Assessing equity in the accessibility to urban green spaces according to different functional levels

Accessibility of urban residents to different services and amenities is a growing concern for policy makers. Urban green spaces (UGS) provide services and benefits that are particularly important for people having less mobility, such as children, the elderly or the poor. Practical experience has led to the classification of UGS in hierarchic systems reflecting the type and degree of benefits and services or functions they provide to users, which vary, primarily with their size. It is therefore necessary to ensure equity in the spatial distribution of different classes of UGS in the urban areas. In this work, we explore a methodology based in geographical information systems (GIS) to assess equity of access by different population groups to UGS according to its functional levels in the City of Barcelona, Spain, using a spatial clustering method. Results did not support the existence of overall inequalities in the access to UGS by the different groups of the population. However, indicators of spatial association revealed insufficiencies concerning accessibility to nearby UGS by seniors, children and the less wealthy in some parts of the city. This methodology may be used to inform urban planners dealing with the provision of UGS in an equitable manner to different socioeconomic groups of the resident population.