Disparities in the Health Benefits of Urban Green/Blue Space: A Case Study from Shandong Province, China

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between different types of urban green and blue space (UGS/UBS) and self-reported health (SRH), and the disparities in the health benefits associated with them. Using data from a social survey in Shandong Province and multi-source data including remote sensing land use and vector polygons of parks from map service providers, we measured the proximity and coverage ratio of various UGS/UBS types. The Euclidean distance measures the proximity of homes to parks and rivers. The coverage ratio measures the total green space, forests, grassland, and freshwater. The health benefits were gauged by SRH. We found that the proximity to parks and rivers had a positive influence on the SRH of all the respondents. For the elderly, the proximity to parks and the coverage ratio of total green space and grassland within a 0.5 km circular buffer were significantly associated with SRH. The coverage ratio of the total green space and grassland both had positive relationships with the SRH of the high-income groups. The closer they were to rivers, the healthier the youth and females were. Our results suggest that urban planners should take the types of UGS/UBS into account to create a better living environment that optimally benefits residents’ SRH.