Abstract
Urbanization leads to the occupation of green areas, directly contributing to a high level of fragmentation of urban green spaces, which, in turn, results in numerous socioeconomic and environmental problems. Consequently, an understanding of the relationships between patterns of urban green spaces and urbanization processes is essential. Although previous quantitative studies have examined this relationship, they have not included an exploration of spatial heterogeneities in the effects of urbanization on the spatial patterns of urban green areas. We therefore applied a spatiotemporal perspective to examine the above relationship, while considering the wider planning context. First, we quantified the extent of fragmentation of urban green spaces using landscape metrics comprising the largest patch index (LPI) and landscape shape index (LSI). Next, using the calculated spatial metrics and nighttime light data (NTL) for central Beijing for the period 1992–2016, we applied a geographically weighted regression model to assess variations in the spatiotemporal effects of urbanization on the fragmentation of urban green spaces. The results showed that urbanization initially occurred mainly in the northern parts of Beijing, whereas urbanization of southern urban fringe areas occurred after 2008. The reduction in green spaces along with increasing fragmentation and complex spatial patterns are indicative of issues relating to Beijing’s rapid urbanization and planning policies. This study contributes to an understanding of how urbanization influences fragmentation of urban green spaces and offers insights for the planning of urban green spaces from the perspective of promoting sustainability.
Highlights
Urbanization can be defined as a process of population aggregation within cities that results in sequential economic and social changes [1]
To determine the impacts of changing urban green spaces during the period 1992–2016, we used the following two landscape metrics: the largest patch index (LPI) and the landscape shape index (LSI), which can indicate the extent of fragmentation of urban green spaces
During the study period, the LPI values of farmland, forested land, and water bodies decreased, whereas the LPI value of grassland showed an increasing trend. Of these categories of urban green space, farmland showed the largest reduction in its LPI value, which decreased from
Summary
Urbanization can be defined as a process of population aggregation within cities that results in sequential economic and social changes [1]. Previous studies have demonstrated that urbanization is often associated with a change in the pattern of urban green spaces [3]. This pattern entails occupation of green spaces [4] and directly contributes to a high level of fragmentation of urban green spaces that relates to morphological. The degradation and fragmentation of urban green spaces can lead to many environmental and socioeconomic problems [11,12] Degradation of these spaces may result in the destruction of animals’ habitats, a reduction of biodiversity, and disruption of urban ecosystems [13]. Given the importance of green space in urban areas, a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the dynamics and spatiotemporal characteristics of the fragmentation of urban green spaces in relation to processes of rapid urbanization can contribute to informed decision making and the formulation of appropriate green policies
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