Distribution Pattern Analysis of Public Parks and accessibility in Madinah Using GIS Technique - Essay Example

? Distribution Pattern Analysis of Public Parks and accessibility in Madinah Using GIS Technique Contents 14) References…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………….……..…..……….46 15) Questionnaire………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..………..………..51 List of Figures List of Tables 1. Introduction Green spaces and parks are of great importance both for ecological balance and for the health of individuals (Frumkin, 2001). They play a fundamental role in providing opportunities for rest and relaxation and enjoying the beauty of nature for the urban population. The focus of this paper is the distribution and accessibility analysis of public parks with regard to all segments of the population. When there is a significant increase in population and urban growth in a region, the need for public places of recreation increases. For example, in Britain, the area dedicated to national parks and green areas is approximately 10,000 square miles, which represents 17% of England and Wales’ total area of (Cullingworth, 1972). Increasing rates of urbanisation in Madinah have led to increased pressure on many of the services and facilities, especially green spaces and gardens which are a key requirement for high density neighbourhoods. Green space refers to an area of land or water mass that either remains in its natural form or is used for agricultural purposes (Chang.2008). Green spaces are free from industrial, institutional, commercial and residential use and development. While most green spaces are publicly owned, others are private properties and consist of undeveloped coastal lands, undeveloped, scenic lands, public parks, forest lands and estuarine lands (Forman & Godron.2006). In urban areas, however, where land development is predominant, green space may encompass areas such as wetlands, recreational areas, vacant lots or narrow corridors for walking or cycling. Cultural and historic resources also form part of green space in some countries. In addition, green space is crucial as it absorbs and expels pollutants from the environment, by acting as an urban heat sink thereby protecting urban biodiversity. As agricultural pressures on land increase through greater demands for land, green spaces are slowly becoming depleted (Forman 2005). However, as development becomes a key priority, more land that was previously set aside for agricultural purposes is being developed into residential or institution areas (Van, 2007). This has led to scarcity of green space, and access to the available few is hampered by the prospect of development. Access to green space is of paramount importance because of the unique contribution of green spaces to the quality of life, It is likely that they can then work to review development plans for gardens on an equitable basis to serve the citizens. Green spaces are important for improving the air quality during the day, ridding it of carbon dioxide and other pollutants; they also beautify the environment, create a soothing atmosphere, and protect people from the glare and heat of the sun (Kumagai.2011). For instance, green spaces allow for relaxation, way from the daily stresses of urban life such as hectic work schedules and traffic. Moreover, green spaces offer immense recreational opportunities like individual exercise and organised sports. Spending time in urban green spaces offers reprieve to urban dwellers. However, because of increasing urbanisation and access to green space and spatial planning policies with regard to densification, more urban dwellers face the prospect of living in areas with few or no green space resources. Governments and individual municipalities set up clear guidelines for access to green space (Smith et al.2002). The Green Belt is a policy for managing urban growth in the UK. The policy guidelines provide concise guidelines on urban planning, which entail allocation of specific areas to urban green spaces. The Town and County Planning Act established in 1947 allows local authorities in UK mucipalities to include guidelines of the green belt in their development plans. The two acts are appreciative of the need to protect land areas designated as urban green spaces. GIS provides an environment for analysing accessibility to green space and for modelling the impacts of potential changes to green space provision and their subsequent impacts (Liu & Zhu 2004;Kong et al.,2007). GIS analysis can be used to assess the accessibility of urban green spaces by selecting and quantifying factors that affect green space and constructing functions to determine the accessibility indicator (Comber et al.2009).These factors include attraction to green space, population distribution, traffic patterns and pattern of land use in the area (Ritsema & De .2003). The entire urban green space accessibility is realised by the total of computing results for all green spaces (Horner. 2008). By providing reasonable analysis of an area of land such as a town or street, the GIS analysis of green space accessibility demonstrates to state planners the rate of green space accessibility in terms of spatial distribution (Maguire, Goodchild & Batty 2005). In order to perform the GIS analysis effectively, a land use map of an area is acquired over the course of three time periods, varying in several years. (Heywood et al. 2006). The spatial resolution of these three years is taken by considering the aforementioned resistance or affecting factors such as land use, green space distribution and traffic networks. Green spaces within the area are categorised into four distinct classes before being allocated different emphasis. The four classes are quarter green, district green, city green and urban forest. Assessing the accessibility of a grid to green spaces in the area is a direct ratio of the grid to the area of the green space within the grid of land. Green space accessibility here is gauged by its area and responding weight. Roads within the grids are segmented into four kinds, which all have different weights; these are rail traffic, artery roads, separating roads and elevated roads. Road length per person is calculated within each grid to show traffic density in each area. These calculations are paramount as they describe the distance coverable by an individual to reach the nearest green space. The deficiency of replicating resistance of traffic cost is reduced by considering the grid area’s population, which is gathered from statistical data previously obtained in the three years used in the analysis. The accessibility of dwellers to green spaces within the area is a direct proportion of the total road length area for each person found in the area. Accessibility to green space here is hence determined by distance between the green space and the populace with regards to the traffic resistance factor (Kessel .2009). Parks and green spaces provide important services to individuals and communities in terms of recreation, exercise and activities. Currently, people and governments are appreciative of the need for the incorporation of recreational services into urban communities and cities. This is especially pertinent in areas where land prices are rising and pressure on urban land area and the surrounding areas, is also increasing. Regardless of the diversity of entertainment in cities, green space provision is still the most essential recreational land use. This is because access to green space is important to health and happiness. Due to the essence of green spaces they should, thus represent a massive portion of the total land use within urban areas. The study involves the performance the analysis of distribution patterns of Public Parks within Madinah through the application of a GIS Technique, which serves as both an indicator of development and a guide. The study uses the spatial analysis application available in GIS to achieve this. The aim is to relate the study of the area’s geographical distribution of resources, services, and capabilities to ensure any future development addresses the issue of equitable distribution and access to park and greenspaces. Equality helps to stimulate the development and economic growth necessary to satisfy human needs and employment and improve the living standards of the inhabitants. It provides economic terms and a political voice for every human being, whether male or female; affording the opportunity to choose to the best facilities for their entertainment in the future. The purpose of this study is to determine the distribution outline of green space, as well as public parks, investigating the distribution of population in Madinah. After the determination, accessibility data shall be quantified using GIS. In addition, an exploration will be made of alternative solutions for ensuring fair distribution and accessibility. Green space access in Al-Madinah city will be analysed using a network analysis with GIS. Access for different green space and neighbourhoods will provide insight for decision makers to build green infrastructures to meet future demands. This study will apply network analysis by calculating the network distance Green space and neighbourhood. The access points of each green space area will be set as an Origin and the centroid of neighbourhoods will be used as Destination for green spaces. The distance between the centroid and destination shall be measured to realise accessibility. Figure 1. Location of Madinah for the Saudi Arabi 2. Background and Literature Review In a study conducted in the UK, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (2009) suggested the need to evaluate the required investments to develop the competence of green spaces and gardens in Britain (Kong et al, 2007). The researchers appreciated the importance of green spaces and associated aesthetic values, and covered the opportunities for entertainment and enjoyment for people to shed light on this market. The aim of the study was also to investigate urban sprawl in relation to Jinan City in China, using GIS and to evaluate the associated costs of pleasure, scenery and assess the facilities available in green spaces. A new method was presented to measure changes in green spaces in the city of Jinan, using GIS combined with remote sensing, and regression analysis of urbanisation, compared with quantitative measures, to establish a basis for analysis of functions affecting the economic social and environmental impacts of green spaces. Emphasis was placed on ease of access for any garden or green space, which is noted to have a positive impact on maximising comfort levels in green spaces (Schipperijn et al, 2010). Referring to the health benefits of green spaces and using several means to explore the views some of the research participants based on random sampling are crucial factors, the study also intended to estimate the distance covered to reach a green space to benefit from fresh air; this is deemed one of the principal reasons for increasing green spaces in Denmark according to Kong and Nakagoshi (2006). The impact of green spaces on the values ??of individuals reveals that they affect environmental awareness in addition to the ability of residents and visitors to relax, which is an important factor, emphasizing the need for public parks (Caula et al, 2009). Furthermore, a database is growing, that will allow for the management of data so that it can be accessed reliably in the future (Chi et al, 2011). Based on the solutions and appropriate proposals for the improvement of systems in green areas adopted here the researcher used many methods of analysis and verification, such as surveys and personal interviews; in particular a model to analyse the planning for green space. Salah’s (2008) study investigated the characteristics of water level for the purpose of conducting spatial analysis and exploring the relationship between them using information systems Geography. The researcher employed diverse methods for analysing the data (ESDA) and ArcGIS, which assists in the process of analysing data more efficiently (Michael, 2004). The researcher also asserted the importance of spatial analysis in the social sciences and detailed the best solutions currently available in the pursuit of easier methods for future use. Devlin, McDonnall and Ward (2009) also used combined methods, integrating ArcGIS and GPS, which is of significance for future research studies (Chiari & Seeland, 2004). Their work represented an important contribution to the development of geographic information systems programs, and proposed ideal tools for developing and filling in the space available when landscaping. In addition, they conducted an analysis of the social potential of green spaces, considering the requirements of all segments of society together. This section considers various aspects of access to green space, considering elements such as access, spatial analysis and population change, which all impact access to public green spaces. 1. Access to Green spaces The important role of green spaces in improving urban ecosystems, and improving management of land use and its impact on the process of development and urbanisation in cities, requires a diagnosis of both the temporal and spatial changes affecting green space provision (Zhou and Wang, 2011). Barbosa et al (2007) highlighted the importance of green spaces for supporting urban ecological and social development; they focused on improving the provision and distribution of green spaces based on ease of access. The element of distance speaks to the duration coverable before one reaches green space, as well as how well the green space is served by the transport network. Furthermore, the importance of public parks for various categories should be investigated also; the study revealed that more disadvantaged groups, such as the elderly, can experience limited ability to access green spaces or gardens (Chi et al, 2011). It is undeniable that access to green space is of paramount importance because of the unique contribution of green spaces to the quality of life. Access to green space differs across distinct areas of the nation. The government and individual municipalities set up clear guidelines for approved distance between residential and industrial areas and the nearest green space (Smith et al., 2002). Because public demand for green space is on the increase and therefore a GIS analysis of accessibility to green space is crucial (Liu and Zhu, 2004). 2. Spatial analysis of Green space access This area of the study looks into aspects of the spatial distribution of population and road networks in the Madinah region. Green spaces are an area of growing concern in urban areas with regard to social and environmental cost implications of urban sprawl. A majority of urban policies are currently directed towards the protection of the current urban green spaces in Madinah. A better planning of urban green space is capable of making massive contributions to the quality and essence of urban life. Analysing the spatial situation of Madinah shows that the gradient analysis system is a reliable tool to quantify green space spatial patterns effectively. Moreover, the moving window methodology attains landscape metrics that have the capacity to connect process and formulate a formidable foundation for assessing the ecological and socioeconomic functions of green spaces (Ritsema 2003, 80). 3. Population Change Because changes in population have a proportional effect on access to green spaces, it is paramount that population shifts are assessed for a certain period of time. This study offers a projection of Madinah’s population for at least the next 10 years. This offers a projection from the year 2010 to 2050. The essence of choosing this gap was to enable decision makers’ sufficient time to access the current green spaces and plan for future green space use (Michael 2004, 143). 4. The use of algorithms in the analysis of future. Algorithms provide substantial tools for the assessment of future populations. Projections of future populations, according to algorithms show that: Future Population = Present Population * Rate of Annual Increase 2.5 GIS Analysis of Access to Green Space When conducting GIS analysis of access to green space, it is imperative to compare the official classification of land area with the land use pattern on the ground. According to Chang (2008), classifying land portion is a viable method of appreciating land use in an area. This methodology analyses the accessibility of green space in terms of land area use. Comparing land use matrices in different areas helps to ascertain accessibility by considering the impact of different land uses on the accessibility of green space. The impacts of land use such as commercial and industrial activities are directly proportional to area dweller’s access to green space. Another model used in determining green space accessibility in urban areas is the cost/ weight algorithm is measured to quantify the accessibility of green space with regards to traffic-population factor. The shortest path algorithm is also applied to work out the value of green space accessibility in terms of land use (Dwyer. 2004). The results of both algorithms are laid against the layer of green space, which is already calculated by area and weight of each green space area. By using the GIS analysis method, access to green space in urban areas is gauged in terms of the distance factor and how access to green spaces changes over time. The result is a spatial distribution of green space accessibility within the urban area (Comber, et al. 2011). It is paramount to calculate the spatial distributions of green space accessibility for all the three periods by analysing computed results and summarising the conclusions for all years. A positive result in the comparison will show that green space accessibility has improved from the first year of analysis to the last. Reasons for poor accessibility should be explained, and measures of mitigating this problem established. In the GIS analysis, accessibility to green spaces within an area is represented concentric circles, which is an indicator of spatial structure and traffic network within the area. The European community’s Sixth Environment Action Programme (EAP) of 2002-2012 looks into the importance of green space as a tool for improving the quality of life (EAP. 2009). Under the premise of environmental justice, equitable access to community green space is of paramount importance. Different environmental stakeholders in the EU region appreciate the need to enhance people’s access to green areas, regardless of their socio-economic status. While some consider accessibility, as the actual walking distance from residential areas to green spaces through safe pathways (Herzele & Wiedemann, 2003), others consider accessibility as a more complex dynamic, which focuses on how people use and experience green space (Balram & Dragicevic .2005). According to a study conducted by Kessel et al., (2009) between the years 1990 and 2003, the GIS analysis of green space access shows distinct correlation between people’s socio-economic status and their access to green spaces. (Comber et al 2008). In the UK, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidelines for green space access recommend at least 2.4 hectares of green space in an areas inhabited by 1,000 people (NPFA. 2005). The GIS analysis matrix provides a visual approach to determining green space accessibility across members of different socio-economic groups (Comber et al 2009). In the UK, people of access to green space are somewhat based on the socio-economic status as studies carried out in Leicester show that people from deprived groups have greater access to green spaces than those least or averagely deprived (Balram. 2005). While people’s accessibility to green spaces is also based on parameters such as physical proximity, area size, people’s experiences of green space attractiveness and appropriateness, these factors are typically considered in determining green space accessibility (Dwyer & Childs. 2004). The issue of further research into this area of green space accessibility is hence necessitated in order to determine the impact of deprivation on perception of green space by the populace, which as noted is a prime factor in determining accessibility (Comber et al .2011). Deprivation, especially with regard to income levels is commonly assumed that deprivation amplification has a detrimental impact on deprived persons’ access to green space. However, resource allocation does not particularly disadvantage poor neighbourhood. This reason disproves the notion that deprived neighbourhoods are denied access to green space because of lack of green space availability (Horner 2008, 275). 2.6 Access and accessibility: The aspect of accessibility is quite crucial with regard to green space. This is because accessibility is a direct proportion of the expression of ability of to reach green spaces within their areas, (Schaeffer & Sclar, 1998). Fully-developed and efficient green spaces are those that provide great degrees of accessibility when we exclude the effects of traffic and other mitigating factors such as economic barriers. It, therefore, goes without saying that less-developed green spaces offer relatively low levels of accessibility. The obvious aspect, therefore, is that accessibility is linked with numerous socio-economic opportunities and hindrances. Accessibility is the ability of a location to be reached by different people around it, or to reach different locations. It is, thus apparent that the scope and arrangement of all transport infrastructures are essential in determining accessibility to green spaces in urban areas (Comber et al, 2011). Accessibility is of paramount importance in ensuring that a well-planned green space is accessible to all interested persons in an urban area (Vermeulen, et al , 2004). Access, on the other hand, refers to the capacity to go into or leave a green space. Access is, therefore, an absolute determinant of whether a location can be entered or exited. This paper appreciates both the concepts of access and accessibility and looks into the intricacies of both geographical elements with regard to green spaces in urban areas (Van, 2007). This is bound to provide an in-depth understanding of the green spaces in towns and cities, offering leeway for determining accessibility and access of green spaces in major towns (Van Herzele, 2003). As noted, access and accessibility are quite distinct. While accessibility varies according to one’s position, access is a relative concept, which is equal for all persons in an area. For instance, an areas of green space can be accessible by any person, be it by persons of high socio-economic status, low status, persons with disabilities, or fully-able bodied persons. Access to urban green space is, therefore, uniform wherever one is situated in the vicinity of the green space, provided that there is a capacity to enter or exit the green space (Heywood et al, 2006). When assessing the viability of the green spaces in urban areas, the most important concept is time. This factor typically affects accessibility in different capacities. The time it takes to arrive at the green space affects access (Handy & Niemeier, 1997). In addition, time is relative in terms of the duration it takes for a green space to develop fully after its establishment. Time is relative because different locations within an urban area have distinct speed limits, which affect the time taken to travel through these locations. Distance does not change, but is it a contributor to the overall speed used to reach a specific green space. Because not all locations within an urban area are equally accessible, this implies inequality. While it is not necessary that locations within urban areas are equally accessed, it is essential that the distance between locations should not be too spacious. The concept of accessibility, therefore, relies on two paramount factors that is the location and distance. Analyzing distance and location of the green space is a key aspect of GIS analysis (Kong et al, 2007). Firstly, location determines accessibility with regard to other nearby green spaces in and around the urban area. Infrastructure supports movement to and from green spaces. This implies that accessibility of green spaces is relatively proportional to a person’s accessibility to infrastructure that assists him or her to reach the green space (Dwyer, 2004). In addition, the implication of location bears in mind one’s accessibility to green spaces through walking. This involves pathways used to reach green spaces either by walking or cycling (Koenig, 1998). The second concept used in analyzing accessibility is distance. This is typically the connectivity between two distinct locations that is a green space and a person’s place or residence or work. Connectivity can, therefore, only exist if or when it is feasible to link persons to green spaces through transportation, such as road and rail transport. The aspect of connectivity expresses the friction between location and distance, relative to the population being served by the green space is probably the most accessible (Kessel, 2009). In a GIS analysis, when considering spatial applicability to accessibility, we have to look at a number of accessibility issues. Firstly, topological accessibility, which is a system of analyzing accessibility in terms of system nodes and paths, within the urban area (Wu & Miller, 2002). In this case, access can be measured by considering significant elements within the urban area such as transport systems. In urban areas, transportation infrastructure to green spaces improves topological accessibility (Handy & Niemeier, 1997). Most green spaces in urban areas are accessible through various means of transportations such as roads, paths and nodes. Green spaces are vital in offering the residence of urban areas with fresh air and recreational activities that offer release from the stresses of everyday life (Comber, et al, 2009). Secondly, contagious accessibility reflects spatial accessibility to green spaces. Contagious accessibility is measured in terms of accessibility over a surface. Therefore, accessibility is considered a measurable feature of every location covered by a green space, because space is examined in a measurable manner. Accessibility is a crucial indicator of fundamental spatial structure of an urban area since it makes an allowance for the location, as well as the friction brought about by distance to other green space locations (Antony, 2005). A GIS network analyst grants network-based spatial analysis like travel directions, location-allocation matrices, routing and closest facilities within an urban area with regard to green spaces. Therefore, one can develop a pragmatic network condition by making use of an GIS (Ross , 2000). The ArcGIS Network Analyst allows for accurate calculations of shortest to and from a green space, locating the closest facilities that allow access to green spaces such as roads, paths and nodes. In addition, the ArcGIS Network Analyst allows for the generation of matrices of overall travel costs within an urban area from all points of entry to all exit points (Heywood, et al, 2006). The network also provides an avenue for the formulation of a system that uses available GIS information obtained in other studies. The information in an ArcGIS Network Analyst assists in the production of efficient routes that allow access to green spaces to serve as many persons as possible by defining crucial points in terms of time and distance covered to reach different points (Chang, 2008). Urban planning uses knowledge of ArcGIS Network Analyst to establish accessibility plans for all regions of the nation. It is vital to note that government intervention has a distinct impact on accessibility as the government, through local authorities establish local transport plans and set accessibility targets for different urban areas (Forman & Godron, 2006). Enhancing accessibility and reducing the cost of accessibility is of paramount importance to both the government and residents served by a green space (Neimeier ,1997). Because accessibility is the primary objective of urban green spaces, transport planning becomes of immeasurable importance (Litman , 2007). Considering transportation planning in terms of accessibility, involves appreciating aspects such as people’s transport capabilities and needs, the affordability and quality of transportation and the degree to which transportation modes link people to green spaces (Horner 2008). In addition, urban planning for accessibility involves to green spaces takes into consideration the quality of the green space with regard to the green space’s ability to meet the needs of the area residence. Providing significant improvements to accessibility evaluation is vital in reconciling conflicts, which are inherent in the planning process in terms of city planning of the urban green spaces. For instance, a substantial number of accessibility issues can be resolved enhancing the comfort and convenience of urban spaces, improving information released to the residents regarding urban spaces, improving connectivity between residential and working quarters with urban spaces and increasing land use set aside for green spaces in urban areas (Miller & Shaw, 2001). This review 1. needs to have greater consistency you seem to repeat and contradict yourself in many places 2. needs to present a coherent set of arguments that point to the need for your work 3. identify gaps in the literature that your research will address 4. needs to suggest methods for doing this At the moment it does none of these sufficiently well. I can see that you have put in a lot of effort and that you have done a lot of work but I do not see enough evidence of your critical thinking 5. Problem of the Study The question of this investigation is to evaluate the current, available green spaces in Madinah using GIS and determine whether the current green spaces are capable of meeting future demands, and if not give proposals for future access to green spaces within the Madinah region. The research questions of this study can be summarised as follows: 1. Are parks equitably distributed in Madinah using GIS? 2. Given the present population of the study areas, are the present spatial patterns of green space and parks sustainable for future population and urban? 3. What is the pattern of public parks in terms of location, form and areas? 4. Are Parks enough for populations in the future with population growth in the region? 5. Research Objectives and aims The objects and purposes of this study are quite diverse, seeking to answer the aforementioned problems of the study using relevant analytic tools. This study aims to incorporate the knowledge of GIS analysis to evaluate and analyze the spatial pattern of public parks in the city of Madinah, Saudi Arabia. It also attempts to utilize the capabilities offered by GIS software in identifying the form of the distribution of parks, and thus attempts to link these parks to some of the variables that may affect their geographical distribution. In addition to that, this study aims to achieve results and outputs that could contribute to explaining the pattern of geographical distribution, and helps the planners to identify the pros and cons of that distribution as well as helping them in the future planning to avoid the disadvantages of the current distribution pattern. In doing so, we will highlight the role of geographical information systems software in: identifying geographical patterns of distribution of phenomena, and assisting in forecasting the future of distribution, and to do advance work on the reduction of the negative aspects of that distribution. In essence, the aims of this study shall be attained by pursuing the following objectives: 1. Identify the spatial pattern of the accessibility of parks in Madinah using geographical information systems. 2. Determine the form of the geographical spread of the parks and the city’s actual and intended centre and how this relates to the distribution of the population and urban sprawl, through the use of a spatial beauty supplement in the GIS software. 3. Study the reality of public parks in the city of Madinah by examining their accessibility. 4. Identify the public parks and green spaces in AL-Madinah. 5. Predict the future pattern of new public parks and the best accessibility in the study area. 6. Evaluate the most practical solution implications of the anticipated future changes. 7. Detect the spatial patterns of population changes over the periods. 8. Research methodology In order to attain the aforementioned aims and objectives, this study will employ strategic methodologies for the collection, reflection and analysis of information within the area of study. 1. Study area The Study will be conducted at all parks in Madinah, which covers an area of more than 900,000 square meters and total a number of 57 Park (reference: Center for Research and Studies in Madinah). Al-Madinah is located in the north-western part of central Saudi Arabia. Its position is: longitude 39?, 36; latitude 24?, 28 (Figure 1). It has a population of approximately 1.6 million (Department of Statistics in Riyadh, 2008). Figure 1. Location of Madinah for the Saudi Arabia 1. Data sources The information for this study was composed from the following sources: In AL-Madinah there are 55 distributed around 102 on neighbourhoods. Table1. The data sources Data & maps shapes Produced by Road maps Shape file (line) Al-Madinah Municipality Neighbourhoods’ maps Shape file (polygon) Al-Madinah Municipality Green space maps Public parks Shape file (point) Excel file Al-Madinah Municipality Central Department of Statistic population data Excel file Ministry of Economy and Planning 2. Methods The results will be represented through tables, graphs, and maps to show the pattern of geographical spread, and to facilitate its comparison and interpretation. The following statistical and qualitative methods will be used: 1. Neighbourhood Links Analysis of the GIS program (ArcGIS 9.2) will be used to ascertain the distribution pattern of parks and the form of its distribution to the landscape area which constitute the Madinah region. 2. The density of the distribution of parks and their Actual and expected (or default) centre (Central Mean Centre). This action plan can be executed on a program of geographical information systems (ArcGIS 9.2) according to the following application: 1. Date collection from various sources (maps, tables, descriptive data and metadata, Satellite images, digital data) by using the global signing system (GPS). 2. Organisation and indexing the collected data and converting it to digital format that can be handled using a computer, and presented in the Arc GIS program for the purposes of the study and analysis. 3. Conducting field visits to monitor some of the sites using Global Positioning System (GPS) to verify the validity of the coordinates of some of the data that was questionable by the researcher. 4. Re-creation of all digital data after its modification, verification, and correspondence, to make sure it is correct and to begin the process of study and analysis. 5. Using the three key interfaces of the Arc GIS program, namely: 1. The program interface (Arc Catalog) to rebuild bitmap and linear and spatial layers in terms of the projection system used and the Reference of the geographic coordinates, in addition to calculating lengths and areas which will be needed in the analysis and the geographical distribution. 2. The program interface (Arc Map) in displaying, fitting, modification, and interpretation of all the different data sets. 3. The interface program (Arc Toolbox) to convert file formats and to begin the process of study and analysis and comparison of the patterns of distribution of the model public parks in Madinah. The idea of Research 2.  Transport network and its role in access to green spaces Network analysis will be applied in this study to find the network distance ND between Greenspace and Neighbourhood. The Access points will be created based on the actual entrance point into green spaces and Park. The access points of each green space area will be set as an Origin and the centroid of Neighbourhoods will be used as Destination for green spaces. Network analysis provides a more accurate method to estimate distances between geographic entities. Network analysis has been used in many studies. Examples are green space access (Comber, 2008) and post-office optimisation (Comber et al., 2009). The process of Network analysis is summarised in the flow chart in Figure 2. 1. Urban Transport Urban transport systems bear a lot of weight on the overall access to green spaces and public parks. Al-Madinah is served by well-established transport systems that entail among others rail transport, road and air transport. Of paramount importance to this study is the road transport network in Madinah. This is primarily because the roads influence residents’ access to public parks and other green spaces within the urban area. Figure 2. Actual Road in Al- Madinah 2. Categories of the road network in the city Transport network within the Al- Madinah region is mostly localized to the districts, and serves the entire city through a vast array of road network. An analysis of the Al- Madinah region of the UAE shows that streets are densely populated with road networks that interlink all major regions and neighbourhoods of the urban area. Figure 2 shows the network of roads in the study area serving all neighbourhoods. 3. Analysis using geographic information systems Figure 3. Green space and neighbourhoods Figure 4. Access routes Figure 5. Local distribution of green space Figure 6. Greenspace access points Figure 7. Neighborhoods in Al-Madinah Figure 8 illustrates the distribution of 102 neighbourhoods in the study area. Figure 3 and 4 indicate that distribution of green spaces is uneven in the study area. There are 57 public parks and more than 90 green spaces are distributed throughout the city. The results of analysing the spatial distribution of green spaces indicate gaps in the provision of green space, highlights areas with low levels of that accessibility. The distance between green spaces and neighbourhoods was calculated using a network distance between green space access points and neighbourhood centroids. The histogram shows the distribution of distance to the nearest green space in Al-Madinah and indicates considerable variation amongst residential neighbourhood, ranging from 12,000 meter’s to less than 2.000 meter’s. Thus there is an obvious deprived of green areas in most areas and that due to the poor distribution as well as poor planning. Figure 9. Total Population in AL-Madinah Figure 9, shows the distribution of population. Based on the analysis, it is clear that the population is largely concentrated in the central region, while a smaller proportion of the population l in the periphery, as shown in figure 9. Distance Zones (Meters) Access Population within Distance zones % 157 - 4013 Very accessible 647541 90.8 4013 - 7870 Moderate access areas 32911 4.6 7870 - 11726 Poor access areas 32660 4.57 Table2. Access is population within Distance zones Figure10 Distance between Greenspace and Neighborhoods Figure 10, shows the Distance between Greenspace and Neighborhoods. The map shows the pattern of acess to greenspace for each neighbourhood in then study areas. From Figure 10, most areas in the centre have more access to greespace than areas outside the centre. This pattern of access indicates that greenspaces are accessible to more people in central areas. Table 10, shows the percentage of population in each distance zones. The distance zones of accessibility were delineated equally from 157 – 4013, 4013 – 7870, 7870 – 11726 with each zone representing ver accessible, moderate and poor access areas respectively. As indicated in table approximately 90% percent have high access to greenspace, with the reamining 10% percent living in poor or mederate access zone. Rhe implication of this finding is that only few people in the study area lack access to greenspace. 4. Develop solutions to decision makers City decision makers or policy makers play an integral role in the overall management of green spaces in urban areas, as well as ensuring that such green spaces are capable of meeting the green space requirements of future populations. Decision makers should appreciate that well-managed and maintained green spaces have the capacity to create viable opportunities for all sections and sectors of the nation. For instance, green spaces promote a sense of pride among dwellers and offer opportunities for people’s recreational activities. In addition to providing environmental education, well-designed spaces also reduce the incident of crime and lower the fear of crime. Open spaces also define the landscape of urban areas; well-designed green spaces also help people travel safely either by foot or on bicycle. Furthermore, policy makers should also appreciate green spaces as promoting diversity and providing economic benefits such as provision of wood crops. Green spaces also promote revenue-earning ventures such as tourism. Local authorities and decision makers should aim at maintaining form networks of green spaces that: 1. Play a part in the overall development framework both presently and in future; 2. Enhance and maintain environmental qualities; 3. Offer a variety of creational and leisure opportunities; 4. Bring together and establish wildlife habitats, and 5. Encourage cycling and walking to green spaces to lower car use. This is bound to reduce the carbon footprint of these green spaces. Policy makers can also adopt viable strategies to enhance green space ability to meet future needs by setting aside greater land areas to green space or protecting the already established spaces. Protecting the current spaces will ensure that as population increases, it does not reduce the area covered by green spaces. Moreover, increasing land areas covered by green spaces will not only ensure that future populations are effectively served by the green spaces, but also that such spaces have the capacity to hold greater amounts of population. Most valuable open spaces are self-standing but, with the intervention of local authorities pitch in, the open spaces can effectively serve the population in terms of providing highest possible quality of space. 5. Proposals on the access to green spaces in Madinah Access to green space is of paramount importance because of the unique contribution of green spaces to the quality of life. Green space inaccessibility is detrimental in many capacities as it denies people the chance for recreation. When assessing the viability of the green spaces in urban areas, two important concepts must be considered. These are distance and time. These two factors typically affect accessibility in different capacities. Firstly, distance between the green space and a person’s location is bound to affect one’s ability to reach the green space and total time it takes to arrive at the green space (Handy and Niemeier 1997, p. 1183). In addition, time is relative in terms of the duration it takes for a green space to develop fully after its establishment. Time is relative because different locations within an urban area have distinct speed limits, which affect the time taken to travel through these locations. Distance does not change, but is it a contributor to the overall speed used to reach a specific green space. Because not all locations within an urban area are equally accessible, this implies inequality. Local authorities should consider the aspects of location and distance with relation to access to green spaces. Analyzing distance and location of the green space is a key aspect of GIS analysis and provides essential information in which policies can be based. Firstly, location measures accessibility with regard to other green spaces in the areas and around the urban area. Infrastructure supports movement to and from green spaces. This implies that access to green spaces is relatively proportional to a person’s accessibility to infrastructure that assists him or her to reach the green space. In order to enhance current and future access to green spaces, decision makers should augment the current infrastructure to ensure people in different areas of the city can access the public parks and other green spaces. In addition, the implication of location bears in mind one’s access to green spaces through walking. This involves pathways used to reach green spaces either by walking or cycling. This implies the need to cultivate a culture of walking and cycling in future populations. In order to promote this culture, decision makers should teach on the essence of walking and cycling to the betterment of people’s lives. The second concept used in analyzing access to green spaces is distance. This is typically the connectivity between two distinct locations that is a green space and a person’s place or residence or work. Connectivity can, therefore, only exist if or when it is feasible to link persons to green spaces through transportation, such as road and rail transport. The aspect of connectivity expresses the friction between location and distance, relative to the population being served by the green space is probably the most accessible. Distance between green spaces and people’s residence and works places can be reduced by the creation of more green spaces near residential places and work places than there are currently. The aspect of accessibility is quite crucial with regard to green space. This is because accessibility is a direct proportion of the expression of ability of to reach green spaces within their areas. Fully-developed and efficient green spaces are those that provide great degrees of accessibility when we exclude the effects of traffic and other mitigating factors such as economic barriers. It, therefore, goes without saying that less-developed green spaces offer relatively low levels of accessibility. The obvious aspect, therefore, is that accessibility is linked with numerous socio-economic opportunities and hindrances. Accessibility refers to the degree of the capacity of a green space to be reached by different people around it, or to reach different locations. It is, thus apparent that the scope and arrangement of all transport infrastructures are essential in determining accessibility to green spaces in urban areas (Comber et al 2011, p. 30). 6. Proposals and solutions, green spaces in Madinah Because green spaces and public parks augment healthy living within cities and other urban areas, it is paramount to augment the quality of green spaces in the Madinah region and improve on not only access to such areas, but accessibility, as well. Despite the capacity of the current green spaces to meet the green space needs of the current population, it is apparent that the current green spaces will be insufficient in future. This is implicit of the importance of establishing new grounds as green spaces. Road sides can be converted to green spaces through simplistic measures such as improving the biodiversity of road reserves to augment the current green spaces. It is not typically mandatory for green spaces to be located in single, well-located spaces; road reserves can also offer similar green space experience. In order to turn road reserves into green spaces, trees and wildlife can be introduced to strategic areas of the road reserves. Viable solutions to the current green space problem of inaccessibility from all areas of the urban area can be resolved by creating formidable infrastructure to allow for greater access to these regions. 7. Proposals on the road network and transportation As earlier cited, transport networks have a great bearing on access to green spaces. In addition, transport networks such as roads have a significant effect on the overall access to green spaces and public parks within the Madinah region. Currently, the road network, as well as the overall transport sector, is sufficient to cater for the access needs of the population. However, the projected population increments will have a reducing effect on the transport network’s ability to sustain the population’s green space access. In order to counter this problem, it is pertinent that the city authorities adopt viable alternatives to ensure that all future populations will be served sufficiently with the current, as well as new transport systems. Some viable proposals for adoption include the creation of an enhanced cycling system along the roads, as well as the introduction of more paths through which persons can access green spaces and public parks from all residential regions of the city. The creation of wider sidewalks is perhaps one of the most practical ideas to facilitate increased cycling and walking allowances to meet the future needs of the city’s population. In addition, the city can enhance the road system by adding roads and nodes that link different suburbs with public parks, which are primarily located in the outskirts. While the current road system is effective in transporting people to and from the public parks, increased population in future will mean greater competition for the few roads. This will adversely affect people’s access to green spaces by limiting the amount of people able to access transport effectively. The city’s authorities should provide an interconnection of streets in the Madinah urban area. An aerial view of the city shows that the greatest public spaces within the city are streets. While streets are essential as they allow for easy movement of population, it is pertinent that the Madinah city authorities establish interconnections between the streets and other transport systems to facilitate sufficient and effective movement of persons to and from public parks and other recreational open spaces. Moreover, with regard to the streets, the city’s authorities can also establish complete streets. This is a new technology that allows for the establishment of streets that have the capacity to accommodate bicycles, pedestrians, cars and other transit modes. While the concept of complete streets can be adopted through the conversion of six lanes into three lane streets by widening bicycles paths and sidewalks, the concept of complete streets should be taken in context to mean the establishment of road systems where a single road allows for multiple uses such as walking, cycling and driving. 12 Conclusions and Future Work This research quantifies inequalities in green space accessibility to support long term spatial planning strategies that specifically address green space accessibility. The results show the distribution of distance to the nearest green space, calculated using a network analysis of the distance between neighbourhood centroids and green space access points. Future work will: a) Collect data on public perceptions of green space access using a questionnaire. It will integrate perception data with geographic distance in order to explore the impact of distance as a predictor of access perceptions. The questionnaire will be administered in each Neighbourhood in the study area and the questions will be structured to capture data people’s perceptions of access to green space and public parks. b) it will determine optimal sites locations for green space locations in an expanding city using a location allocation model parameterised by the survey perceptions, distance and population. c) it will examine the impact of modeled future populations on future demands and how these change optimal site locations. The population of Al-Madinah will be projected for 10 year intervals from 2010 to 2050. The essence of green spaces is to enhance the quality of urban lives by providing recreational areas, as well as making provision for biodiversity within urban areas. However, with growing populations in urban areas such as Madinah, there is a great likelihood that green spaces will be incapable of supporting future populations in terms of their green space needs. 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I am conducting a survey for Complete my degree, PhD in GIS and &Human Geography. The information you provide will help the study in improving and managing public Parks to accessibility and in providing information about new recreational opportunities and new parks to visitors in future. Responses should reflect the individual. Random sampling approach should therefore be adopted – No self-selection. If respondent asks how long it will take: Will take around 15 minutes to complete. The surveys are being conducted under the Market Research Society Code of Conduct and any Personal information you provide is fully confidential. Thank you a lot ……?? (( I will do this days)) Read More