Regional disparities in access to urban parks in Osaka City, Japan: spatial analysis using socioeconomic proxy indicators

Abstract

Urban parks improve the quality of the living environment by forming open spaces where people can engage in static and dynamic activities. However, access to urban parks may be uneven and associated with socioeconomic disparities. Because urban parks allow different activities depending on their size, studying their access by size is necessary. This study examined effective socioeconomic status (SES) proxy indicators and the spatial association between SES proxy indicators and access to urban parks by size in Osaka City, Japan. The results revealed that the average percentage of professional and managerial workers, years of schooling, and roadside land price may be effective SES proxy indicators in Osaka City. The relationship between the three SES proxy indicators and access to urban parks varied according to park size. The northern area of the city center was found to have higher values of the SES proxy indicators and better access to large urban parks. On the other hand, the western area of the city, except for the northwest area along the Yodogawa River, had lower values of the SES proxy indicators and had poorer access to large urban parks but better access to small and medium urban parks. In particular, the southeastern part of the city, except for the farthest southeast, had lower values in the SES proxy indicators and poorer access to all sizes of urban parks, indicating the need for a prioritized supply.