Intra-city disparities in urban green space proximity and its association with infrastructures and demography

Abstract

Proximity to urban green space is a crucial parameter that enriches urban livability and social health. Conversely, the disparity in green space proximity leads to environmental injustice. This becomes a major hindrance to reach sustainable goals at community level. The inequity in green space proximity may be generated from various socio-economic reasons, and such factors need to be evaluated to overcome the issue. Simultaneously, the patterns of green space will affect different age groups in separate manners. In densely built, vastly populated cities from the global south, not much attention is given to the demographic dynamics and urban health. The present study was carried out to recognize these shortcomings. Computation and mapping of Per Capita Green Space (PCGS) were performed at 1 km × 1 km grid level for a tropical megacity from India. About 59 % of the grids within the city depicted remarkably low PCGS, lower than sustainable standards. While the same areas contained more than 9.5 million people, creating severe health hazard risks. Alarmingly low PCGS (even zero) were mostly noted in the northern parts of the city and also in the suburbs towards the north. More than half a million children (age <10 years) were present at risk within the most critical grids. Sample grid observations using floor space area suggested that lower PCGS was common in lower economic residences within the city. The work aimed to draw the attention of urban policymakers to a much-needed environmental injustice and build the latest geospatial database to aid future sustainable city planning.