tree selection framework is proposed that consists of four stages: identifying the purpose of the tree; analysing the site context and its conditions; evaluating the risk of implementation; and investigating the characteristics of the candidate trees. Decision-makers can use the developed framework to inform design, implementation, and policy development of trees on buildings to reduce implementation risks. In addition, this paper provides useful insights to inform future research about trees on buildings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity)

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23 pages, 12066 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Investigation of Green Roof Spatial Distribution and Incentive Policies Using Green Buildings as a Benchmark

by Siwei Chen and Zhonghua Gou

Land 2022, 11(11), 2067; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112067 - 17 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2206

Abstract

The global spread of green roofs is becoming increasingly important in the context of increasing urbanization and climate change as they provide multiple benefits, including urban heat island effect (UHI) mitigation, stormwater retention and urban flood risk reduction. However, current research provides little insight into how green roofs are used and promoted globally. Therefore, it is essential to look at the global spatial distribution of green roofs and the related policies by using green buildings which have been successfully promoted as a benchmark. This study collected data from multiple sources, such as a dataset of spatial distribution of green roofs from eight countries, and 124 green roof incentive policy texts from 88 cities. Spatial analysis was conducted using ArcGIS Pro, and different types of incentive policies were explored using word frequency analysis. The results show that (1) the unbalanced distribution of green roofs in cities is prominent, with significant regional differences and clustering characteristics along water systems; (2) in the vast majority of countries, the types of incentive policies for green roofs lack diversity; (3) green roofs lack a well-developed rating system compared to how green buildings are promoted. Combining green buildings with green roofs and exploring the gaps between them, this study will help further explore the application of green roofs worldwide and guide governments or non-governmental organizations to develop and implement more efficient policies and provide recommendations to promote the popularity of green roofs worldwide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity)

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19 pages, 3963 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Construction of Urban Green Space Network in Kashgar City, China

by Xiaoxia Li, Guozhu Xia, Tao Lin, Zhonglin Xu and Yao Wang

Land 2022, 11(10), 1826; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101826 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1776

Abstract

With the new round of western development being pushed forward and territorial spatial planning being put into place, northwest China’s urbanization rate has sped up. Urbanization will inevitably affect the city’s general landscape pattern and features, aggravating the landscape’s fragmentation and destroying the urban ecological environment. That threatens the well-being of the residents and the city’s biodiversity. Urban green space provides a habitat for the creatures in the city, and its connectivity provides corridors. Researchers and planners have developed green space networks to protect urban biodiversity and satisfy urban residents’ needs for recreation and ecologically friendly open space. This study uses RS, GIS, SeNtinel Application Platform (SNAP), and Conefor Sensinode. Applying the landscape connectivity index, least-cost path model, and corridor curvature analysis to identify potential recreation and biodiversity conservation corridors with a reasonable width, identifies good quality green space patches and corridors, or which ones need improvement. The results show that: (1) The patches selected by the possible connectivity index (PC) calculated with a threshold of 100 m in the urban area of Kashgar have higher recreational attributes. (2) There are 24 effective recreational corridors in Kashgar, with a total length of 43.44 km, and 53 effective biodiversity conservation corridors, a total of 78.23 km. Suppose recreational and ecological functions are considered to build a comprehensive green space network. The 50 m recreational corridor is mainly distributed in the center, and the 30 m biodiversity conservation corridor is primarily distributed on edge. (3) We can determine the location of the new green space suitable for protection or development by analyzing the corridor curvature. Through the constructed green space network, we can find that green space planning has severe fragmentation, unfair distribution, and other problems. Based on these issues, optimizing urban green space can promote the connectivity of urban green space. Furthermore, studying the width of corridors suitable for dense urban areas is conducive to protecting urban biodiversity and resident well-being. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity)

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17 pages, 4598 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Green Spatial Vitality and the Corresponding Influencing Factors: A Case Study of Chengdu, China

by Qidi Dong, Jun Cai, Shuo Chen, Pengman He and Xuli Chen

Land 2022, 11(10), 1820; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101820 - 17 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2021

Abstract

Green space integrates diversified urban functions, and the analysis of its utilization, can help improve the vitality of the social and economic development of cities while contributing to the important goal of enhancing urban green space (UGS) planning and management. In this study, the heat value obtained from Baidu heat maps was used as an external representation of spatial vitality, and the factors that influence vitality were analyzed from two dimensions, i.e., the inner and outer space characteristics of green space, using spatial big data such as points of interest (POIs), Open Street Map (OSM) and online review data. The findings indicated that green space and urban resources in Chengdu are highly centralized. That is, a high road network density and nearby transportation facilities make it easier for visitors to reach parks, while peripheral functional density also plays a role in promoting vitality; additionally, reasonable and moderate space and functional layouts are conducive to the development of green space. In addition, our study integrates the tour experience index, which has a strong positive impact on vitality, to better reflect the human-oriented characteristics of green space, which are of great relevance to the construction and renewal of human space in UGSs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity)

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15 pages, 1974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Soundscape Perception Lead to Environmentally Responsible Behavior? A Case Study in Longcanggou Forest Park, China

by Nian Li, Ya Wen, Yanxin Wang, Yifei Li, Qibing Chen, Xi Li and Bingyang Lv

Land 2022, 11(9), 1505; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091505 - 07 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1507

Abstract

Soundscape perception (SP) plays an important role in promoting tourist-place interaction and enhancing tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior (ERB). In this study, we defined SP as a second-order factor and investigated its relationships with place attachment (PA) and tourists’ ERB using structural equation modeling (SEM). Our aim was to identify how a soundscape could be improved to enhance the ERB of forest park tourists. Our results confirm the multidimensionality of SP, i.e., the three subdimensions of physical soundscape perception (PSP), psychological soundscape perception (SSP), and regional soundscape perception (RSP). Furthermore, our SEM results show that PA mediates the effect of the three subdimensions of SP on high-effort ERB (HERB). Our empirical results also reveal that the enhancement of tourists’ SSP will foster their ERB. This study therefore extends the multisensory landscape literature by offering insights into the relationship between SP, PA, and tourists’ ERB. Our findings provide empirical evidence for understanding the influence of SP on tourists’ ERB in forest parks and demonstrate that PA should be considered an important context for soundscape design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity)

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18 pages, 752 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Negative Associations between Quality of Urban Green Spaces and Health Expenditures in Downtown Shanghai

by Liqing Zhang and Yue Wu

Land 2022, 11(8), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11081261 - 06 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1844

Abstract

The health–beneficial value of urban green spaces (UGS) is increasingly accepted by scholars. However, compared to the large number of studies focused on UGS–health associations, whether UGS in high-density cities could reduce public health expenditures remains less investigated. In particular, few studies have examined the association of UGS quality with health expenditures. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study in downtown Shanghai to examine such associations. A population-based household survey (n = 1000) was conducted to collect relevant information about different aspects of health expenditure and the characteristics of UGS. Specifically, a new method was proposed to measure UGS quality based on the supply–demand of 20 types of UGS activities. We also measured the perceived quality of different types of UGS and quantified the amount of UGS using GIS based on remote sensing data. Regression models were applied for statistical analysis. The results showed that both UGS quality based on user needs and perceived UGS quality have a significant negative association with total health expenditures. This study provides insights for UGS quality measurement, contributes to the understanding of the health-related economic benefits of UGS, and also highlights the importance of UGS optimization in high-density urban areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity)

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Review

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12 pages, 280 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Considerations for Children’s Nature Connection and Park Environmental Justice in Western Societies

by Melissa VanSickle and Christopher Coutts

Land 2022, 11(9), 1435; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091435 - 31 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1788

Abstract

Nature provides multiple physical, mental, and social health benefits to children. Although green spaces in cities can provide these health benefits, in many Western societies, children are spending less time outdoors and access to green spaces and related factors are not evenly distributed spatially and demographically. In addition, recent literature points to new greening projects furthering inequities due to processes of green gentrification. Several studies have provided insight into distributional, interactional, and procedural environmental justice issues related to green spaces. Through a narrative review of the literature, this paper explores these components of environmental justice as they relate to children’s nature connection and play in local city parks. When planning for local parks, historical and context-specific social and environmental factors that influence caretaker and children’s ability to access green spaces that promote nature connection should be considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Green Space Use Behaviours and Equity)

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