Virtual Only | Track 1 | Session 4. Spatial Inequalities and Urban Livability

With increased urbanization and growing environmental consciousness, the integration of sustainable practices in affordable housing sector plays a crucial role. With the projected growth of population residing in urban areas to increase up to 68% from the current 55% by 2050 and achieving net zero carbon emission by 2050, the adoption of sustainable practices in the affordable housing sector assumes a critical role. In the Indian context as well, aligning with the global pace of urbanization, rapid growth is observed in urban areas where population has increased to 470 million in 2021 from 377 million in 2011 . Based on the projections made by the World Bank (2022), it is expected to reach 600 million by 2036. This increased population pressure in the urban areas leads to a pressing demand for affordable housing. This persistent issue is affecting millions of people not only in India but also globally where people are struggling to find a decent living space which affects the overall socio economic well being, stability and inclusivity of communities at large. Furthermore, with the growing climate change concerns, environmental sustainability has taken a central role. While housing is a basic need of mankind related to the socioeconomic well being of people, however the housing sector is also responsible for contributing to 17 to 21% of global carbon emissions. The UNEP Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction (2022) states that the building sector in India accounts for over 34% of energy demand and around 37% of energy and process related CO2 emissions in 2021. This sector also accounts for 24% of GHG emissions, playing a significant role to play in climate change. Moreover, the integration of environmental sustainability in the affordable housing sector has been also emphasized in the SDG’s Goal 11 which prioritizes housing as one of the key focus areas making it mandatory for all the members nations to ensure access for all to affordable housing, basic services and upgrade slums by 2030 making cities safe, inclusive and sustainable. Emphasizing on the integration of environmental sustainability in the affordable housing sector in the global context and work also taking place in some of the countries, however this is still in the nascent stage and needs to be explored further. In the Indian context also, the provision of affordable housing has been stressed upon since long with the implementation of the first ever National Housing Policy in the year 1988. The first definition was provided by the Deepak Parikh Committee which has been evolving over time till date as laid down under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, the most recent flagship program emphasizing on the provision of “Housing for All” by the year 2022. It is India’s latest initiative to bridge the urban housing gap. Despite being the most recent and widest development related to affordable housing in the country, the program does not directly integrate the sustainability component into this sector. There is no specific provision for use of renewable energy or solar rooftop in the PMAY U. Hence the present study proposes a policy framework integrating the use of renewable energy technologies in this program. Emphasizing on the different renewable energy sources, the proposed framework tackles important issues like financial incentives, regulatory obstacles, and the requirement for stakeholders to collaborate across sectors. It also aims at expediting the permitting process and offering financial incentives to entice private sector participation. To maximize energy utilization and guarantee grid stability, the framework also promotes the integration of energy storage systems and smart grid technology. Based on this proposed framework the cities will improve energy security building resilient communities.

a) Background: In the era of stock planning, the focus of China's urban development has progressively shifted toward research on residential comfort and well being. Amid rapid urbanization, green space equity has emerged as a critical research agenda in urban planning, yet the association between disparities in equity levels and residents' subjective well being (SWB) remains insufficiently explored. This study utilizes social media data and machine learning (ML) methods to reveal the spatial mismatch relationship between the fairness level of urban park green spaces (UPGSs) and residents' SWB, aiming to provide scientific evidence for sustainable urban development and the enhancement of public welfare. b)Research objective, central question or statement or problem addressed: This study aims to achieve three objectives: (1) to reveal the spatial mismatch between urban park green space (UPGS) accessibility and residents' subjective well being (SWB); (2) to investigate the potential factors behind the mismatch and their importance differences in 15 indicators from three dimensions: the built environment, the socio economic factors, and the construction of the urban infrastructure; and (3) to explain the interactions of the factors and to analyze the reasons of the mismatch between the SWB and the level of accessibility. c) Research and data collection methods: First, real time mobility data under different travel modes were acquired via Gaode Map (China) to enhance the conventional Gaussian Two Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method for evaluating urban park green space (UPGS) accessibility. Concurrently, sentiment analysis was performed on large scale social media texts using Baidu NLP. The results of both approaches were then spatially aligned based on geographic grid averaged values. GeoDa was employed to examine their geospatial correlations. Finally, Shap and Xgboost models were applied to identify key factors contributing to the significant mismatch between green space accessibility and subjective well being (SWB), along with investigating interaction effects among these factors. d)Main findings and their significance for theory or practice: Through our study we found that:1) There is geospatial inequality in green space accessibility of urban parks in the study area, in which the accessibility of urban comprehensive parks is the lowest, while community parks are able to significantly alleviate green space inequity in urban parks, and the level of accessibility under different modes of travel also shows significant spatial differences, with the highest index of green space inequity under public transportation trips, while self driving and walking are relatively more equitable.2) There is a geospatial mismatch between urban park green space accessibility and SWB, we reveal the contribution and ranking of potential influencing factors of the two spatial mismatches through machine learning, in which the urban road network accessibility, corporate nuclear density and urban housing price data are the most significant factors in the built environment, urban infrastructure and socio economic dimensions, respectively, and there is a significant interaction effect between the high contributing influencing factors. As an important public asset for urban residents, the level of green space equity in urban parks plays a key role in improving residents' quality of life and overall well being. Residents' well being can be significantly promoted through rational allocation of green space and social resources. This study analyzes the potential mechanisms of the factors affecting the mismatch between SWB and green space accessibility (especially SWB is significantly higher than park accessibility) through different dimensions. The study can effectively promote the geospatial balance between green space accessibility and SWB to create more inclusive and sustainable urban environments for urban residents, which is important for future urban planning practices and sustainable development.

In high-density old urban areas, constrained by policies related to historical heritage preservation and urban renewal, it is difficult to create large-scale new green spaces. As demands for health and livability increase, micro-renewal of green spaces has become an important approach to improving environmental quality in old urban areas. Traditional evaluation methods based on static population data struggle to accurately reflect the mismatch between dynamic human flow distribution and spatial demand. How to scientifically identify service gaps in green spaces and achieve precise resource allocation has become an urgent issue in green space governance for old urban areas. This paper takes the old urban area of Guangzhou as a case study, innovatively introducing dynamic human flow big data and spatial decay analysis methods to systematically evaluate the supply-demand dynamics of green spaces, providing an empirical basis for smart layout planning and the identification of priority areas for micro-renewal. This study integrates green space distribution data obtained from Amap API and dynamic human flow data from “Baidu Huiyan” employing a Gaussian decay two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method to precisely assess the supply-demand dynamics of green spaces in Guangzhou's old urban area. First, a green space service database was established. Then, high-resolution human flow data was acquired to reflect the spatiotemporal distribution of resident activities. Based on a defined service radius, the two-step floating catchment area method was used: the population covered by each green space was calculated, and distance-weighted Gaussian functions were applied to account for the decay of service capacity with distance. The overall distribution of green spaces is severely inadequate and significantly uneven. The results show that the total green space area in Guangzhou's old urban area is 2.061 million square meters, serving approximately 1.715 million residents, with per capita green space at only 1.2 square meters—far below the standard for a livable city. The spatial distribution is highly unequal, with sufficient supply in the eastern areas and near Yuexiu Mountain, while the western areas along the Pearl River and southern old neighborhoods face severe shortages. Gaussian decay analysis reveals that about 23% of the old urban area has an effective green space supply-demand ratio below 0.7, marking typical service-deficient zones. Friction coefficient and road network analysis further indicate that areas with high population density but poor transportation accessibility suffer from insufficient actual reachability, exacerbating spatial service imbalances. The overall pattern shows higher supply in the east and west but lower in the north and south, with the southwest and southern regions emerging as key areas for green space optimization. This method effectively identifies service blind spots in old urban areas, providing a scientific foundation for targeted micro-renewal of green spaces. This study innovatively proposes a green space service evaluation method combining dynamic human flow big data and a Gaussian decay model, overcoming the limitations of traditional static population analysis. Empirical recommendations suggest that urban policymakers should prioritize micro-parks, pocket green spaces, and other diversified micro-renewal strategies in supply-deficient areas to enhance the fairness of green space services and the well-being of residents in old urban areas. The research offers a replicable pathway for green space governance in high-density cities worldwide.

The process of global urbanization has significantly transformed the urban built environment, altering factors such as sound, light, thermal conditions, and air quality. These changes have modified the spatial extent and intensity of environmental exposures for urban residents, contributing to adverse physical and psychological health outcomes. Concurrently, rapid urban expansion and unregulated growth have diminished the accessibility of non-motorized transportation and the convenience of outdoor activities, increasing residents' reliance on automobiles. This shift has substantially reduced physical activity levels, exacerbating the prevalence of chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes mellitus. With the evolution of the health paradigm from "disease treatment" to "health prevention", research centered on human health has emerged as a critical focus. Proactive health interventions based on prevention and prediction have become a key trend. As an independent determinant of population health (distinct from biogenetic and medical care factors), the built environment offers economic, continuous, and subtle advantages, positioning it as an important carrier for proactive health interventions. In this context, elucidating the mechanisms through which the built environment influences residents' health has become a pivotal issue in healthy city research and sustainable development. Academic consensus affirms the positive impact of physical activity on residents' health. The built environment can directly affect health outcomes and indirectly influence them by promoting physical activity. This multi-path mechanism underscores the complexity of the environment-health relationship. This study integrates three dimensions of residents' mental, physical and social health, and takes physical activity as a mediating variable to examine the relationship between the built environment and health outcomes. As a key subfield of healthy city research, the study constructs a "Built Environment-Physical Activity-Health Outcomes " framework, systematically analyzing the mechanisms by which built environment elements at different scales affect residents' health through the mediating role of physical activity. Furthermore, the research expands its perspective from "environmental differentiation" to "population differentiation", clarifying the heterogeneity in individual responses to environmental health effects across diverse demographic groups. This study proposes specific strategies for health-oriented planning interventions: (1) controlling health risk exposure; (2) targeting interventions for key populations; (3) optimizing the allocation of health resources; (4) promoting and guiding health behaviors and activities. Additionally, this study outlines research methodologies encompassing data sources, analytical approaches, and content, concluding that optimizing the built environment based on physical activity demand is essential for fostering healthy living environments. By constructing a chain research framework with physical activity as a mediator, this study advances beyond the traditional "black-box" treatment of mediating mechanisms in health geography research. It provides a theoretical foundation and reference paradigm for subsequent studies. The tailored intervention strategies, accounting for population heterogeneity, offer evidence-based insights for the precise formulation of public health policies.

Latin American cities are rapidly urbanizing, often at the expense of their environmental and social systems. The Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (AMG), Mexico's second-largest metropolitan area, illustrates these dynamics through continuous spatial expansion, the transformation of productive peri-urban lands, and an unequal distribution of public spaces and services. Despite its rich ecological and cultural assets, the city has historically neglected to integrate landscape as a strategic component of urban planning. In the context of increasing climate risks and social vulnerabilities, there is a critical need to redefine the role of landscape in governance to build more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban futures. This paper explores how adopting a normative (regulatory) approach to landscape governance can serve as a transformative strategy for the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara’s urban development. It investigates the central question: How can regulatory and policy frameworks incorporate landscape as essential urban infrastructure to address socio-environmental challenges and promote equitable urban transformation? The aim is to demonstrate how landscape-centered planning can guide cities toward resilience, social justice, and improved environmental performance. A qualitative case study methodology was employed, focusing on the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara during critical times of the COVID19 pandemic and the reality post-pandemic. The research involved a comprehensive analysis of urban development plans, environmental regulations, and policy instruments related to landscape and public space management. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with policymakers, urban planners and urban authorities to capture insights on implementation challenges and regulatory gaps. Finally, it also collected data from the habitats perspective through a questionnaire and its analysis, highlighting transferable lessons and potential pathways for policy innovation in integrating landscape as an urban governance tool. Findings reveal that Guadalajara’s current regulatory instruments inadequately incorporate landscape as a multifunctional, structural element of urban infrastructure. Existing frameworks tend to approach landscape superficially, focusing on aesthetic values or isolated conservation efforts, rather than leveraging it as a central planning tool. Transitioning to a normative approach that embeds landscape in policy and planning processes offers multiple benefits: it can significantly enhance climate resilience, support biodiversity, promote public health, and strengthen social cohesion. The case of Guadalajara and the theoretical implementation of landscape into urban regulatory frameworks can guide cities toward more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable futures. By prioritizing landscapes as vital urban infrastructure, cities can not only mitigate the impacts of climate change but also foster a more equitable distribution of public resources and spaces. This approach offers a strategic blueprint for rethinking urban development in rapidly transforming metropolitan regions across Latin America.