Abstract

Abstract. Greenspaces (GSs) available to the public for recreational, environmental, and aesthetic purposes are termed Public Urban Green Spaces (PUGS). Accessibility to PUGS is one of the main pre-requisite for their frequent use. With rising urbanization and inequitable distribution of GSs, a significant portion of the population remains inaccessible to the benefits provided by PUGS. Therefore, it is essential to have tools to evaluate these GSs. This study evaluates the accessibility and spatial quality of various hierarchies of PUGS using GIS-based analysis in Dehradun, India. Accessibility is assessed using network analysis, aesthetics is determined by the presence of bird population and waterbody, the surface index is determined based on NDVI thresholding, and affordability, and spaciousness are computed based on survey and GIS data. The indices are combined to form a composite green space index (CGSI) using analytical hierarchy process. CGSI shows that most of the PUGS in Dehradun have relatively poor accessibility and quality. As per World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for providing a minimum of 9m2 of GS for each person, Dehradun lies way behind, providing 2.02m2/person. The lower hierarchy PUGS, notably totlots, which are crucial for young children’s physical, mental, and cognitive development, is quite limited. On the contrary, city parks are well distributed with moderate to good accessibility and quality. CGSI is a comprehensive index encompassing different characteristics of GSs and serves as a valuable tool for setting goals, prioritizing investments, identifying areas in need of improvement, and potential locations for future GS development.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.