Abstract
Accessibility, the size of the land area, the design and build quality, and the number of parks and their correlation with population density are key elements in fostering ecological spatial equity within cities. This study analyzed different spatial equity attributes of existing parks in Kabul City using onsite observations, measurement analyses, and mapping and buffering of satellite imagery using computer-aided design methods. The results revealed that, presently, 309 ha of urban land is covered by parks, which accounts for 0.78% of the total land area of 394.78 km2. On average, a quarter of city residents can access a park with basic amenities within 300 to 600 m of their residence, and parks currently provide a land coverage distribution per resident of 0.69 m2. However, the majority of parks lack certain amenities like playground and sports facilities desired by different user groups. This article also explored the inequitable distribution of parks at the city scale, underlining the scarcity or concentration of parks in certain areas and stressing the importance of allocating additional land for park provision.
Highlights
Study of Kabul City, Afghanistan.Cities are sizeable human settlements; they provide solace and prosperity for their residents, they pose significant health and environmental risks [1,2].Urban stress in cities adversely affects human health and is often associated with higher population and housing density, lack of green space, congestion, noise, air and water pollution, and various patterns of inner-city socioecological conditions [1,2,3,4]
Tackling various urban stressors caused by human isolation from nature, most importantly from green spaces, is commonly believed to be a multidimensional challenge that is directly related to numerous urban elements and their configuration, especially public green parks [5,6]
The main goal of this study is to identify the disparities related to the accessibility and provision of urban public parks in Kabul; to assess the distance from public parks to residential areas, explore agglomeration and the disordered distribution patterns of parks at a city scale, and determine the ratio of urban land allocated to parks per capita
Summary
Study of Kabul City, Afghanistan.Cities are sizeable human settlements; they provide solace and prosperity for their residents, they pose significant health and environmental risks [1,2].Urban stress in cities adversely affects human health and is often associated with higher population and housing density, lack of green space, congestion, noise, air and water pollution, and various patterns of inner-city socioecological conditions [1,2,3,4]. Cities are sizeable human settlements; they provide solace and prosperity for their residents, they pose significant health and environmental risks [1,2]. Establishing and extending the green spaces within cities has long been studied and used as a tool to overcome or reduce threats to health [7,8]. Urban public parks are considered critical landscape elements of towns and cities and offer several environmental and social benefits [2,4,7,9]. They sustain healthy ecosystems, deliver clean air and water, and accelerate natural resource conservation [9]. Parks are defined as egalitarian city services that bind different socioeconomic classes of society while nurturing a sense of community and vitality [12]
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