People-Oriented: A Framework for Evaluating the Level of Green Space Provision in the Life Circle from a Supply and Demand Perspective: A Case Study of Gulou District, Nanjing, China

Abstract

Green space resources, in the context of urbanisation, cannot meet the actual needs of residents well, and the study of the balance of green space resource allocation based on the relationship between supply and demand is an urgent problem to be solved. This study quantitatively evaluates the green space supply level from four dimensions by constructing a framework for assessment in the community life circle. It also evaluates the matching of green space supply and demand, resource distribution fairness, and distribution equilibrium under group differentiation through the supply–demand coupling matrix, the Gini coefficient, and the Kruskal–Wallis H non-parametric rank-sum test, respectively. This study shows that: (1) A significant spatial imbalance exists in green space resource allocation in community life circles in different dimensions. (2) The comprehensive green space supply level in the community life circle matched the total demand of residents to a low degree. (3) There was significant inequality in green space resource allocation within the community life circle (the Gini coefficient of each evaluation perspective was >0.4). Based on the study results, we were able to identify community life circles with spatial mismatches, different supply and demand, and other green space resource allocation problems, which is of great significance to urban green space research and planning practice under the ‘green justice’ framework.