From Modelling and Analysis of Accessibility of Urban Green Space to Green Infrastructure Planning: Guangzhou as a Case Study

Abstract

With the rapid growth of cities around the world, numerous studies have highlighted the positive effects of accessing urban green space (UGS) in a reasonable distance for both physical and psychological health. In China, Guangzhou is a typical population-intensive metropolis, in which green infrastructure (GI) requires even allocation for a high utilisation rate. This chapter explores the relation between modelled and public perceived walking accessibility of UGSs. It utilizes 237 park green spaces in the central-city area of Guangzhou for modelling spatial UGS accessibility and collects 2360 questionnaires for analysing public perceived UGS accessibility. The research highlights the deficiency of current common factors used for modelling walking accessibility. This paper offers a summary of potential factors affecting the actual public accessibility to a park based on analysing the responses to the questionnaires. This assessment of willingness to travel can inform GI planning and improve the accuracy of modelling walking accessibility. Overall, this case study contributes to a novel conceptual framework for future UGS walking accessibility analysis via comparing the model of UGS provision and the reality.