Spatial justice and urban metabolism in arid cities: a comparative analysis with Amsterdam

Urban metabolism (UM) frameworks have traditionally prioritized technical efficiency metrics, often overlooking the socio-spatial distribution of metabolic benefits and burdens [1]. This gap is particularly significant in arid cities, where resource constraints amplify the consequences of inequitable green infrastructure (GI) distribution. This study examines the relationship between spatial justice (specifically regarding GI distribution) and urban metabolic patterns, centering on arid cities that face distinct metabolic challenges. The theoretical framework positions green infrastructure as a socio-ecological mediator within the urban metabolic system, connecting water, energy, and heat flows to lived environmental outcomes across socio-economic gradients. The study focuses on Amman and Cairo as representative arid cities varied in metabolic performance, by putting under comparative analysis with Amsterdam, a city recognized for integrated metabolic governance [2], we investigate how spatial equity patterns relate to broader urban metabolic characteristics by using a geospatial methodology integrating Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data with income-density stratification employed to analyze vegetation distribution across socio-economic gradients in all three cities. Our findings reveal pronounced disparities in relation to metabolic performance, with Disparity Ratios of 1.56 (Amman) and 2.68 (Cairo) compared to 1.10 in Amsterdam. These distribution patterns are examined in relation to each city's documented metabolic context, governance approaches, and climatic constraints. The research positions us to understand how spatial inequality intersects with metabolic stress and demonstrates how the Disparity Ratio can function as an early-warning diagnostic of metabolic imbalance. By using a successful metabolic city, Amsterdam as an external reference point, the study identifies potential relationships between spatial equity and metabolic coherence that may inform more equitable planning approaches in resource-constrained urban contexts.