Spatial justice in public open space planning: Accessibility and inclusivity

Among different types of land use, public open space (POS) is noted as one of the most important assets for a city and local community, which benefits people in terms of their social, physical, and psychological well-being. However, the existing literature has revealed the uneven distribution of POS across different social contexts, which has failed to serve potential users equitably. While there is a significant need for research on the integration of the physical environment and the right to POS, previous studies have failed to show how to best merge these two components to promote equitable use of POS. Focusing on spatial justice as the theoretical basis for planning and assessment of POS, this paper aims to propose a framework for the evaluation of spatial justice performance in POS. We review key theories of spatial justice, and critically evaluate the insights they share when applied to urban POS planning. We examine the issues related to spatial justice of POS from three aspects namely: physical justice; urbanization of social justice; and right to the city, in order to identify the key variables of POS spatial justice. These examinations are supported by the analysed results of opinions from experts collected through both interviews and questionnaires. A conceptual framework for POS spatial justice evaluation is thus developed, which includes five constructs: Access and Management, Sociability and Diversity, Demand and Provision, Social Stratum and Information, and Social Inclusion. The relational interactions among these constructs provide an in-depth understanding and guidance for future work on POS planning, which contribute to bridging the knowledge gap on the subject.