Beyond proximity: A review and framework to further understanding of greenspace accessibility in the x-minute city

Abstract

Urban greenspaces are crucial for public health, climate resilience and community well-being, yet there are inequalities in accessibility in cities across the world. The ‘x-minute city’ framework has been proposed as a potential solution, proposing that essential services and amenities—including greenspace—should be accessible within a short commute from every residence. However, current approaches to measuring and implementing this framework often rely on single dimensional metrics that fail to capture the full complexity of how people actually access and use urban greenspaces. This review synthesizes methods from three distinct fields to develop a more comprehensive understanding of greenspace accessibility: geographic information science (GIScience), which provides spatial analytical tools; behavioural ecology (BE), which offers frameworks for understanding movement decisions; and human mobility analysis, which reveals movement patterns through the urban environment. While GIScience approaches allow for the identification of spatial inequalities in greenspace distribution, they often overlook the behavioural and social factors that influence actual usage, highlighted in BE approaches. Similarly, human mobility models can track movement patterns but may miss environmental and cultural factors. To bridge the gap between these methods, we introduce the Multi-context Inclusive City (MIC) framework, which integrates spatial, behavioural and mobility perspectives to analyse greenspace accessibility. This framework moves beyond proximity measures to incorporate diverse experiences, movement pathways and the environmental and social factors that influence greenspace usage. The MIC framework offers practical guidance for selecting appropriate models and methods based on specific research questions or planning objectives. By providing a more nuanced understanding of how people interact with urban greenspaces, this framework can help planners and policymakers develop more effective strategies for creating equitable, accessible and sustainable cities. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.