Green Infrastructure and Urban Liveability: Measuring Accessibility and Equity

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of the accessibility and equity levels of green infrastructure. Previous studies of green infrastructure, which have focused on stormwater management, habitat protection and ecological system conservation, do not provide a full understanding of the social functions in considering the quality of facilities and provision of green infrastructure elements. By analysing the quality and distribution of green infrastructure, this research tested green infrastructure accessibility and accessibility-based equity levels and suggested ways to improve green infrastructure access. To achieve the research goals, this research employed Network Analysis Tool from Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to measure green infrastructure accessibility. A total number of 338 green infrastructure elements in central Auckland have been selected and used in this research. These 338 green infrastructure (GI) elements include Public Garden (area<2,000 square metres), Neighbourhood GI (area from 2,000 to 15,000 square metres), Sports and Recreation GI (area from 15,000 to 30,000 square metres), and Natural GI (area>30,000 square metres), taking New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) as a reference. In terms of quality, 338 green infrastructure elements have been classified as ‘no facility’, ‘active facility’, ‘passive facility’, and ‘active and passive facility’. The research then evaluated the accessible levels of green infrastructure to residents within three specified walking distances (400 metres, which is 5 minutes’ walk, 800 metres, which is 10 minutes’ walk, and 1,200 metres, which is 15 minutes’ walk), based on Accessible Natural Greenspace Standards (ANGSt), considering the facility conditions. By using the data of the best accessibility level (400 metres), the equity levels were tested in combination with New Zealand 2013 Census data, including age groups, ethnic groups, and income groups. Through the analysis, the research found that 338 green infrastructure elements almost cover all of the study area within 15 minutes’ walking distance. This is due to the fact that Auckland has a large amount of green infrastructure. The best areas to get access to green infrastructure in five minutes’ walk are the Western and Middle areas, then the Southern area. The CBD and the Eastern area are the poorest areas for accessible green infrastructure. In regard to the facilities inside green infrastructure, almost half of Neighbourhood GI has no facilities. The Eastern, the Southern and the Western areas are also the places without efficient facilities, which need to be considered for further improvement. The results of equity analysis show that low-income groups live with low quality green infrastructure. However, some high-income Europeans also live with insufficient green infrastructure in the Western area. Based on these findings, this research made conclusions about the analysis and the recommendations to enhance the physical accessibility of green infrastructure; such as installing suitable amenities according to green infrastructure size, building more pedestrian crossings and green networks, and developing the maintenance work of green infrastructure.