Walking accessibility of urban parks in a compact megacity

Abstract

Good walking accessibility and an adequate supply of urban parks is critical for the physical and mental well-being of people living in cities, especially citizens residing in compact megacities. The service area from residences to urban parks in different areas were measured according to Accessible Natural Greenspace Standards by way of network analysis in the geographic information system. Multiple regression models were used to calculate the average weighted walking times from road junctions and community entrances to urban park entrances to assess the walking accessibility to urban parks in Shanghai. A statistical analysis of parks, communities and neighbourhood socio-economic status was conducted to analyse the uneven distribution and social inequity of urban park accessibility and supply. Park service area, walking accessibility and supply efficiency varied greatly in different districts for different categories of parks. The majority of areas with good park accessibility were located in old towns rather than in the new districts. The consistency between park access distribution and population distribution did not translate to equality in park supply. Positive actions are needed to redress the social inequity of access to this important public health resource.