Accessibility analysis of urban green and blue space

Suggested by: Martin Loidl

Short description: The positive functions of ecosystems-services (ES) and nature-based solutions (NSB) regarding livability, health and climate effects are undisputed and therefore at the core of cities’ strategies to adapt to global warming, compact urbanization, risk of respiratory disease and obesity. However, aspects of social justice are hardly explicitly considered in sustainable urban development strategies.
In a first step, we are interested in analysing the access of every household in an exemplary city (or several cities) to green and blue space. Moreover, we want to learn whether the access is evenly distributed or spatially clustered. These insights can then be further contextualized in the socio-economic landscape of the city.

Research for this master thesis should address one or more of the following questions (but is not limited to):

• Which measures are suitable for analysing accessibility to green and blue space?
• How to design an index that represents one or more aspects of accessibility at various scale levels (from single household to entire city)?
• How to detect and quantify spatial patterns of accessibility?
• Is there a correlation between socio-economic status and accessibility to green and blue space?
• What are unintended rebound-effects of providing nature-based solutions, such as green gentrification etc.?
  

References, suggested reading:

• Labib, S. M., Lindley, S., & Huck, J. J. (2020). Spatial dimensions of the influence of urban green-blue spaces on human health: A systematic review. Environmental Research, 180, 108869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.108869
  
• Ekkel, E. D., & de Vries, S. (2017). Nearby green space and human health: Evaluating accessibility metrics. Landscape and Urban Planning, 157, 214-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.06.008
  
• Reyes-Riveros, R., Altamirano, A., De La Barrera, F., Rozas-Vásquez, D., Vieli, L., & Meli, P. (2021). Linking public urban green spaces and human well-being: A systematic review. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 61, 127105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127105
  
• Anguelovski, I., Connolly, J., Cole, H., Garcia-Lamarca, M., Triguero-Mas, M., Baró, F., Martin, N., Conesa, D., Shokry, G., Pérez del Pulgar, C., Argüelles Ramos, L., Matheney, A., Gallez, E., Oscilowicz, E., López Máñez, J., Sarzo, B., Beltrán, M., Martinez Minaya, J. (2022). Green Gentrification in European and North American Cities. Nature Communications, 13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31572-1

Start/finish: anytime

Prerequisites/qualifications: Interest in planning and mobility research as well as in advanced spatial (network) analysis. Data management and analysis skills are ultimately required. Scripting and coding skills are benefitial.