Evaluation of Park Accessibility Based on Improved Gaussian Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Method: A Case Study of Xi’an City

Abstract

Park accessibility plays a critical role in evaluating the quality of park construction. However, the conventional accessibility model ignores non-spatial factors, so it is crucial to use more complex methods for evaluating park accessibility. This study aims to establish an improved Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area method (iG2SFCA) based on Point of Interest (POI), population data and Baidu map, to measure the park accessibility of various travel modes (walking, riding and driving modes) in 5-min, 15-min and 30-min scenarios, and location quotient is used to assess spatial equity of parks. The results show that: (1) There are clear disparities between park supply and population demand at the street level. (2) iG2SFCA evaluates the level and attractiveness of the park comprehensively. It is more sensitive to identifying accessibility, which can lead to a more realistic assessment of Park accessibility. (3) Under the three modes of transportation, the accessible area of the park increases with time, and the accessibility difference between residential areas is the smallest under the 30-min scenario. Overall, accessibility of park is relatively high; however, there is an obvious tendency for the accessibility level to decrease from the park as the center. The areas with poor accessibility appear in the north and southeast of the research area. (4) There are regional variances in the spatial equity of parks within Xi’an 3 City, and the park configuration needs to be optimized. These findings can provide theoretical support for further optimizing the layout of park in Xi’an in order to improve the spatial equity of urban parks.