Impact of Limited-Access Green Spaces on the Qualitative and Quantitative Indices of a City

Abstract

Urban green spaces (UGSs) are fragments of city vegetation capable of providing numerous benefits, which can be measured through indices. However, even though public green spaces (PGSs) are accounted for in such indices as areas that can generate positive impacts, private green spaces (PrGSs) are not considered. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact and feasibility of the inclusion of limited-access green spaces (LAGSs—a type of PrGS—in green area index (GAI) and green space ratio (GSR) calculations, within the city of Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil, as a model. By employing geotechnologies, private squares and spaces were identified. On-site visits were employed to determine the functions (aesthetic, ecological, and/or leisure) of such spaces. For LAGSs, only those with an index higher than 50% permeability were included. The calculated indices for PGSs are as follows: PGS index (PGSI) = 0.53 m2/inhabitant, PGS ratio (PGSR) = 0.27%, and total green space (TGS) = 62,067 m2. Taking LAGSs into account, the indices are as follows: LAGS index (LAGSI) = 3.76 m2/inhabitant, LAGS ratio (LAGSR) = 1.92%, and TGS = 443,309.03 m2. The results of the analyses carried out in this study allow us to conclude that LAGSs contribute significantly to the increase in the GAI and GSR in Lavras and, therefore, to the city's environmental quality. Such spaces surpass, in extension, those of the public domain and should be included in UGS calculations when assessing the green infrastructure of cities.