Measuring Disparity in the Distribution of ROS in Adolescents Using Geospatial Analysis
Publication: Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 150, Issue 4
Abstract
Recreational open spaces (ROS), as essential public amenities, provide a multitude of benefits for city residents. The rapid growth of urban population is raising significant concerns about diminishing green infrastructure, shifts in land use, and erosion of valuable ecosystem services. This necessitates the equitable allocation of green infrastructure in appropriate proximity to the city residents. This study assessed disparity in ROS distribution, considering both availability and accessibility at varying administrative levels. The distribution is assessed with respect to resident population, providing special regard to the adolescent age group. Study is conducted taking Bhopal, India as the case. The Green Space Index and the Lorenz curve are utilized to assess social equity of ROS distribution. In addition, location quotient is employed to assess spatial equity concerning ROS distribution with respect to distribution of resident population. The study outcome illustrates that urban park accessibility varies at different administrative levels. Analysis reveals that higher number of ROS do not necessarily translate to higher ROS accessibility, especially for the adolescent age group. This is due to the inadequate size and proximity of ROS to residents, particularly in recent developments. A participatory GIS survey of 651 adolescents is conducted to further confirm the preceding spatial analyses by exploring associations between ROS accessibility and adolescents ROS visits. The prevailing urban ROS planning in India and several developing nations primarily relies on per capita availability and ratios of ROS to developed land. This approach alone is insufficient. The study results hold vital implications and can be incorporated in the existing urban ROS guidelines. This analysis is pivotal for sustainable ROS planning and policy-making, aiming to achieve environmental and social sustainability, centered on population, especially adolescents.
Practical Applications
This study centers on assessing the spatial allocation of ROS with a focus on equity considerations. The particular emphasis lies in examining how well the spatial distribution of ROS aligns with the requirements of its population in the same planning region. The outcomes of this investigation reveal that the conventional metrics used in ROS planning, namely the per capita ROS area and ratio of ROS to urban land, do not adequately capture the equity dimensions of ROS provision. The results reveal that spatial misalignment exists in the allocation of ROS and its distribution among the population, especially among adolescents. Furthermore, the results highlight that urban growth and densification can result in a general decline in urban green infrastructure. Such results will help to implement green initiatives across identified administrative levels to enhance the wellbeing of residents with an understanding of the population distribution within a region.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
The authors confirm that all sources of secondary data analyzed during this study are included in this article. Furthermore, primary survey data are available from the authors upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the support of Urban Informatics Lab, Department of Architecture and Planning, MANIT Bhopal in providing data and infrastructure to conduct this research.
Author contributions: Akansha Shrivastava—conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, writing the main manuscript; Surabhi Mehrotra—supervised, critically edited the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.
Notation
The following symbols are used in this paper:
- BDP
- Bhopal development plan 2031;
- CP
- community park;
- DP
- district park;
- GSA
- green space accessibility;
- H
- housing area park;
- LQ
- location quotient;
- M
- maidan;
- NP
- neighborhood park;
- SCP
- subcity park;
- SPCMPLX
- sports complex;
- URDPFI
- urban and regional development plans formulation and implementation, India; and
- USP
- under sized parks.
References
Andresen, M. A. 2007. “Location quotients, ambient populations, and the spatial analysis of crime in Vancouver, Canada.” Environ. Plann. A: Econ. Space 39 (1997): 2423–2444. https://doi.org/10.1068/a38187.
BDP (Bhopal Development Plan). 2031. Bhopal development plan-2031, (draft). Vol. 1. Madhya Pradesh, India: BDP.
Bharath, A. H., S. Vinay, and T. V. Ramachandra. 2022. “Agent based modelling urban dynamics of Bhopal, India.” J. Settlements Spatial Plann. 7: 1–14. https://doi.org/10.19188/01JSSP012016.
Bhawra, J., P. Chopra, R. Harish, A. Mohan, K. V. Ghattu, K. Kalyanaraman, and T. R. Katapally. 2018. “Results from India’s 2018 report card on physical activity for children and youth.” J. Phys. Act. Health 15 (2): S373–S374. https://doi.org/10.1123/JPAH.2018-0475.
Bikomeye, J., J. Balza, and K. Beyer. 2021. “The impact of schoolyard greening on children’s physical activity and socioemotional health: A systematic review of experimental studies.” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 18 (2): 535. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020535.
Billings, S. B., and E. B. Johnson. 2012. “The location quotient as an estimator of industrial concentration.” Reg. Sci. Urban Econ. 42 (4): 642–647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2012.03.003.
Brown, G., M. F. Schebella, and D. Weber. 2014. “Using participatory GIS to measure physical activity and urban park benefits.” Landscape Urban Plann. 121: 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.09.006.
Buckley, R. C., and P. Brough. 2017. “Economic value of parks via human mental health: An analytical framework.” Front. Ecol. Evol. 5 (March): 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2017.00016.
Census of India. 2001. Office of the registrar general & census commissioner, India. population census 2001. Table C-14: Population in five year age-group by residence and sex (total). Madhya Pradesh, India: Census of India.
Census of India. 2011. Office of the registrar general & census commissioner, India. population census 2011. Table C-14: Population in five year age group by residence and sex. Madhya Pradesh, India: Census of India.
Chaudhry, P., K. Bagra, and B. Singh. 2011. “Urban greenery status of some Indian cities: A short communication.” Int. J. Environ. Sci. Dev. 2: 98–101. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJESD.2011.V2.104.
Chen, S., K. M. Christensen, and S. Li. 2019. “A comparison of park access with park need for children: A case study in Cache County, Utah.” Landscape Urban Plann. 187 (April): 119–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.04.001.
Coppel, G., and H. Wüstemann. 2017. “The impact of urban green space on health in Berlin, Germany: Empirical findings and implications for urban planning.” Landscape Urban Plann. 167 (March 2016): 410–418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.06.015.
Coutts, C., M. Horner, and T. Chapin. 2010. “Using geographical information system to model the effects of green space accessibility on mortality in Florida.” Geocarto Int. 25 (6): 471–484. https://doi.org/10.1080/10106049.2010.505302.
de la Barrera, F., S. Reyes-Paecke, J. Harris, D. Bascuñán, and J. M. Farías. 2016. “People’s perception influences on the use of green spaces in socio-economically differentiated neighborhoods.” Urban For. Urban Greening 20: 254–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.09.007.
Dutta, D., A. Rahman, S. K. Paul, and A. Kundu. 2022. “Spatial and temporal trends of urban green spaces: An assessment using hyper-temporal NDVI datasets.” Geocarto Int. 37 (25): 7983–8003. https://doi.org/10.1080/10106049.2021.1989499.
Ekkel, E. D., and S. de Vries. 2017. “Nearby green space and human health: Evaluating accessibility metrics.” Landscape Urban Plann. 157: 214–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.06.008.
Fan, P., L. Xu, W. Yue, and J. Chen. 2017. “Accessibility of public urban green space in an urban periphery: The case of Shanghai.” Landscape Urban Plann. 165: 177–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.11.007.
Fang, P., S. Dong, J. Xiao, C. Liu, X. Feng, and Y. Wang. 2010. “Regional inequality in health and its determinants: Evidence from China.” Health Policy 94: 14–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2009.08.002.
Feda, D. M., A. Seelbinder, S. Baek, S. Raja, L. Yin, and J. N. Roemmich. 2015. “Neighbourhood parks and reduction in stress among adolescents: Results from Buffalo, New York.” Indoor Built Environ. 24 (5): 631–639. https://doi.org/10.1177/1420326X14535791.
Feng, S., L. Chen, R. Sun, Z. Feng, J. Li, M. S. Khan, and Y. Jing. 2019. “The distribution and accessibility of urban parks in Beijing, China: Implications of social equity.” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 16 (24): 4894. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244894.
Feng, X., and T. Astell-burt. 2017. “The relationship between neighbourhood green space and child mental wellbeing depends upon whom you ask: Multilevel evidence from 3083 children aged 12–13 years.” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 14 (235): 235. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14030235.
Gastwirth, J. L. 1972. “The estimation of the Lorenz curve and Gini index.” Rev. Econ. Stat. 54 (3): 306–316. https://doi.org/10.2307/1937992.
Giles-Corti, B., M. H. Broomhall, M. Knuiman, C. Collins, K. Douglas, K. Ng, A. Lange, and R. J. Donovan. 2005. “Increasing walking: How important is distance to, attractiveness, and size of public open space?” Am. J. Preventative Med. 28 (Suppl. 2): 169–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2004.10.018.
Groenewegen, P. P., A. E. van den Berg, S. de Vries, and R. A. Verheij. 2006. “Vitamin G: Effects of green space on health, well-being, and social safety.” BMC Public Health 6 (May 2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-6-149.
Grothe, O., F. Kächele, and F. Schmid. 2022. “A multivariate extension of the Lorenz curve based on copulas and a related multivariate Gini coefficient.” J. Econ. Inequality 20: 727–748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10888-022-09533-x.
Guan, C. H., J. Song, M. Keith, Y. Akiyama, R. Shibasaki, and T. Sato. 2020. “Delineating urban park catchment areas using mobile phone data: A case study of Tokyo.” Comput. Environ. Urban Syst. 81 (August 2019): 101474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2020.101474.
He, S., Y. Wu, and L. Wang. 2020. “Characterizing horizontal and vertical perspectives of spatial equity for various urban green spaces: A case study of Wuhan, China.” Front. Public Health 8 (February): 513427. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00010.
Jackson, L. E. 2003. “The relationship of urban design to human health and condition.” Landscape Urban Plann. 64 (4): 191–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(02)00230-X.
Labib, S. M., S. Lindley, and J. J. Huck. 2020. “Spatial dimensions of the influence of urban green-blue spaces on human health: A systematic review.” Environ. Res. 180: 108869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.108869.
Lahoti, S., A. Lahoti, and O. Saito. 2019. “Benchmark assessment of recreational public urban green space provisions: A case of typical urbanizing Indian city, Nagpur.” Urban For. Urban Greening 44 (February): 126424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126424.
La Rosa, D. 2014. “Accessibility to greenspaces: GIS based indicators for sustainable planning in a dense urban context.” Ecol. Indic. 42: 122–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.11.011.
Le Texier, M., K. Schiel, and G. Caruso. 2018. “The provision of urban green space and its accessibility: Spatial data effects in Brussels.” PLoS One 13 (10): e0204684. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0204684.
Li, Z., H. Wei, Y. Wu, S. Su, W. Wang, and C. Qu. 2019. “Impact of community deprivation on urban park access over time: Understanding the relative role of contributors for urban planning.” Habitat Int. 92 (July): 102031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2019.102031.
Lin, B., J. Meyers, and G. Barnett. 2015. “Understanding the potential loss and inequities of green space distribution with urban densification.” Urban For. Urban Greening 14 (4): 952–958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2015.09.003.
Liu, H., H. Ren, R. P. Remme, H. Nong, and C. Sui. 2021. “The effect of urban nature exposure on mental health—a case study of Guangzhou.” J. Cleaner Prod. 304: 127100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127100.
Lorenz, M. 1905. “Methods of measuring the concentration of wealth.” Am. Stat. Assoc. 9 (70): 209–219.
Luz, A. C., M. Buijs, C. Aleixo, I. Metelo, F. Grilo, C. Branquinho, M. Santos-Reis, and P. Pinho. 2019. “Should I stay or should I go? Modelling the fluxes of urban residents to visit green spaces.” Urban For. Urban Greening 40 (April): 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.01.009.
Mehrotra, S., R. Bardhan, and K. Ramamritham. 2018. “Urban informal housing and surface urban heat island intensity: Exploring spatial association in the City of Mumbai.” Environ. Urbanization ASIA 9 (2): 158–177. https://doi.org/10.1177/0975425318783548.
Mmako, N. J., H. Courtney-Pratt, and P. Marsh. 2020. “Green spaces, dementia and a meaningful life in the community: A mixed studies review.” Health Place 63 (April): 102344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102344.
Moore, R., and B. L. Driver. 2005. Introduction to outdoor recreation: Providing and managing natural resource based opportunities (illustrate). State College, PA: Venture Publishing.
Niemela, J., S.-R. Saarela, T. Söderman, L. Kopperoinen, V. Yli-Pelkonen, S. Väre, and D. J. Kotze. 2010. “Using the ecosystem services approach for better planning and conservation of urban green spaces: A Finland case study.” Biodivers. Conserv. 19: 3225–3243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-010-9888-8.
Norman, G. J., S. K. Nutter, S. Ryan, J. F. Sallis, K. J. Calfas, and K. Patrick. 2006. “Community design and access to recreational facilities as correlates of adolescent physical activity and body-mass index.” J. Phys. Act. Health 3 (Suppl 1): S118–S128. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.3.s1.s118.
Porchezhian, S., and C. Irulappan. 2022. “Assessment of physical attributes for age-appropriate open spaces within gated communities through two case studies at Madurai, Tamilnadu, India.” Int. Rev. Spatial Plann. Sustainable Dev. 10 (4): 146–160. https://doi.org/10.14246/irspsd.10.4_146.
Pramanik, S., and M. Punia. 2019. “Assessment of green space cooling effects in dense urban landscape: A case study of Delhi, India.” Model. Earth Syst. Environ. 5 (3): 867–884. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-019-00573-3.
Rao, P., and K. Puntambekar. 2014. “Evaluating the urban green space benefits and functions at macro, meso and micro level: Case of Bhopal City.” Int. J. Res. Eng. Technol. 3 (6): 359–362. https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2014.0306067.
Rigolon, A., M. Browning, and V. Jennings. 2018. “Inequities in the quality of urban park systems: An environmental justice investigation of cities in the United States.” Landscape Urban Plann. 178 (May): 156–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2018.05.026.
Sander, H. A., D. Ghosh, and C. B. Hodson. 2017. “Varying age-gender associations between body mass index and urban greenspace.” Urban For. Urban Greening 26 (November 2016): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.05.016.
Sankhe, S., et al. 2010. “India’s urban awakening: Building inclusive cities, sustaining economic growth (Issue April).” Chennai, India: McKinsey & Company.
Sathyakumar, V., R. A. A. J. Ramsankaran, and R. Bardhan. 2020. “Geospatial approach for assessing spatiotemporal dynamics of urban green space distribution among neighbourhoods: A demonstration in Mumbai.” Urban For. Urban Greening 48 (January): 126585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126585.
Shahfahad, B. Kumari, M. Tayyab, H. T. Hang, M. F. Khan, and A. Rahman. 2019. “Assessment of public open spaces (POS) and landscape quality based on per capita POS index in Delhi, India.” SN Appl. Sci. 1 (4): 368. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-019-0372-0.
Shanahan, D. F., B. B. Lin, R. Bush, K. J. Gaston, J. H. Dean, E. Barber, and R. A. Fuller. 2015. “Toward improved public health outcomes from urban nature.” Am. J. Public Health 105 (3): 470–477. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302324.
Shrivastava, A., and S. Mehrotra. 2022. “Emerging trends and knowledge domain of research on urban green open spaces and wellbeing: A scientometric review.” Reviews Environ. Health 38 (4): 663–679. https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2022-0091.
Siddique, G., A. Roy, M. H. Mandal, S. Ghosh, A. Basak, M. Singh, and N. Mukherjee. 2022. “An assessment on the changing status of urban green space in Asansol city, West Bengal.” GeoJ. 87 (2): 1299–1321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-020-10312-2.
Singh, K. K. 2018. “Urban green space availability in Bathinda City, India.” Environ. Monit. Assess. 190 (11). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-7053-0.
Srinivasulu, C. 2008. “Urbanization and biodiversity loss-Where is Hyderabad heading.” Curr. Sci. 94 (10): 1233–1234.
Standish, R. J., R. J. Hobbs, and J. R. Miller. 2013. “Improving city life: Options for ecological restoration in urban landscapes and how these might influence interactions between people and nature.” Landscape Ecol. 28 (6): 1213–1221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-012-9752-1.
Talal, M. L., and M. V. Santelmann. 2021. “Visitor access, use, and desired improvements in urban parks.” Urban For. Urban Greening 63 (July 2020): 127216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127216.
Tannous, H. O., M. D. Major, and R. Furlan. 2021. “Accessibility of green spaces in a metropolitan network using space syntax to objectively evaluate the spatial locations of parks and promenades in Doha, State of Qatar.” Urban For. Urban Greening 58 (February 2021): 126892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126892.
Teeuwen, R., A. Psyllidis, and A. Bozzon. 2023. “Measuring children’s and adolescents” accessibility to greenspaces from different locations and commuting settings.” Comput. Environ. Urban Syst. 100 (December 2022): 101912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2022.101912.
Thomas, F. 2015. “The role of natural environments within women’s everyday health and wellbeing in Copenhagen, Denmark.” Health Place 35: 187–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2014.11.005.
Timperio, A., K. Ball, J. Salmon, R. Roberts, and D. Crawford. 2007. “Is availability of public open space equitable across areas?” Health Place 13: 335–340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2006.02.003.
URDPFI (Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation). 2014. “Guidelines.” In Vol. 1 of Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Vanaken, G.-J., and M. Danckaerts. 2018. “Impact of green space exposure on children’s and adolescents” mental health: A systematic review.” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 15 (12): 2668. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15122668.
van Hecke, L., A. Ghekiere, J. Veitch, D. Van Dyck, J. Van Cauwenberg, P. Clarys, and B. Deforche. 2018. “Public open space characteristics influencing adolescents” use and physical activity: A systematic literature review of qualitative and quantitative studies.” Health Place 51 (July 2017): 158–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.03.008.
Wang, Q., and Z. Lan. 2019. “Park green spaces, public health and social inequalities: Understanding the interrelationships for policy implications.” Land Use Policy 83 (8): 66–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.01.026.
WHO. 2006. Global action plan on physical activity 2018–2030: More active people for a healthier world. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO.
Wolf, K. L., and A. S. T. Robbins. 2015. “Metro nature, environmental health, and economic value.” Environ. Health Perspect. 123 (5): 390–398. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408216.
Wood, L., P. Hooper, S. Foster, and F. Bull. 2017. “Public green spaces and positive mental health—investigating the relationship between access, quantity and types of parks and mental wellbeing.” Health Place 48 (September): 63–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.09.002.
Yitzhaki, S., and E. Schechtman. 2005. “The properties of the extended Gini measures of variability and inequality.” SSRN Electron. J. LXIII (3): 401–433. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.815564.
Zhang, X., H. Lu, and J. B. Holt. 2011. “Modeling spatial accessibility to parks: A national study.” Int. J. Health Geographics 10 (1): 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-072X-10-31.
Zhang, Y., S. Mavoa, J. Zhao, D. Raphael, and M. Smith. 2020. “The association between green space and adolescents mental well-being: A systematic review.” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 17 (18): 6640. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186640.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 150 • Issue 4 • December 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 30, 2023
Accepted: Mar 25, 2024
Published online: Jul 25, 2024
Published in print: Dec 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Dec 25, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.