Determining Per Capita Value of Urban Green Spaces Provision: A Case of Eldoret Town, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2200/aerj.v2i2.36Keywords:
Urban Green Spaces, Per Capita Green Space, GIS, Urban Environment, Sustainable TownsAbstract
Urban green spaces (UGS) form an important component of the urban environment. They
provide a range of environmental, health, and social services that improve the quality of life
in cities. The World health Organization recommends a minimum standard of 9m2
of green space per capita in a sustainable City. Unfortunately, green spaces are not being provided
to match the growing urban population. This study analyzed green spaces in Eldoret Central
Business District (CBD) and its environs against its urban core population to determine
whether the per capita green space available makes significant contribution to its urban life.
The research used remote sensing data from Google earth taken in July 2014 and Spatial
Analysis tool in ArcGIS 10.1. The results reveal that the available green spaces cover
465,567m2, an area equivalent to 26% of the total study area, and a per capita value of
2.5m2. The available green spaces therefore, do not make significant contribution to urban
life due to its low per capita availability. They fall below the WHO recommended standard
of 9 m 2 per capita, indicating a shortage of 6.5m 2 per capita green space- an equivalent of
approximately 1,676,041 square meters of green space. As a result, urban planning should
focus more on expansion of green spaces especially within the Central Business District
towards a sustainable town.
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