The dimensions of urban green equity: A framework for analysis

Nesbitt, Lorien; Meitner, Michael J.; Sheppard, Stephen R.J.; Girling, Cynthia

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2018.07.009

Cited by 126 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Places featuring visible surface waters are typically termed bluespaces, drawing analogy with the related, more established term greenspace (Völker and Kistemann 2011, p. 449). This paper focuses on bluespaces' benefits as amenities for health and recreation, in the context of wellbeing benefits (Gascon et al, 2015), and environmental justice ambitions to maximise use amongst disadvantaged groups (Assmuth et al, 2017;Nesbitt et al, 2018;Paloniemi et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What prevents people accessing urban bluespaces? A qualitative study

Pitt

2019

Urban Forestry & Urban Greening

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What prevents people accessing urban bluespaces? A qualitative study.Abstract Persistent inequalities in use of bluespaces mean their wellbeing benefits are not fairly shared, a situation which can only be addressed through understanding why people do not access them. This paper addresses complex influences on bluespace accessibility through qualitative research into perceptions of urban waterways, with a focus on non-use. It aims to reveal what distinguishes these as spaces available for outdoor recreation in terms of deterrents to access. Results highlight the significance of spatial characteristics as reasons for avoiding bluespaces: unguarded water and a history of negative narratives limit their appeal.Analysis finds risk perception a strong influence on choice of outdoor destinations, an absolute limit rather than a nuisance, particularly for vulnerable groups. Designers and managers of urban bluespaces can encourage use through enhancing environmental quality.Improved cleanliness, lighting, and surveillance will improve their sense of safety. This research suggests a need to assess sites from varied perspectives, mindful of vulnerable people's experiences, to identify how perceived risks can be mitigated. To further equitable access to bluespaces future research should recognise that the influence of spatial characteristics means access constraints may not be generalised across types of space.Additional qualitative investigation of non-use of varied spaces is required to inform interventions to promote access amongst under-represented groups.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What prevents people accessing urban bluespaces? A qualitative study

Pitt

2019

Urban Forestry & Urban Greening

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“…The diverse benefits of urban forests suggest that they can contribute positively to the environmental and social quality of urban areas. Research in the field of urban green equity, however, has revealed that not all urban residents enjoy equitable access to urban forests or their benefits (Heynen et al, 2006;Nesbitt et al, 2018Nesbitt et al, , 2019. In the United States, for example, researchers have uncovered a correlation between average neighborhood income and tree canopy cover (Landry and Chakraborty, 2009;Schwarz et al, 2015).…”

Section: Urban Green Equitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A robust understanding of urban forest preferences is a first step toward more informed and contextually relevant urban forest governance (Rishbeth, 2004;Lindemann, 2019); however, ascertaining urban forest user preference can prove challenging. Research has revealed that people's preferences vary according to a range of sociocultural and geographic influences (Fraser and Kenney, 2000;Koo et al, 2013;Peckham et al, 2013;Nesbitt et al, 2018). What's more, preferences are often heterogeneous, even within a single geographic region (Alvarez et al, 2018;Asah and Blahna, 2020).…”

Section: Urban Forest Preferencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Governing for Diversity: An Exploration of Practitioners' Urban Forest Preferences and Implications for Equitable Governance

Sax

Manson

Nesbitt

2020

Front. Sustain. Cities

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Urban forests are increasingly acknowledged as sources of multiple benefits and central to climate resilience and human well-being. Given these diverse and significant benefits, it is important to govern urban forests so as to ensure that all residents have equitable access and enjoyment. Understanding urban forest preferences, and including them in planning and management, is a key aspect of informed and contextually relevant urban forest governance. Although many studies have examined public urban forest preferences, we lack an understanding of the preferences of a key stakeholder: urban foresters. This study presents the results of semi-structured interviews with 22 urban forestry and allied green practitioners focused on preferred and least-preferred aspects of the urban forest. Participants expressed their preferred urban forest characteristics according to four themes: administration, spatial attributes, naturalness, and social benefits. Least-preferred characteristics were expressed under the themes of administration and degradation. Results suggest that practitioners employ a systems-level lens when discussing urban forest preferences. However, they also draw on personal experience when constructing their preferences, particularly in relation to naturalness and spatial diversity. These results provide insight into the urban forest preferences of practitioners and highlight the importance of innovative approaches, such as mosaic governance in urban forestry, to facilitate a just integration of the diverse preferences of urban forest stakeholders.

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“…As many scholars argue, an equal spatial pattern does not constitute an equal process of UGS distribution [29,84]. Other factors such as the historical legacy of urban land use and planning, preexisting social segregation, and park funding mechanisms might all influence the UGS distributional patterns as urbanization continues [4,29,85,86]. This goes beyond the scope of our study but certainly highlights a new direction for future research, particularly in Chinese cities where the greening mechanisms and urbanization histories are vastly different from their Western counterparts.…”

Section: Limitations and Areas For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Equal access to such spaces could promote residents' wellbeing, which could particularly benefit lower-income, marginalized people [4,28]. Even though ideal equality might not be practical, localities with a higher proportion of marginal groups should have access to the same amount of UGS, no matter their socioeconomic and demographic attributes [4,29].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Are Green Spaces Distributed among Different Social Groups in Urban China? A National Level Study

Kim

2020

Forests

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The study analyzes the distributional equity of urban green space (UGS) among different social groups across all urban areas in China. Urban green space is measured in two ways: Park area per capita and vegetation coverage ratio within 1.6 km and 3.2 km featuring different ecosystem services they provide. Multiple regression analyses are conducted to assess relationships between different groups (children, the elderly, and migrant populations) and distributed UGS. Largely consistent to other national level studies, the nationwide analytical results indicate emerging social inequality of UGS during the urbanization of China, with a few nuances. A bi-fold pattern is observed in our case: Whilst areas with higher portions of children and senior people have less parks and high vegetation coverage, a marginalized group—internal migrant people, have more parks and low vegetation coverage in their vicinities. The results of regression analyses in different regions further shed light on revealing disparities of UGS in areas with varying socioeconomic development levels, geographical features, and urbanization paces. The implication of the study informs the decision makers to incorporate spatial patterns of social groups into green space guidance and evaluation for the purpose of promoting more equal development of UGS.

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The dimensions of urban green equity: A framework for analysis

Cited by 126 publications

References 71 publications

What prevents people accessing urban bluespaces? A qualitative study

What prevents people accessing urban bluespaces? A qualitative study

Governing for Diversity: An Exploration of Practitioners' Urban Forest Preferences and Implications for Equitable Governance

How Are Green Spaces Distributed among Different Social Groups in Urban China? A National Level Study

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