Uneven Distribution of Urban Green Spaces in Relation to Marginalization in Mexico City

Cristina Ayala-Azcarraga, Daniel Diaz, Tania Fernandez, Fernando Cordova-Tapia and Luis Zambrano ()
Additional contact information
Cristina Ayala-Azcarraga: Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Daniel Diaz: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Tania Fernandez: Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Fernando Cordova-Tapia: Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
Luis Zambrano: Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 16, 1-14

Abstract: The present study examines the spatial distribution and level of accessibility of urban green spaces (UGSs) within the context of Mexico City, with a particular focus on their relationship with marginalization. The study examined five distinct categories of UGSs based on their size and subsequently analyzed their total surface area per capita in relation to their correlation with the marginalization index. The data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, and correlations were computed to investigate the relationships between variables. We found 1353 UGSs accessible for public use with a total area of 2643 ha. Seventy-four percent of them had <1 ha of surface area, and 51% were located in only three municipalities that were mostly middle- and high-income. These municipalities concentrated a higher area of green spaces per capita. We found a negative correlation between the marginality index and the area of UGSs per municipality; the lower the marginality index was, the higher the area of green spaces. These results suggest that a bad distribution of UGSs can increase environmental injustice since urban environmental services are unequally distributed, affecting particularly marginalized populations. This research is a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge regarding the accessibility of UGSs in Mexico City, particularly in connection to marginalized communities. It emphasizes the significance of this topic in the context of environmental justice, urban sustainability, and the formulation of urban policy decisions. By engaging with these concerns, individuals can strive to foster a city that promotes fairness and well-being for all of its residents.

Keywords: urban green spaces; urban nature; environmental justice; well-being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/16/12652/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/16/12652/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:16:p:12652-:d:1221717

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().