Current methods for evaluating people's exposure to green space: A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Urban Planning
• Public Health

Background:

• Urban green space exposure is crucial for urban residents' health.
• Green space impacts health via multiple pathways and diverse outcomes.
• Accurate measurement of green space exposure is context-dependent.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically categorize green space representations and metrics.
• To develop a framework for understanding green space exposure in different study contexts.
• To identify methodological issues in measuring green space exposure.

Main Methods:

• A three-phase systematic review of research articles from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed.
• Identification and categorization of 260 relevant research articles.
• Development of a multi-pathway framework for green space studies.

Main Results:

• Five main categories of green space representations and metrics were identified.
• Categories include: green space indices, delineation/inventory/usage, spatiotemporal evolution, attributes/components, and landscape/fragmentation.
• Discussion on inter-conversion of metrics, the 'mobility-turn', and methodological challenges.

Conclusions:

• The review offers the most comprehensive framework for deriving green space exposure to date.
• This framework supports diverse studies on green space and health effects.
• Highlights the need for context-specific measurement of green space exposure.