Pursuing more equitable access to urban green spaces

The report examines how urban green space access is often socially determined by income, gender, and age, particularly in rapidly growing cities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It highlights that lower-income communities often prioritize provisioning services—such as food and fuel—over the aesthetic or health-related benefits typically emphasized in high-income contexts. The authors argue that top-down planning frequently fails these populations and can lead to gentrification or social opposition. Using a case study from the Nakuru River area in Kenya, the report identifies systemic barriers to community-led management, including unclear governmental responsibilities, funding shortfalls, and the influence of external NGOs. It concludes that equitable urban greening requires integrating infrastructure improvements and employment opportunities with participatory design that includes women, youth, and people with disabilities.

• Lower-income populations in urban areas, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries with rapid growth and informal settlements, frequently have limited access to quality green spaces and their associated benefits.
• The utility of urban green spaces differs by socio-economic status; lower-income neighborhoods have a higher demand for provisioning services such as food, medicine, and wood for energy, whereas high-income areas may prioritize different amenities.
• Access to urban green spaces is often unequal and socially determined by factors including income, race, ethnicity, age, gender, and disability, which constitutes an environmental justice issue with public health implications.
• Top-down urban planning in low- and middle-income countries often neglects the needs of local communities in informal settlements and can lead to 'green gentrification,' which displaces low-income residents.
• Community-led initiatives face significant barriers, including limited financial and institutional capacity of public authorities, tensions between local leaders and external NGOs, and a lack of awareness regarding nature-based solutions for climate risk.
• Insights from the Nakuru River area in Kenya reveal that community-led management is hindered by unclear governmental responsibilities, ethnic tensions, and systemic issues like unemployment and lack of sanitation infrastructure.

APA

Tuhkanen, H., Archer, D., Pateman, R., & Sitati, C. (2025). Pursuing more equitable access to urban green spaces. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pursuing-more-equitable-access-to-green-spaces.pdf

Chicago

Tuhkanen, Heidi, Diane Archer, Rachel Pateman, and Cynthia Sitati. Pursuing more equitable access to urban green spaces. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2025. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pursuing-more-equitable-access-to-green-spaces.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tuhkanen |first1=Heidi |last2=Archer |first2=Diane |last3=Pateman |first3=Rachel |last4=Sitati |first4=Cynthia |title=Pursuing more equitable access to urban green spaces |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=January 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pursuing-more-equitable-access-to-green-spaces.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tuhkanen2025pursuing, author = {Tuhkanen, Heidi and Archer, Diane and Pateman, Rachel and Sitati, Cynthia}, title = {{Pursuing more equitable access to urban green spaces}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pursuing-more-equitable-access-to-green-spaces.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }