Examining the decline of urban green spaces in Gweru City, Zimbabwe: a factor analysis approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT The demand for urban green spaces (UGS) has been remarkably increasing in Zimbabwe in recent years. This study examines the key drivers of the depletion of UGS in Gweru City from households’ perspectives from 2000 to 2019. Key drivers differ geographically in space and time; hence, there is a need to solicit the views of households. To achieve this, the researcher gathered data from Gweru City households using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed using articles on the deterioration of UGS found in reputable databases such as Scopus. A total of 1990 households were involved in this survey. Both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to derive the key drivers of the extinction of green spaces in the city. The results showed that human activities, administrative deficiencies, and geological influence are the key drivers of the demise of urban green spaces in Gweru City. These results support other studies carried out across the globe on the possible drivers of green areas in most cities. The results will assist responsible authorities in developing effective by-laws that aim to protect UGS in Gweru City. Residents should establish and manage UGS in the cities.