Modeling Urban Green Access: Combining Zone-Based Proximity and Demand-Weighted Metrics in a Medium-Sized U.S. City

Yifanzi Zhu, Qiuyi Yang, Shuying Guo, Yuhan Wen, Xinyi Wang and Rui Wang ()
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Yifanzi Zhu: School of Art and Design, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan 430070, China
Qiuyi Yang: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Shuying Guo: Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Yuhan Wen: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Xinyi Wang: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Rui Wang: School of Art and Design, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan 430070, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-28

Abstract: Urban green space (UGS) accessibility is a cornerstone of equitable and sustainable city planning. However, existing studies focus on large metropolitan areas and rely on limited spatial models that overlook the complexity of urban morphology and socio-demographic diversity. This study shifts the focus to East Lansing, a medium-sized U.S. city that exhibits neither the spatial concentration of major metropolises nor the uniformity of small towns, thereby offering a distinctive context to examine urban green space equity. To this end, we develop a composite accessibility index by integrating four complementary spatial models: Euclidean distance, gravity-based access, two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA), and zone-based analysis. Utilizing high-resolution spatial, demographic, and environmental datasets, the study applies both Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) to uncover global patterns and local variations in accessibility determinants. The results reveal pronounced neighborhood-level disparities, with variables such as green coverage, park provision, and commercial density emerging as significant but spatially uneven predictors. The composite index yields a more robust and equitable representation of UGS accessibility than any individual model. This multi-model, spatially explicit framework contributes to methodological advances in accessibility assessment and offers actionable insights for place-based urban greening strategies.

Keywords: urban green space accessibility; spatial equity; geographically weighted regression; composite index; land use diversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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