GIS based analysis for assessing the accessibility at hierarchical levels of urban green spaces

The accessibility to hierarchy (defined based on function and size) of Urban Green Spaces (UGS) is essential for frequent and optimal use of UGS as it promotes social interaction and physical activity among city population. The issue of accessibility to UGS is one of the crucial aspects of sustainable urban planning and it is linked to growing concern over the wellbeing of urban population particularly children and lower socioeconomic groups. The following study presents use of GIS based network analysis to assess the accessibility of UGS at hierarchical levels by applying different network distance to each hierarchy of UGS in a dense and complex urban setting in a developing region. Results show that there is poor accessibility to UGS at all hierarchical levels particularly at lower hierarchy of UGS which is meant for early age children. The large variability in accessibility at all hierarchical levels is also indicative of highly varying and skewed development patterns in the study area. The studies carried out in these regions and approach applied in this study may provide useful tools to planners to identify the deficient areas for future development of UGS for balanced and sustainable planning. (C) 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.