The Application of Geographical Information Systems and the Analytic Hierarchy Process in Selecting Sustainable Areas for Urban Green Spaces: A Case Study in Hue City, Vietnam

Abstract

In recent years, there has been growing awareness about the roles and benefits of urban green spaces (UGSs), particularly in the context of mitigating the negative effects of climate change, which have become increasingly serious. In Vietnam, the government has allocated considerable resources to the development of UGSs in many cities. However, regarding implementation, UGS development in Vietnam faces many challenges; many cities find it difficult to meet the set criterion regarding the number of green spaces per capita. This research was conducted in Hue City, which is known as one of the greenest cities in Vietnam. The results show that there are twenty-one UGSs in Hue City (with a total area of 88.67 ha). These are located primarily along the Huong River and around the Hue Imperial Citadel. However, under government stipulations, the current number of UGSs is not considered sufficient in proportion to the local population, and will not accommodate the future growth of the population. We applied the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) along with the participation of local residents, using six criteria to map potential areas for future UGS planning. In this, the distance from existing residential areas to potential UGS locations is the most important criterion. The suitability map identified 684 hectares of Hue City as highly suitable for UGSs. This research also proposes a scenario for UGS planning in Hue based on retaining the existing green spaces combined with creating another 35 green spaces, comprising a total area of 167 hectares. This is to meet the needs of local residents by 2030.

Variations in land surface temperatures in small-scale urban areas in Vietnam during Covid-19 restrictions: Case studies from Da Nang, Hue and Vinh City

“…It has been reported that the development of urban areas, particularly in new residential areas, has invaded a large green area in Da Nang and created a negative impact on the environment (Do et al, 2018 ), particularly due to the expansion of built-up areas since the late 1990s (Huong et al, 2022 ) by logging down a large number of forest and shrubland areas (Linh et al, 2009 ). The second study site, Hue City, is known as one of the greenest cities in the country, and a number of areas suitable for urban green spaces as this imperial citadel area is managed and conserved under the heritage conservation law of Vietnam and building new structures in the protected areas is prohibited (Linh et al, 2022 ). However, the rise in population growth and tourism in Hue have caused deterioration of green spaces (Dinh & Pham, 2021 ), which is evident from NDVI and LST maps derived from the present study.…”

GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Analysis for Selecting Suitable Areas for Urban Green Spaces in Abomey-Calavi District, Southern Benin

“…This information was obtained from the literature review and refers to spatial data. -Public opinion in terms of accessibility to green spaces [21], which was obtained through discussion with a focus group. This focus group served as a panel to obtain from the inhabitants their understanding of the conditions leading to green space installation for potential use.…”

“…Various studies have been carried out on identifying suitable sites for green spaces, combining environmental and social factors in the hierarchical multi-criteria analysis process [21,24,27]. In such an approach, the number of factors and the resulting criteria vary according to the theme and the study area [28].…”

“…In such an approach, the number of factors and the resulting criteria vary according to the theme and the study area [28]. In the field of planning, certain factors are very specifically determined in relation to the geographical position and spatial organisation of the area that is predisposed to hosting green spaces [21]. Consequently, more than a dozen factors have been listed and used differently in previous studies in the field [24,27].…”

“…In fact, this approach is used to solve the problem of choosing suitable sites for the installation of socio-cultural and environmental infrastructures [17,18]. More specifically, in the field of sustainable green space planning and development, the combination of GIS and hierarchical multicriteria analysis has proved very effective in the selection of appropriate areas, indicating the implication of GIS in novel city planning [19][20][21], and sometimes for the ecological monitoring of green spaces [22]. So, there is evidence of various investigations carried out by using GIS and hierarchical multicriteria analysis to propose sites suitable for the installation of green spaces in urbanised areas.…”