Which green is more equitable? A multi-indicator urban green space assessment across vulnerable population groups from an environmental justice perspective

Abstract

• Develop a new multi-indicator approach to assess urban green space equity. • Park accessibility, NDVI and SVG show divergent spatial patterns. • SVG exhibits the highest proportion of UGS inequity. • NDVI shows the most significant level of intersectional UGS inequity. Urban green spaces (UGS) provide significant environmental benefits within the urban context, making their equitable distribution a critical environmental justice issue. While existing research has examined UGS disparities, studies focusing on vulnerable populations remain limited, and findings differ significantly based on the specific metrics employed to measure green spaces. To address this gap, this study investigates UGS inequity among vulnerable groups in Hong Kong using three complementary indicators—park accessibility, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and street-view greenery (SVG). Ordinary least squares estimation, Moran’s I, and spatial regressions are employed to examine disparities between UGS provision and vulnerable population groups. The findings reveal that different indicators yield divergent spatial patterns, with NDVI and SVG showing increasing greenness gradients from urban cores to suburbs, while park accessibility remains comparatively limited in suburban areas. Additionally, our multi-indicator spatial regression reveals substantial local-scale inequities across vulnerable populations − including elderly residents, the underage, ethnic minorities, less-educated individuals, and single-person households − with SVG exhibiting the highest spatial coverage of UGS inequity (with the highest proportion of areas with negative coefficients in MGWR models) and NDVI displaying the most severe UGS inequity levels (with the highest magnitude of negative coefficients in MGWR models). Building on these findings, we conduct a comprehensive spatial analysis and generate a multi-indicator inequity mapping to identify high-priority areas where vulnerable groups experience severe UGS inequity. This research contributes to urban environmental justice literature by offering: (1) a comprehensive multi-indicator methodology for UGS equity assessment, and (2) actionable spatial planning insights for policymakers to implement both multi-dimensional UGS development strategies and targeted interventions to mitigate spatial inequities in disadvantaged communities.

Topics & Concepts