Research on the Vitality Evaluation of Parks and Squares in Medium-Sized Chinese Cities from the Perspective of Urban Functional Areas

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-11, Vol.19 (22), p.15238
• Main Authors: Wang, Tongwen, Li, Ya, Li, Haidong, Chen, Shuaijun, Li, Hongkai, Zhang, Yunxing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Big Data; China; Cities; Construction; Digital mapping; Environment; Humans; Parks; Parks & recreation areas; Population density; Public spaces; Qualitative research; Questionnaires; Research methodology; Spatial distribution; Sustainable development; Transportation; Transportation networks; Travel; Urban areas
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215238

Medium-sized cities are increasingly committed to the planning and construction of urban public spaces to meet people's demand for high-quality urban life. Parks and squares are important parts of urban public spaces, and their vitality represents the quality of public spaces to a certain extent and reflects the happiness index of urban residents. At present, the functional areas and transportation networks of medium-sized cities are still developing. Due to the influence of urban construction, the planning of parks and squares in medium-sized cities has not yet caught up to that in larger cities. This study analyzed a medium-sized city, Jiaozuo, as an example, with the help of point of interest (POI) data, OpenStreetMap road network density data and WorldPop population data. The vitality of parks and squares in different functional spaces in the main urban area in Jiaozuo was quantitatively evaluated in terms of the four following aspects: urban space functional area characteristics, travel vitality index of urban residents, park and square attractiveness and the regional service levels of parks and squares. The effects of functional mixing, traffic network density, population density and spatial distribution on the vitality of parks and squares in medium-sized cities were also studied. The results showed that (1) the functional mixing in the main urban area in Jiaozuo was characterized by a spatial distribution of high in the center and low in the surrounding areas, with the highest functional mixing in the central part of the Jiefang District; (2) the travel dynamics of urban residents were characterized by a clear development of concentric circles radiating in a circular pattern; (3) the levels of service in parks and squares were particularly high in Jiefang District, with a spatial distribution of Jiefang District > Shanyang District > Macun District > Zhongzhan District; (4) under the condition that the service levels of each district were the same, the vitality values of the existing parks and squares in each district were compared and, from high to low, were Jiefang District (1.0-3.5), Shanyang District (0.2-2.0), Macun District (0-1.4) and Zhongzhan District (0-1.2). Functional mixing, road networks and population density had significant impacts on the vitality of parks and squares. Based on our study on the division of urban functional areas, we expanded the study to include urban microspaces. By evaluating the vitality of existing parks and squ