Are public green spaces distributed fairly? A nationwide analysis based on remote sensing, OpenStreetMap and census data

Green space (GS) is a crucial resource in urban areas, but not spatially uniformly distributed. We compare the availability of GS on a national scale using green land cover (GLC) and public green space (PGS). Using spatial census data we analyse GS availability and accessibility for the German population. The average GS availability differs by a factor of three between GLC and PGS. 19.2 % of Germans find less than the WHO defined target for PGS in their neighbourhood. PGS is less equally distributed among the population than GLC, and green space equity varies significantly between rural and urban areas. In areas with multi-family homes, a higher share of the population has access to sufficient PGS than in areas with predominantly single-family homes. We find a negative relation between GLC availability and share of immigrant population, which does not extend to PGS.

Automated summary

Green space is an important resource in urban areas, but its availability is not evenly distributed. This study compares the availability of green land cover and public green space on a national scale in Germany, analyzing the differences in accessibility and equity. The results show that public green space is less evenly distributed among the population compared to green land cover, and the equity of green space varies between rural and urban areas.