Urban green space suitability analysis using geospatial techniques: a case study of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Urban green space (UGS) is crucial in providing ecosystem services and optimizing the health of urban residents. This study aimed at identifying suitable sites for UGS development using geospatial techniques in Addis Ababa City. In the present study, an analytical hierarchical process with Geographic Information Systems based multi-criteria evaluation process was used for identifying suitable sites for UGS development. Eight parameters namely land use land cover types, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, population density, soil types, slope, elevation, road and rivers were used. Results show that about 1 km(2) (0.2%) and 67.4 km(2) (12.8%) are categorized as highly suitable and moderately suitable sites for UGS, respectively. About 247.2 km(2) (46.9%) of the area was marginally suitable and 205.2 km(2)(38.9%) was currently not suitable, while 6.2 km(2)(1.2%) was permanently not suitable. The evaluation of UGS development support policy makers to identify the importance of open green space for environmental quality and quality of life in urban center.