The Disparity in Greenspace Quality Between Low and High SES Settings: A Case Study in Victoria

The presence of greenspace, its profound impact and association with physical and mental health, biodiversity, and aesthetical pleasure have been delineated abundantly. Contrarily, there is a concerning disparity in the accessibility and proximity between affluent and deprived areas in urbanised localities. Previous studies have prioritised the distribution and proximity domains when assessing inequitable greenspace. However, evaluating greenspaces’ quality and its correlation to low and high SES settings remains a research gap. This paper endeavours to fill this gap through a case study in Melbourne, Australia using a quantitative method to extract findings and policy analysis to generate recommendations. The disparity in the quality of urban greenspaces between the varying social classes was assessed to understand the extent of inequality. Socioeconomic data from deprivation indexes systematically defined the low and high SES (socioeconomic status) areas based on income and occupation. The analysis followed a GIS (Geographical Information System) observation of greenspaces which scored spaces according to a scoring criterion contingent on safety and security, environmental elements, accessibility, maintenance and cleanliness, facilities/amenities, and aesthetic facets. Means and standard deviations were then synthesised to produce a Cohen effect score highlighting the extent of disparities in each facet between the two SES groups. Findings affirmed an existent disparity between the high and low SES settings, with effect sizes resulting in a ‘medium’ difference. Results contribute to existing strands of literature surrounding the understanding of unjust quality distribution. Ultimately, findings will serve as invaluable evidence regarding policy implications, current opportunities under the ‘Plan Melbourne’ policy, and the need to facilitate intervention in those underprivileged settings.