Socio-Economic Drivers and Sustainability Challenges of Urban Green Space Distribution in Jinan, China

Hai-Li Zhang, Wei Wang, Yichao Wang, Fanxin Meng, Rongguang Shi, Hui Xue, Mir Muhammad Nizamani () and Zongshan Zhao ()
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Hai-Li Zhang: School of Environment and Geography, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Wei Wang: School of Environment and Geography, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Yichao Wang: School of Environment and Geography, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Fanxin Meng: School of Environment and Geography, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Rongguang Shi: Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, No. 31 Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300191, China
Hui Xue: School of Environment and Geography, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Mir Muhammad Nizamani: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention, Institute of Marine Sciences, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
Zongshan Zhao: School of Environment and Geography, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-22

Abstract: Urban green spaces (UGSs), including parks, forests, and community gardens, play a critical role in enhancing public health and well-being by providing essential ecosystem services such as improving air quality, reducing surface temperatures, and mitigating harmful substances. As urbanization accelerates, especially in rapidly growing cities like Jinan, China, the demand for UGSs is intensifying, necessitating careful urban planning to balance development and environmental protection. While previous studies have often focused on city-level green coverage, this study shifts the analytical focus from UGS as a whole to urban functional units (UFUs), allowing for a more detailed examination of how green space is distributed across different land use types. We investigate UGS changes in Jinan over the past two decades and assess the influence of socio-economic factors—such as housing prices, land use types, and building age—on UGS distribution within UFUs. Remote sensing technology was employed to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of UGS and its correlation with these variables. Our findings reveal a significant shift in UGS distribution, with parks and leisure areas becoming primary drivers of UGS expansion. This study also highlights the growing influence of economic factors, particularly housing prices, on UGS distribution in more affluent UFUs. Additionally, while UGS in Jinan has generally expanded, challenges remain in balancing green space with urban expansion, especially in commercial and residential UFUs. This paper contributes to a more nuanced understanding of UGS distribution by integrating the UFU framework and identifying socio-economic drivers—including housing prices, construction age, and land use type—that shape green space patterns in Jinan. Our findings demonstrate that the spatial pattern of UGS in Jinan mirrors socio-economic and land use disparities observed in other global cities, highlighting both the universality of these patterns and the need for targeted planning in rapidly urbanizing contexts.

Keywords: urban green space (UGS); urban functional units (UFUs); housing prices; land use; parks; remote sensing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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