Accessibility of public urban green space. A case study of Białystok city

Abstract

Motives: Urban green spaces have many functions in cities. They are used for recreational purposes, and they contribute to improving social interactions and community cohesiveness. For this reason, the location and area of urban green spaces should correspond to the size of the city and its population. Aim: The main aim of this study was to analyze the accessibility of managed and publicly available urban green spaces, referred to as public urban green spaces (PUGS), in four functional and spatial zones in the city of Białystok. The analysis included parks, green squares (pocket parks, ornamental green squares, boulevards) and public forests. The accessibility of PUGS was determined in view of their size and role in the urban spatial structure. Spatial data were processed in GIS and quantitative analyses. Results: The study demonstrated that the area of PUGS per capita meets the requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO), but the area of parks and green squares should be increased. The accessibility buffers of public green spaces often overlapped, in particular in downtown Białystok (Central zone) which is most abundant in these green infrastructure components. The analysis also revealed locations that do not have access to urban green spaces. The results of the study were used to formulate guidelines for incorporating new green spaces in Białystok and improving the urban spatial structure.