Exploring key indicators for quality of life in urban parks of Lahore, Pakistan: toward the enhancement of sustainable urban planning

Abstract

ABSTRACT The United Nations anticipates that by 2050, around two-thirds of the global population will reside in urban areas, necessitating a concerted effort to elevate the benchmarks guiding living standards in sustainable cities. The pursuit of sustainable urban development necessitates the identification of robust socio-ecological indicators to ensure the synchronous optimization of human well-being and environmental integrity. Therefore, the study explores the existing quality-of-life indicators grounded in ecosystem services within the urban parks of Lahore. For this, a field survey was conducted in the parks of Lahore, primarily focusing on identifying key measures to enhance living standards. The study was collected by identifying quality-of-life indicators from ecological, social, and economic perspectives and analyzed in MS Excel and ArcGIS version 10.8. The results illustrate that nearly all the examined parks contribute significantly to the quality-of-life key indicators by regulating the air quality and reducing noise and temperature. Jallo Park and Bagh-e-Jinnah have sufficient areas and are adequately maintained, which is a key indicator of the quality of life, but only Gulberg town aligns with global standards (9 to 50 m2) for per capita green space (25.523 m2). So, it is concluded that the urban parks of Lahore support sustainable living with their proper mountainous and sufficient green area. Therefore, a critical need for proactive green infrastructure initiatives is recommended, particularly addressing the shortfall in per capita green space. A strategic intervention in urban planning and green development is a key recommendation for policymakers for a sustainable future in Lahore.