Understanding the socioeconomic equity of publicly accessible greenspace distribution: The example of Sheffield, UK

Urban greenspace can improve the health of local residents by facilitating physical activity, psychological restoration, and social contacts, as well as through amelioration of the physical environment and immune system modulation. In some cases, greenspace exposure has been reported to reduce health inequalities associated with deprivation. However, studies investigating the socioeconomic equity of greenspace distribution find conflicting results. We investigate how greenspace distribution varies with socioeconomic deprivation in Sheffield, UK, for three aspects of greenspace distribution (access; provision, or accessible greenspace area; and population pressure, or potential for crowding), and for three types of greenspace (any publicly accessible greenspace; greenspaces meeting criteria that increase the likelihood of providing health benefits; and greenspaces with specific provision for children and young people). We find that the accessibility of greenspace favours people living in more deprived areas, although the total area provided is not proportionally greater, and greenspaces have a greater potential for crowding. When looking only at high quality greenspaces, the relationship with deprivation is far weaker, although the potential for crowding remains greater in more deprived areas. When looking only at greenspaces with provision for children and young people, accessibility once again favours people in more deprived areas, but the total area provided is less and the potential for congestion is greater. Our results are influenced by the historic choice of locations for urban parks in Sheffield, i.e. within walking distance of working class neighbourhoods. Both methodological details and local historic context are key drivers of whether greenspace distribution is equitable within cities, and increasing the complexity of questions being asked also increases the complexity of results. Researchers should carefully consider which aspects of equity are of interest when designing studies. We recommend that planners and policy makers ensure that greenspaces are designed and maintained to a high standard that meets the cultural, recreational and accessibility needs of urban residents, including those belonging to minorities, in order to provide maximal public health benefits.