Search Results (31)

Urban park green spaces (UPGSs) play a critical role in enhancing residents’ quality of life, particularly for older adults. However, inequities in accessibility and resource distribution remain persistent challenges in aging urban areas. To address this issue, this study takes Gulou District, Nanjing City, as an example and proposes a comprehensive framework to evaluate the overall quality of UPGSs. Furthermore, an enhanced Gaussian two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method is introduced that incorporates (1) a multidimensional park quality score derived from an objective evaluation system encompassing ecological conditions, service quality, age-friendly facilities, and basic infrastructure; and (2) a Gaussian distance decay function calibrated to reflect the walking and public transit mobility patterns of the older adults in the study area. The improved method calculates the accessibility values of UPGSs for older adults living in residential communities under the walking and public transportation scenarios. Finally, factors influencing the social equity of UPGSs are analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients. The experimental results demonstrate that (1) high-accessibility service areas exhibit clustered distributions, with significant differences in accessibility levels across the transportation modes and clear spatial gradient disparities. Specifically, traditional residential neighborhoods often present accessibility blind spots under the walking scenario, accounting for 50.8%, which leads to insufficient accessibility to public green spaces. (2) Structural imbalance and inequities in public service provision have resulted in barriers to UPGS utilization for older adults in certain communities. On this basis, targeted improvement strategies based on accessibility characteristics under different transportation modes are proposed, including the establishment of multi-tiered networked UPGSs and the upgrading of slow-moving transportation infrastructure. The research findings can enhance service efficiency through evidence-based spatial resource reallocation, offering actionable insights for optimizing the spatial layout of UPGSs and advancing the equitable distribution of public services in urban core areas. Full article

Under the dual backdrop of the Healthy China strategy and the concept of sustainable development, optimizing the spatial layout of primary healthcare facilities is important for fairly distributing healthcare resources and strengthening the resilience of the public health system in a sustainable way. This study introduces an innovative 3D spatial resilience evaluation framework, covering transmission (service accessibility), diversity (facility type matching), and stability (supply demand balance). Unlike traditional accessibility studies, the concept of “resilience” here highlights a system’s ability to adapt to sudden public health events through spatial reorganization, contrasting sharply with vulnerable systems that lack resilience. Method-wise, the study uses an improved Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method (Ga2SFCA) to measure spatial accessibility, applies a geographically weighted regression model (GWR) to analyze spatial heterogeneity factors, combines network analysis tools to assess service coverage efficiency, and uses spatial overlay analysis to identify areas with supply demand imbalances. Harbin is located in northeastern China and is the capital of Heilongjiang Province. Since Harbin is a typical central city in the northeast region, with a large population and clear regional differences, it was chosen as the case study. The case study in Harbin’s main urban area shows clear spatial differences in medical accessibility. Daoli, Nangang, and Xiangfang form a highly accessible cluster, while Songbei and Daowai show clear service gaps. The GWR model reveals that population density and facility density are key factors driving differences in service accessibility. LISA cluster analysis identifies two typical hot spots with supply demand imbalances: northern Xiangfang and southern Songbei. Finally, based on these findings, recommendations are made to increase appropriate-level medical facilities, offering useful insights for fine-tuning the spatial layout of basic healthcare facilities in similar large cities. Full article

Rapid urbanization and demographic shifts present significant challenges to spatial justice in green space provision. Traditional static assessments have become increasingly inadequate for guiding park planning, which now requires a dynamic, future-oriented analytical approach. To address this gap, this study incorporates population dynamics into urban park planning by developing a dynamic evaluation framework for park accessibility. Building on the Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area (Ga2SFCA) method, we propose the human-population-projection-Ga2SFCA (HPP-Ga2SFCA) model, which integrates population forecasts to assess park service efficiency under future demographic pressures. Using neighborhood-committee-level census data from 2000 to 2020 and detailed park spatial data, we identified five types of population change and forecast demographic distributions for both short- and long-term scenarios. Our findings indicate population decline in the urban core and outer suburbs, with growth concentrated in the transitional inner-suburban zones. Long-term projections suggest that 66% of communities will experience population growth, whereas short-term forecasts indicate a decline in 52%. Static models overestimate park accessibility by approximately 40%. In contrast, our dynamic model reveals that accessibility is overestimated in 71% and underestimated in 7% of the city, highlighting a potential mismatch between future population demand and current park supply. This study offers a forward-looking planning framework that enhances the responsiveness of park systems to demographic change and supports the development of more equitable, adaptive green space strategies. Full article

Urban public toilets are essential for improving urban and rural living environments. Traditional evaluations have relied on statistical indicators such as total numbers and network coverage, but have overlooked population demand, limiting their ability to reflect actual service levels and optimize spatial allocation. This study assesses the public toilet service capacity according to spatial accessibility and offers insights into layout optimization. The main urban area of Kunming was considered as the case study. First, the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area (G2SFCA) method was used to calculate public toilet accessibility. The service level of public toilets at the community scale was assessed based on the calculation results. Finally, recommendations for the optimization of the spatial layout of public toilet provision are proposed based on the evaluation findings. Results indicate that (1) 57 communities lacked access to public toilets within a 5 min walk, while only two lacked access within 20 min; all communities had access within 30 min; (2) increasing stalls in old public toilets by 50% would meet the policy requirements for most residents; (3) transportation accessibility has a significant impact on residents’ convenience in accessing public toilets. Areas with lower transportation connectivity tend to have poorer toilet accessibility. The construction of new public toilets near road networks can effectively enhance overall restroom convenience for residents in the study area. By integrating public toilet accessibility with resident restroom demand, this study proposes targeted strategies for optimizing the spatial layout of urban public toilets, offering valuable insights and feasible solutions for improving the scientific and rational allocation of urban public resources. Full article

Urban parks are essential public resources that contribute significantly to residents’ well-being. However, disparities in the spatial distribution and social benefits of urban parks remain a pressing issue. This study focuses on the central urban area of Shanghai, a representative high-density megacity, and its findings hold significant reference value for similar cities, systematically evaluating urban park services from the perspectives of accessibility, spatial equity, and social equity. Leveraging multi-source big data and enhanced analytical methods, this study examines disparities and spatial mismatches in park services. By incorporating dynamic data, such as actual visitor attendance and residents’ travel preferences, and improving analytical models, such as an enhanced Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method and spatial lag regression models, this research significantly improves the accuracy and reliability of its findings. Key findings include (1) significant variations in accessibility exist across different types of parks, with regional and city parks offering better accessibility compared to pocket parks and community parks. (2) Park resources are unevenly distributed, with neighborhoods within the inner ring exhibiting relatively low overall accessibility. (3) A spatial mismatch is observed between park accessibility and housing prices, highlighting equity concerns. The dual spatial-social imbalance phenomenon reveals the prevalent contradiction in rapidly urbanizing areas where public service provision lags behind land development. Based on these results, this study proposes targeted recommendations for optimizing urban park layouts, including increasing the supply of small parks in inner-ring areas, enhancing the multifunctionality of parks, and strengthening policy support for disadvantaged communities. These findings contribute new theoretical insights into urban park equity and fine-grained governance while offering valuable references for urban planning and policymaking. Full article

The strategic planning of emergency shelters is vital for enhancing urban resilience against natural disasters, ensuring timely and equitable support for vulnerable populations. However, the existing studies often overlook the effects of fixed search radii and spatial heterogeneity in supply–demand matching. This study evaluated the spatial accessibility of emergency shelters in Shenzhen, a megacity in China, using a Gaussian two-step floating catchment area (G2SFCA) method integrated with K-means clustering. The analysis incorporated three service radii (1 km, 2.5 km, and 5 km) to assess accessibility levels across spatial scales. The results indicate the following: (1) The supply–demand balance of emergency shelters in Shenzhen varies significantly across service radii. A notable mismatch exists within 1000 m; at 2500 m, the demand in high-density areas is better met with reduced regional disparities, while at 5000 m, the spatial correlation between the supply and demand weakens considerably. (2) The cluster analysis revealed the distinct spatial clustering of supply–demand imbalances, primarily driven by population density. (3) The proposed method offers empirical support for optimized shelter allocation and improving the equity and efficiency of emergency resource distribution. Full article

Accurately assessing the accessibility and equity of urban public sports facilities is essential for improving public service provision and enhancing residents’ well-being. However, most existing studies rely on administrative units such as subdistricts and communities, often overlooking the multi-level structure of such facilities and failing to reflect their distribution within the spatial scope of residents’ daily activities. To address this gap, this study adopted the residential neighborhood as the basic unit of analysis and developed an integrated methodological framework combining the average nearest neighbor index, kernel density estimation, a Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area method, the Gini coefficient, and location quotient analysis. When applied to Shanghai, the framework revealed distinct spatial patterns across facility levels, exhibiting scale-dependent characteristics. Community-level and residential-level sports facilities were found to be relatively accessible, whereas city-level and subdistrict-level sports facilities showed limited accessibility, particularly in peripheral suburbs. All facility levels exhibited varying degrees of spatial inequality, highlighting persistent issues of spatial justice. These findings provide empirical evidence to inform the spatial optimization of public sports facilities and to promote more equitable access to urban public services. Full article

(1) Research Highlights: Existing studies primarily focus on the supply-side evaluation of urban forest accessibility, emphasizing physical proximity while often overlooking real-time usage patterns and demographic-specific exposure. This study shifts the focus to social exposure, analyzing how diverse population groups interact with urban forests across different times of the day, integrating dynamic accessibility metrics. (2) Background and Objectives: Unlike previous research that predominantly assessed urban forest accessibility through conventional models based on static spatial proximity, this study incorporates spatiotemporal population distribution data to capture actual utilization patterns. By introducing a dynamic, exposure-based framework, this research aims to facilitate equitable and temporally sensitive access to green spaces across diverse demographic groups. (3) Materials and Methods: This study focuses on Seoul, South Korea, and applies the Gaussian-based Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (G2SFCA) methodology to assess urban forest accessibility. Living population data (2021–2024) from mobile telecommunications sources were used as demand indicators, while OpenStreetMap (OSM) green space data were utilized as supply indicators. Realistic travel distances were calculated using OSM pedestrian networks and Dijkstra’s algorithm, incorporating slope effects and distance decay functions. A K-means clustering algorithm was applied to classify four distinct exposure types based on demographic and temporal variations. (4) Results: The findings reveal significant disparities in urban forest exposure based on age group and time of day. Four major urban forest exposure patterns were identified: Type A—school-age children, with peak usage around midday; Type B—working-age adults, frequenting mid-sized urban forests during commuting and leisure hours; Type C—elderly individuals, utilizing large-scale urban forests and neighborhood parks mainly in the morning; Type D—young adults, engaging with small urban parks and rest areas at various times. (5) Conclusions: Urban forest management must move beyond the quantitative expansion of green spaces and instead implement customized policies that optimize accessibility and equitable distribution based on distinct temporal and demographic patterns of social exposure. By integrating real-time urban mobility data into urban forest planning, policies can better align green space supply with actual usage, fostering a more equitable, data-driven, and sustainable urban green infrastructure. Full article

Fever visit management (FVM) played a critical role in reducing the risk of local outbreaks caused by positive cases during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic under the dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy. Fever clinics were established to satisfy the healthcare needs of citizens with fever symptoms, including those with and without COVID-19. Learning how FVM affects fever medical care accessibility for citizens in different places can support decision making in establishing fever clinics more equitably. However, the dynamic nature of the population at different times has rarely been considered in evaluating healthcare facility accessibility. To fill this gap, we adjusted the Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area method (G2SFCA) by considering the hourly dynamics of the population distribution derived from mobile phone location data. The results generated from Xining city, China, showed that (1) the accessibility of fever clinics explicitly exhibited spatial distribution patterns, being high in the center and low in surrounding areas; (2) the accessibility reduction in suburban areas caused by FVM was approximately 2.8 times greater than that in the central city for the 15 min drive conditions; and (3) the accessibility of fever clinics based on the nighttime anchor point was overestimated in central areas, but underestimated in suburban areas. Full article

Accessibility to metro services is often evaluated based on the locations of stations. However, compared to the location of station itself, focusing on its entrances/exits offers a more accurate approach to assessing station supply and demand levels. Despite this, research focusing on the supply of and demand for metro services concerning metro entrances and exits remains limited. This study employed multi-source geospatial data from Xiamen, China, to examine the supply and demand dynamics of metro stations with a particular emphasis on entrances/exits. In the first phase, we treated entrances/exits as supply facilities and used land plot boundaries as the fundamental spatial units for accessibility calculations. Taking into account the layout characteristics of entrances/exits, along with the traffic generation of various land-use types, we employed the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area (G2SFCA) method to gauge the supply and demand levels of plots. Subsequently, we computed the spatial supply-and-demand relationships of station entrances/exits for both station-level and shared usage level of entrances/exits. We found that the accessibility from plots to entrances/exits diverged from previously observed spatial distribution trends, being higher in city centers, regional boundaries, and terminal stations and lower in transitional areas. Moreover, “metro accessibility” and the “imbalance index of entrances/exits” are associated with the primary functions of stations and the surrounding urban development; yet they exhibit spatial heterogeneity. The stations with a high value for “imbalanced index of entrances/exits” were always near some business parks, and “metro accessibility” seemed to be more easily affected by location factors. Based on two metrics, stations were categorized into four types, each displaying unique characteristics regarding location distributions, entrance/exit configurations, and commuting passenger sources. This research aims to identify the phenomenon of unfair transport in metro service from the perspective of their entrances, inform the optimization of metro station designs, and tailor planning recommendations, ultimately enhancing transport equity and contributing to sustainable urban built environments. Full article

Equitable access to healthcare services is essential for residents’ well-being and social equity, requiring the rational spatial distribution of healthcare facilities in urban planning. Compared with major studies on the spatial accessibility and equity of healthcare services in first-tier cities, second-tier cities, which form the foundational structure of the global urban system, have not be given sufficient attention. Therefore, this study takes Karamay District in Karamay as a case study to analyze the spatial equity of healthcare services using place-based accessibility measures. For accessibility calculations, we employ the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method to separately analyze the accessibility to hospitals and primary healthcare (PHC) institutions, considering factors such as the number of facilities, population, distance, and transportation modes. Second, we utilize global and local Moran’s I for spatial analysis to identify areas with varying levels of accessibility. Furthermore, considering the spatial equity for different social groups, this study innovatively proposes an analytical framework for assessing healthcare accessibility and equity across age groups using residential-level data and an adjusted search radius in second-tier cities, typically those with small-scale urban areas. The results reveal significant spatial clustering in healthcare accessibility, similar to that observed in most first-tier cities, as well as notable differences in the spatial distribution between hospital accessibility and PHC accessibility. Regarding age strata, results show that the elderly have lower access to hospitals but higher access to PHC institutions, which is opposite to the situation observed for children. Overall, second-tier cities demonstrate better equity in healthcare accessibility compared to first-tier cities, particularly regarding hospital accessibility. However, there are minor inequities in PHC accessibility for children aged 0–12 years. Our findings may provide valuable insights and essential data support for healthcare resource allocation and land use planning in second-tier cities. Full article

With the rapid expansion of cities, the construction of 15-minute communities has become an important way to improve the urban living environment and enhance the quality of life of residents. In this study, based on the perspective of a 15-minute community in Chengdu, the current situation of the spatial layout in the 12 main urban districts of 15,941 public service facility points is studied. Additionally, the matching relationship between the supply and demand of five major categories (19 subcategories) of public service facilities and the population is assessed by using the kernel density analysis method, the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method, the hierarchical analysis method and the bivariate spatial autocorrelation. Finally, suggestions for the optimization of basic service facilities are made in the light of the current development situation in Chengdu. The results show that (1) there is a large spatial heterogeneity in the distribution and accessibility of public service facilities in the study area; (2) there is a mismatch between the supply and demand of public service facilities and the population in Chengdu; and (3) in order to further optimize the allocation of public service facilities, it is necessary to focus first on areas where demand exceeds supply. This study built a framework for assessing the current status of spatial distribution of public service facilities, which measures the 15-minute accessibility of basic public service facilities in a more comprehensive way and bridges the gap of previous single-type studies, which make it difficult to make comprehensive optimization recommendations directly. Meanwhile, the bivariate spatial autocorrelation reveals the areas of mismatch between supply and demand more accurately, and more clearly shows the areas that need to be focused on for optimization by policy makers. Full article

Ensuring the spatial equity of health service facilities (HSFs) is crucial for the well-being of residents. However, previous research has predominantly focused on the accessibility and equity of single-type facilities, neglecting the residents’ demand for diversified types of health services. This study proposes a multi-type, Gaussian-based, two-step floating catchment area method (MT-G2SFCA) to assess the comprehensive accessibility and equity of multi-type HSFs in different age groups in the Hedong District of Tianjin, with the Gini coefficient and the bivariate local Moran’s I. Furthermore, the key factors affecting the accessibility were explored through a geo-detector. The results indicate the following: (1) Neglecting the health benefits of facility type diversity can result in an underestimation of the accessibility and equity; (2) neglecting the differences in walking ability of the elderly can result in an overestimation of the accessibility and equity; and (3) the Pedestrian Route Directness is the key factor affecting the accessibility and equity in high-density urban areas, and especially that the facility density is the key factor for the elderly. This research emphasizes the impact of facility type diversity on the accessibility and equity of HSFs, which can offer more precise and holistic technical assistance and policy recommendations for optimizing the allocation of HSFs. Full article

Improving the justice of public parks is of great significance to the well-being of residents, and it is also an important goal of green space planning. In this paper, the spatial justice of park green space under five travel modes and at three scales was analyzed using the travel-behavior-based Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method (TB-G2SFCA) and Gini coefficient method for Qingdao City Center. The main results are as follows: Under walking mode, walking–bus mode, and walking–subway mode, there were unserved areas in terms of urban park green space, while there were no unserved areas in the cases of cycling and driving. Residents’ choice of travel time and travel mode would affect the service scope of the park green space, and the increase in travel time would reduce the unserved areas in the urban park green space. The choice of travel time and travel mode affected the accessibility of urban park green space for residents in each residential patch, as well as the justice of the distribution of park green space resources at the scales of street blocks, districts, and the whole study area. The increase in residents’ travel speed and travel time could promote the equitable allocation of urban park green space to a certain extent. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the planning and construction of urban park green space in Qingdao City. Full article

With the deepening trend of aging, the issue of elderly care for the aging population has become a matter of concern for all sectors of society. Elderly-care services have become increasingly vital. Elderly-care institutions, a major component of the elderly-care system, are an important part of public facility resource provision; the spatial distribution of elderly-care institutions (ECIs) directly affects the equitable access of the elderly to public resources. To cope with the current pressure of population aging and limited resources for the elderly, this study aims to explore the relationship between population aging and the supply of ECIs in Jinan, China. Using the ArcGIS platform, this study analyzes the spatial allocation of ECIs, provides improved supply capacity modelling of ECIs based on the Gaussian Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Approach (Ga2SFCA), and evaluates the equity of ECIs in terms of accessibility, supply–demand equity, and spatial equity. The results show that there are large differences in spatial accessibility between different levels of ECIs, there is a mismatch of supply and demand, the number and size of existing ECIs do not meet the needs of the elderly, and the distribution of resources in small ECIs is highly inequitable. These results can provide a guiding direction for optimizing ECIs and urban road network planning and can also provide new insights for urban planners to assess the equity of public service facilities. Full article