| Affiliation: | (1) Research Group for Urban and Landscape Ecology, Department of Geography and Geology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg, 5020, Austria;(2) Department of Geography, University of Karachi, University Road, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan;(3) Centre for Urban and Regional Ecology, School of Environment and Development, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK |
| Abstract: | An important component of urban green space functionality is the way in which such spaces are perceived and used by urban residents. Use is affected by many factors including the nature and dynamics of urban morphology at the city and neighbourhood scale. This paper demonstrates a method for conducting analyses of green space socio-ecological functionality and presents the results of its application to Karachi, Pakistan. The paper explores the use of the results of an urban gradient analysis for site selection and presents the results of an associated survey of functions using three case study green spaces. The results show that, although urban dwellers in the city use green spaces infrequently, when they do it tends to be for long periods of time and for a range of purposes. Levels of overcrowding at the more accessible sites indicate the value that urban dwellers place on these resources, and their importance to the city as a whole. The results of this study provide evidence for the need to protect green spaces from the competing demands associated with increasing urbanisation, especially if the wider goal of urban sustainability is to be achieved. |
