A Spatial Assessment of Urban Welfare Facility Supply: Integrating Accessibility, Equity, and Demand for Daycare Centers and Senior Welfare Facilities

This study presents an innovative grid-based micro-spatial framework that fundamentally transforms welfare facility assessment by integrating distribution equity, accessibility, and supply adequacy—moving beyond traditional administrative boundary limitations. While existing approaches analyze demand, supply, and accessibility as discrete components within administrative units, our methodology employs a 500 m × 500 m grid system that captures intra-regional disparities invisible to conventional analyses. Using Cheonan, South Korea, as a case study, we demonstrate how the Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (E2SFCA) method, combined with network analysis, reveals critical service gaps that single-metric evaluations miss. Our findings show that areas with high distribution equity may still suffer from poor accessibility, while accessible facilities may lack adequate capacity—patterns that emerge only through integrated multi-dimensional analysis. By applying differentiated mobility thresholds, this framework addresses age-specific service needs within Korea’s rapidly aging demographic context. The standardized comparison across 31 administrative areas using Z-scores quantitatively identifies underserved populations and distinguishes between supply shortages and accessibility barriers. This methodological innovation provides urban planners with a comprehensive diagnostic tool for developing spatially differentiated policies that ensure both equity and efficiency in welfare service provision, particularly crucial for addressing the urban-rural divide in aging societies.