GIS-Based Sustainable Accessibility Mapping of Urban Parks: Evidence from the Second Largest Settlement of Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract

Hyderabad’s recreational amenities have made limited progress in comparison to the development of its industrial and commercial sectors. People require parks to unwind from their hectic lives. Parks can be a healthy location to host social events and can enhance community bonds. The evaluation of park accessibility has not been considered over the years in Hyderabad. Hyderabad is the eighth largest settlement in Pakistan and the second largest in the Sindh province. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the spatial accessibility of the urban parks situated in the city’s distinct locations. The spatial distribution of parks throughout the city was determined in this research. This study evaluated how accessible urban parks are to users by conducting a buffer analysis with ArcGIS-10.8. The questionnaire survey was conducted to record the participants’ opinions about the existing conditions of the parks with a sample size of 400. There was a total of 28 inaccessible urban parks found in Hyderabad. The total facility coverage was decided to be 0.80%. This value is extremely low as per local standards. Therefore, this study recommends the planned development of 40–45 parks to reach the standard level of 18% of the park coverage area. This study suggests that government officials should take pivotal measures to better maintain parks. This research is significant in the advanced modern world because natural areas, such as parks, can offer social and psychological benefits to society. The accessibility of parks is essential for the prosperity of citizens and the achievement of sustainable development goals. The findings of this research may contribute to SDGs 3 and 11, i.e., good health and well-being and sustainable cities and communities.

Mapping of population growth influence on land use transformation from 1994 to 2015 in Madaba Governorate, Jordan

“…Socioeconomic factors (economic development, population density, and urbanization) also pose a considerable impact on LULC by changing land use for housing, agriculture, and industry (Seto, Guneralp, & Hutyra, 2012). Parks are also an important component of green urban landscapes bene ting the city's economy, ecology, and society (Khahro et al, 2023;Rigolon, 2016). Land use changes can also affect species composition, general ecological functioning, and connectivity.…”

Visualizing Travel Accessibility in a Congested City Center: A GIS-Based Isochrone Model and Trip Rate Analysis Considering Sustainable Transportation Solutions

“…Even ordinary trips, like the purchase of grocery items from distinct locations, can take a longer travel time. However, research has shown that most people would like to spend less time while traveling to reach essential activities [65]. As travel demand increases, there is a rise in traffic congestion, which may put enormous pressure on accessibility parameters.…”

Evolution Pattern and Spatial Mismatch of Urban Greenspace and Its Impact Mechanism: Evidence from Parkland of Hunan Province

“…Accessibility and satisfaction evaluation is the most mature field, giving rise to successive analytical models based on spatial distance, time consumption, and spatio-temporal integration. For example, Khahro [47] and Semenzato [48] conducted case studies on spatial accessibility of urban parks in Pakistan and Italy using GIS tools and spatial distance modeling. Li [49] introduced the concept of time sensitivity on the basis of distance accessibility and analyzed the characteristics of the service radius and area of urban parks in Shanghai based on actual time consumption.…”