Work

How Green Space Exposure Is Associated with Social Vulnerability in the Highly Urbanized Xuhui District, Shanghai

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Green space (GS) exposure reflects how well urban dwellers engage with GSs, which is closely related to sustainable communities. However, the associations between GS exposure and multi-dimensional social vulnerability (SoV) remain to be elucidated. To address this gap, this study develops a comprehensive framework to investigate the associations between GS exposure and SoV using methods of the Gini coefficient, bivariate mapping, and discriminant analysis, taking the Xuhui District of Shanghai as a case study. The results show the following findings. (1) The GS exposure was improved by good accessibility of GSs, particularly for the downtowns suffering a low level of GS availability; (2) The distribution of GS exposure is relatively equitable across different levels of SoV; (3) Communities with low GS exposure and high SoV are characterized by a high proportion of children and a low proportion of highly educated and employed people. The findings highlight the necessity of a systematic evaluation of GS exposure from a SoV perspective. Such a systematic evaluation could help optimize the GS patterns and allocate the valuable GSs to vulnerable groups for a more inclusive and sustainable community.

Source: Land

DOI: 10.3390/land15020272

Authors: Chunwen Ji, Chu Wang, Chaoqiang Liang, Ju Shen, Jingwei Li, Shiqiang Du

Institution: Shanghai Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Urban Green Space and Health

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137