Assessing Social and Spatial Equity of Neighborhood Retail and Service Access in Seoul, South Korea

Donghyun Kim and Jina Park
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Donghyun Kim: Department of Urban Planning and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
Jina Park: Department of Urban Planning and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 20, 1-14

Abstract: Creating a sustainable urban space should allow everyone to benefit from urbanization regardless of their ability. Spatial equity is one of the significant factors of sustainability. Several studies have explored pedestrian accessibility and spatial equity, but few researchers have addressed daily retail activities. This study aimed to examine the equity of pedestrian accessibility to neighborhood retail and service (NRS) establishments in Seoul, Korea. Accessibility of NRSs was measured by pedestrian direction API and spatially clustered by local indicators of spatial association (LISA). Equity was examined using the Mann–Whitney U test to test the difference between socioeconomic and built environment variables between high and low accessibility areas. We found that vulnerable groups favored access to the NRSs over more affluent groups. This study’s results suggest that urban planners and designers should contemplate ways to enhance the walkability of the residents and continually monitor accessibility to prevent urban problems, such as food deserts and retail deserts. Additionally, the results provide empirical evidence for achieving equity in urban development and urban retail systems to further enhance sustainability.

Keywords: accessibility; equity; neighborhood retail; pedestrian directions API; walkable city; socially disadvantaged group; socioeconomic status (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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