Transitioning beyond urban green space accessibility indicators: Case illustration of a novel diversity planning tool applied to Vantaa, Finland
Current urban green space planning processes are typically guided by greenspace-to-residence proximity indicators. Alone, these indicators are unable to assess, and respond, to the growing socio-spatial polarisation of environmental risks, impacts, and benefits among distinct societal groups within...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Environmental and Sustainability Indicators |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665972723000090 |
| _version_ | 1811166419489914880 |
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| author | Megan L. Resler Rachel Mazac Seona Candy Teemu Kemppainen |
| author_facet | Megan L. Resler Rachel Mazac Seona Candy Teemu Kemppainen |
| author_sort | Megan L. Resler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Current urban green space planning processes are typically guided by greenspace-to-residence proximity indicators. Alone, these indicators are unable to assess, and respond, to the growing socio-spatial polarisation of environmental risks, impacts, and benefits among distinct societal groups within a city. In this research, we present a municipal green space planning tool for measuring the spatial distribution of urban green space diversity within a city, developed using a novel spatial application of the Shannon diversity index to urban green spaces. We illustrate the use of this planning tool in the case of Vantaa, a city in Southern Finland, and examine the association of this diversity indicator with three spatially polarising socio-demographic factors in the region. Contrary to the dominant environmental distributive justice narrative, and stark trends towards socio-spatial polarisation observed in many cities internationally, our findings reveal that urban green space diversity does not currently correlate with income, age structure, or share of population with a foreign background in Vantaa. However, given the changing social dynamics present in our case city, ongoing monitoring and evaluation of who benefits and how from ecosystem service benefits of a diverse urban green space network is necessary. This research offers a practical tool for urban green space planners in European cities facing similar periods of significant differential spatial expansion and changing social dynamics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:52:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b2be5fba9e394dbcbb60025e4cf5ad45 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2665-9727 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:52:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental and Sustainability Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-b2be5fba9e394dbcbb60025e4cf5ad452023-02-11T04:16:15ZengElsevierEnvironmental and Sustainability Indicators2665-97272023-06-0118100232Transitioning beyond urban green space accessibility indicators: Case illustration of a novel diversity planning tool applied to Vantaa, FinlandMegan L. Resler0Rachel Mazac1Seona Candy2Teemu Kemppainen3Department of Geosciences and Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies (Urbaria), Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Helsinki, Finland; Corresponding author. Yliopistonkatu 3, Porthania, 00100, Helsinki, Finland.Department of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Helsinki, FinlandDemos Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Geosciences and Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies (Urbaria), Helsinki, FinlandCurrent urban green space planning processes are typically guided by greenspace-to-residence proximity indicators. Alone, these indicators are unable to assess, and respond, to the growing socio-spatial polarisation of environmental risks, impacts, and benefits among distinct societal groups within a city. In this research, we present a municipal green space planning tool for measuring the spatial distribution of urban green space diversity within a city, developed using a novel spatial application of the Shannon diversity index to urban green spaces. We illustrate the use of this planning tool in the case of Vantaa, a city in Southern Finland, and examine the association of this diversity indicator with three spatially polarising socio-demographic factors in the region. Contrary to the dominant environmental distributive justice narrative, and stark trends towards socio-spatial polarisation observed in many cities internationally, our findings reveal that urban green space diversity does not currently correlate with income, age structure, or share of population with a foreign background in Vantaa. However, given the changing social dynamics present in our case city, ongoing monitoring and evaluation of who benefits and how from ecosystem service benefits of a diverse urban green space network is necessary. This research offers a practical tool for urban green space planners in European cities facing similar periods of significant differential spatial expansion and changing social dynamics.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665972723000090Urban greenspaceGISShannon diversity indexSocio-environmental justiceSpatial analysisSocio-spatial polarisation |
| spellingShingle | Megan L. Resler Rachel Mazac Seona Candy Teemu Kemppainen Transitioning beyond urban green space accessibility indicators: Case illustration of a novel diversity planning tool applied to Vantaa, Finland Environmental and Sustainability Indicators Urban greenspace GIS Shannon diversity index Socio-environmental justice Spatial analysis Socio-spatial polarisation |
| title | Transitioning beyond urban green space accessibility indicators: Case illustration of a novel diversity planning tool applied to Vantaa, Finland |
| title_full | Transitioning beyond urban green space accessibility indicators: Case illustration of a novel diversity planning tool applied to Vantaa, Finland |
| title_fullStr | Transitioning beyond urban green space accessibility indicators: Case illustration of a novel diversity planning tool applied to Vantaa, Finland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transitioning beyond urban green space accessibility indicators: Case illustration of a novel diversity planning tool applied to Vantaa, Finland |
| title_short | Transitioning beyond urban green space accessibility indicators: Case illustration of a novel diversity planning tool applied to Vantaa, Finland |
| title_sort | transitioning beyond urban green space accessibility indicators case illustration of a novel diversity planning tool applied to vantaa finland |
| topic | Urban greenspace GIS Shannon diversity index Socio-environmental justice Spatial analysis Socio-spatial polarisation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665972723000090 |
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