Abstract
This study evaluates the use of virtual, human-interpreted, field observations using Google Street View (GSV) to examine the presence of conditions that may be used to analyze green gentrification in the Global South. We propose that green gentrification is characterized by the introduction or improvement of green amenities (such as parks) as well as corresponding changes to the urban context (such as facade materials). While virtual field observations have been used to examine neighborhood context for other applications, this method has not yet been applied to the study of green gentrification, nor in the Global South. Using one urban park located in Talca, Chile, and in three urban parks located in Santiago, Chile, we sought to address the following research questions: (1) How do in situ and virtual field observations compare as methods of evaluating green amenities and urban context? (2) What characteristics of green amenities and urban context must be addressed to investigate green gentrification in the Global South? (3) How do indicators of green amenities and urban context observed via virtual field observations indicate the potential for green gentrification? In order to observe the streetside conditions of the neighborhoods surrounding established, improved, and new parks, we utilize the ground-level 360° imagery through GSV as an alternative to in situ studies, which can be time-consuming, expensive, and logistically challenging. Features related to the land use composition, building materials used, and the presence of aesthetic improvements and pedestrian amenities were noted as potential indicators of gentrification, and the correspondence between the two methods of observation were evaluated. Results indicate that virtual field observations can provide a promising method that may facilitate the identification and investigation of the effects of green gentrification in the Global South, broadening the scope and application of this research. This comparison offers insight into the use and comparison of virtual and in situ observations for identifying green gentrification in the Global South and for the applicability of the virtual observation method in this heterogeneous urban landscape, especially in cases with unreliable or unavailable data.
Highlights
Urban greening has become priority for many cities around the world striving to become sustainable, resilient, and attractive places, and many municipalities explicitly seek to redress longstanding urban environmental injustices through urban greening programs (Pearsall et al, 2012)
Rigolon et al (2018) identified characteristics of parks that led to gentrification in the surrounding neighborhoods in 10 cities in the United States and found that the location and function of the parks were predictors of gentrification outcomes. These findings suggest that gentrification is not an inevitable result of greening or park development and that certain contextual factors may accelerate or mitigate green gentrification
Our findings are twofold and inform future efforts to evaluate green gentrification in the Global South: (1) we demonstrated that variables that represent green gentrification in the Global South differ from previous studies in the Global North, and (2) our analysis using Google Street View (GSV) indicates that street-level imagery provides a promising method that may facilitate the identification and investigation of the socio-economic impacts of green amenities in the Global South
Summary
Urban greening has become priority for many cities around the world striving to become sustainable, resilient, and attractive places, and many municipalities explicitly seek to redress longstanding urban environmental injustices through urban greening programs (Pearsall et al, 2012). The methods used by these studies largely depend on the multi-date comparison of official governmental statistics (e.g., Census data regarding education, income, and ethnicity) or on a survey or focus group of a subset of the population. While these studies reveal the limits of the “green is good” mantra (Connolly, 2019), the relevance of such findings to different urban contexts (both within and among cities) has only recently been explored (Anguelovski et al, 2018). Additional research is needed to understand green gentrification in different contexts and to critically examine the theories, methods, and findings of research efforts based on studies in the Global North
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