Spatial Accessibility
2023-7-29
Assessing spatial equity in urban park accessibility: an improve two-step catchment area method from the perspective of 15-mintue city concept
This study assessed park accessibility in Guangzhou, China from a 15-minute city perspective using an improved 2SFCA method with park entrances and attractiveness incorporated, finding inequities that can be addressed through targeted planning improvements.
Abstract:
Ensuring equitable access to urban parks is crucial for promoting the sustainable development of cities. In the post-COVID era, the concept of the 15-minute city has gained significant attention, emphasizing human-scale urban design and fine-grained governance. This study introduces an improved two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method to accurately assess park accessibility and spatial equity in Guangzhou, considering the 15-minute city perspective. Firstly, a more effective framework is proposed to identify multiple park entrances that serve as supply points. Secondly, the population distribution is estimated using building areas and locationbased data through a random forest model. Furthermore, the supply capability index is estimated by considering the area of each park and its attractiveness index, derived from multiple geographic data sources. The results reveal unequal park accessibility in Guangzhou, with low-access areas mainly distributed on the fringe of study area in both walking and cycling scenarios due to the limited park supply or high-density population. With the influences of park entrances and the park attractiveness index, the spatial inequity of park accessibility may be more severe than previously estimated in other studies. This work enhances the understanding of park accessibility and facilitate effective planning for sustainable development and reducing environmental injustice.
Summary:
- Study assessed park accessibility and equity in Guangzhou, China from 15-minute city perspective
- Proposed method to identify park entrances as supply points using online map navigation API
- Estimated population distribution using building areas and POIs via random forest model
- Estimated park supply capability using area and attractiveness index from geographic data
- Used improved 2SFCA method to calculate accessibility scores for walking and cycling
- Found unequal accessibility, with low access areas on city fringe due to limited parks or high demand
- Accessibility gaps may be more severe than prior estimates due to park entrances and attractiveness
- Proposed park planning improvements for different low access community types
Study questions and answers:
| Study Questions | Sample Answers |
|---|---|
| What was the study location and perspective? | Guangzhou, China from 15-minute city perspective. |
| How were park entrances identified? | Using online map navigation API and boundary buffers. |
| What was used to estimate population distribution? | Building areas in residential land and POIs via random forest model. |
| How was park attractiveness incorporated? | By an index using geographic data on nature, facilities, reputation. |
| What method calculated accessibility scores? | An improved 2SFCA method. |
| What inequities were found? | Low access areas on city fringe due to limited parks or high demand. |
| How could gaps be addressed? | Targeted planning improvements based on community type. |