Understanding User Perception of Urban Green Space Quality in Bengaluru Neighbourhoods
Main Article Content
Abstract
Urban Green Space (UGS) is an important element of nature-based solutions, providing multiple benefits to its users. UGS has garnered focus of extensive research efforts targeting areas such as quantity, accessibility, and ecosystem services provided. Relatively less focus has been on UGS Quality (UGSQ). Understanding the perception of Urban Green Space Quality (UGSQ) by users is important in rapidly urbanizing cities in India, making user-based assessment important. This exploratory study identifies the dimensions associated with UGSQ in Bengaluru neighbourhoods using questionnaire survey; analysis of responses using reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis and Friedman ranking. Emerged latent dimension were, UGS Usability including availability, maintenance, safety, accessibility, and functionality; and UGS Experiential Quality including surroundings, amenities, aesthetics, size/type. The findings provide a base for developing a user-centric base for assessment framework that can help urban planners and designers improve the quality of UGS.
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Abdul Malek, N., Zabeda Mohammad, S., Nashar, A., & Alam, S. (2018). Determinant Factor for Quality Green Open Space Assessment in Malaysia. In Journal of Design and Built Environment (Vol. 18, Number 2).
Ajmi, R., Allouche, F. K., Taîbi, A. N., & Boussema, S. B. F. (2023). Developing a Qualitative Urban Green Spaces Index Applied to a Mediterranean City. Urban Science, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7040115
Akpinar, A. (2016). How is quality of urban green spaces associated with physical activity and health? Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 16, 76–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.01.011
Balram, S., & Dragićević, S. (2005). Attitudes toward urban green spaces: integrating questionnaire survey and collaborative GIS techniques to improve attitude measurements. Landscape and Urban Planning, 71(2–4), 147–162.
Baycan-Levent, T., Vreeker, R., & Nijkamp, P. (2009). A multi-criteria evaluation of green spaces in European cities. European Urban and Regional Studies, 16(2), 193–213. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969776408101683
Bhor, N., & Mayavel, D. (2024). The Socio-Spatial Distribution and Equity of Access to Urban Parks: A Case Study of Bengaluru, India. Challenges, 15(20). https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15020020
Cameron, R. W. F., Brindley, P., Mears, M., McEwan, K., Ferguson, F., Sheffield, D., Jorgensen, A., Riley, J., Goodrick, J., Ballard, L., & Richardson, M. (2020). Where the wild things are! Do urban green spaces with greater avian biodiversity promote more positive emotions in humans? Urban Ecosystems, 23(2), 301–317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-020-00929-z
Chiesura, A. (2004). The role of urban parks for the sustainable city. Landscape and Urban Planning, 68(1), 129–138.
Choi, D. A., Park, K., & Rigolon, A. (2020). From XS to XL urban nature: Examining access to different types of green space using a ‘just sustainabilities’ framework. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176998
Daniels, B., Zaunbrecher, B. S., Paas, B., Ottermanns, R., Ziefle, M., & Roß-Nickoll, M. (2018). Assessment of urban green space structures and their quality from a multidimensional perspective. Science of the Total Environment, 615, 1364–1378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.167
Dong, T., Feng, C., Yue, B., & Zhang, Z. (2024). An Evaluation Model of Urban Green Space Based on Residents’ Physical Activity. Sustainability (Switzerland) , 16(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104220
Douglas, O., Lennon, M., & Scott, M. (2017). Green space benefits for health and well-being: A life-course approach for urban planning, design and management. Cities, 66, 53–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2017.03.011
Fatiah, A. A., Ponrahono, Z., & Zakariya, K. (2021). QUALITY OF DESIGNS AND FEATURES OF SMALL URBAN GREEN SPACES IN PETALING JAYA TOWN, MALAYSIA. In Journal of the Malaysian Institute of Planners VOLUME (Vol. 19).
Field, A. (2018). Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Ghale, B., Gupta, K., & Roy, A. (2023). Evaluating public urban green spaces: A composite green space index for measuring accessibility and spatial quality. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences - ISPRS Archives, 48(M-3–2023), 101–108. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-M-3-2023-101-2023
Gupta, K., Kumar, P., Pathan, S. K., & Sharma, K. P. (2012). Urban Neighborhood Green Index - A measure of green spaces in urban areas. Landscape and Urban Planning, 105(3), 325–335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.01.003
Gupta, K., Roy, A., Luthra, K., Maithani, S., & Mahavir. (2016). GIS based analysis for assessing the accessibility at hierarchical levels of urban green spaces. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 18, 198–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.06.005
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). MULTIVARIATE DATA ANALYSIS EIGHTH EDITION (8th ed.). Cengage Learning, EMEA. www.cengage.com/highered
Hallum, S. H., Wende, M. E., Hesam Shariati, F., Thomas, K. M., Chupak, A. L., Witherspoon, E., & Kaczynski, A. T. (2024). Unearthing Inequities in the Relationship between Multiple Sociodemographic Factors and Diverse Elements of Park Availability and Quality in a Major Southern Metropolitan Region. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(204). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21020204
Kabisch, N. (2015). Ecosystem service implementation and governance challenges in urban green space planning-The case of Berlin, Germany. Land Use Policy, 42, 557–567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.09.005
Kajosaari, A., Hasanzadeh, K., Fagerholm, N., Nummi, P., Kuusisto-Hjort, P., & Kyttä, M. (2024). Predicting context-sensitive urban green space quality to support urban green infrastructure planning. Landscape and Urban Planning, 242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2023.104952
Kaur, R., & Gupta, K. (2022). Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) network in urban areas for sustainable storm water management: A geospatial approach. City and Environment Interactions, 16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cacint.2022.100087
Kaźmierczak, A. (2013). The contribution of local parks to neighbourhood social ties. Landscape and Urban Planning, 109(1), 31–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.05.007
Knobel, P., Dadvand, P., Alonso, L., Costa, L., Español, M., & Maneja, R. (2021). Development of the urban green space quality assessment tool (RECITAL). Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126895
Knobel, P., Dadvand, P., & Maneja-Zaragoza, R. (2019). A systematic review of multi-dimensional quality assessment tools for urban green spaces. In Health and Place (Vol. 59). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102198
Kraemer, R., & Kabisch, N. (2021a). Parks in context: Advancing citywide spatial quality assessments of urban green spaces using fine-scaled indicators. Ecology and Society, 26(2). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12485-260245
Kraemer, R., & Kabisch, N. (2021b). Parks in context: Advancing citywide spatial quality assessments of urban green spaces using fine-scaled indicators. Ecology and Society, 26(2). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12485-260245
Lafortezza, R., Sanesi, G., Davies, C., & Carrus, G. (2009). Benefits and well-being perceived by people visiting green spaces in periods of heat stress. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 8(2), 97–108.
Lahoti, S. A., Lahoti, A., Dhyani, S., & Saito, O. (2023). Preferences and Perception Influencing Usage of Neighborhood Public Urban Green Spaces in Fast Urbanizing Indian City. Land, 12(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091664
Lang, S., Schöpfer, E., Hölbling, D., Blaschke, T., Moeller, M., Jekel, T., & Kloyber, E. (2008). Use of Landscape Sciences for the Assessment of Environmental Security.
Lennon, M., Douglas, O., & Scott, M. (2017). Urban green space for health and well-being: developing an ‘affordances’ framework for planning and design. Journal of Urban Design, 22(6), 778–795. https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2017.1336058
Levent, T. B., Vreeker, R., & Nijkamp, P. (2004). Multidimensional Evaluation of Urban Green Spaces : A Comparative Study on European Cities. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4795787
Madureira, H., Nunes, F., Oliveira, J. V., & Madureira, T. (2018). Preferences for urban green space characteristics: A comparative study in three Portuguese cities. Environments - MDPI, 5(2), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments5020023
Maikov, K. (2013). Landscape characteristics in Tartu City Parks: User influences through design. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 179 VOLUME 1, 353–364. https://doi.org/10.2495/SC130301
McCormack, G. R., Rock, M., Toohey, A. M., & Hignell, D. (2010). Characteristics of urban parks associated with park use and physical activity: A review of qualitative research. Health and Place, 16(4), 712–726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2010.03.003
Palliwoda, J., & Priess, J. A. (2021). What do people value in urban green? Linking characteristics of urban green spaces to users’ perceptions of nature benefits, disturbances, and disservices. Ecology and Society, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12204-260128
Ramachandra T.V., Aithal Bharath H., Gouri Kulkarni, & Vinay S. (2017). Green Spaces in Bengaluru: QuantificationThrough Geospatial Techniques. Indian Forester, 143(4), 307–320.
Ramaiah, M., & Avtar, R. (2019). Urban Green Spaces and Their Need in Cities of Rapidly Urbanizing India: A Review. Urban Science, 3(3), 94. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci3030094
Schmitt, J., & Gruber, G. (2018). Assessment of recreational green space quality and supply. GI_Forum, 6(2), 294–301. https://doi.org/10.1553/GISCIENCE2018_02_S294
Schöpfer, E., Lang, S., & Blaschke, T. (2005). A ‘GREEN INDEX’ INCORPORATING REMOTE SENSING AND CITIZEN’S PERCEPTION OF GREEN SPACE. Remote Sensing Spatial Inf.Sci, 37, 1–6. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:14593061
Shahfahad, Kumari, B., Tayyab, M., Hang, H. T., Khan, M. F., & Rahman, A. (2019). Assessment of public open spaces (POS) and landscape quality based on per capita POS index in Delhi, India. SN Applied Sciences, 1(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-019-0372-0
Shu-Chun, L. H. (2010). The impact of public participation on the effectiveness of, and users’ attachment to, urban neighbourhood parks. Landscape Research, 35(5), 551–562. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2010.504916
Stessens, P., Canters, F., Huysmans, M., & Khan, A. Z. (2020). Urban green space qualities: An integrated approach towards GIS-based assessment reflecting user perception. Land Use Policy, 91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104319
Sun, C., Lin, T., Zhao, Q., Li, X., Ye, H., Zhang, G., Liu, X., & Zhao, Y. (2019). Spatial pattern of urban green spaces in a long-term compact urbanization process—A case study in China. Ecological Indicators, 96, 111–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.09.043
Swamy, S., & Devy, M. S. (2014). Reshaping Neighborhood Parks for Biodiversity and People: A Case of Unsung Socio-Ecological Systems in Bangalore, India (pp. 89–103). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54910-9_5
Swamy, S., & Devy, S. (2010). Introduction Study site Methods Results and discussion Conclusion References Resources, Energy, and Development 7(2): 117-122 Forests, heritage green spaces, and neighbourhood parks: citizen’s attitude and perception towards ecosystem services in Bengaluru. In Resources, Energy, and Development (Vol. 7, Number 2).
Taylor, L., & Hochuli, D. F. (2017). Defining greenspace: Multiple uses across multiple disciplines. Landscape and Urban Planning, 158, 25–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.09.024
The jamovi project. (2025). jamovi (2.7.4.0).
Thi Loi, D., Anh Tuan, P., & Gupta, K. (2015). Development of an Index for Assessment of Urban Green Spacesat City Level. International Journal of Remote Sensing Applications, 5(0), 78–88. https://doi.org/10.14355/ijrsa.2015.05.009
Van Herzele, A., & Wiedemann, T. (2003). A monitoring tool for the provision of accessible and attractive urban green spaces. In Landscape and Urban Planning (Vol. 63).
Van Leeuwen, E. S., Vreeker, R., Rodenburg, C. A., Van Leeuwen, E. S., Vreeker, R., & Rodenburg, C. A. (2006). A framework for quality of life assessment of urban green areas in Europe: an application to District Park Reudnitz Leipzig. In Int. J. Environmental Technology and Management (Vol. 6, Number 2).
Voigt, A., Kabisch, N., Wurster, D., Haase, D., & Breuste, J. (2014). Structural diversity: A multi-Dimensional approach to assess recreational services in urban parks. Ambio, 43(4), 480–491. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-014-0508-9
Wolch, J. R., Byrne, J., & Newell, J. P. (2014). Urban green space, public health, and environmental justice: The challenge of making cities ‘just green enough’. Landscape and Urban Planning, 125, 234–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.01.017
Woldeamanuel, M., & Kent, A. (2016). Measuring Walk Access to Transit in Terms of Sidewalk Availability, Quality, and Connectivity. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 142(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)up.1943-5444.0000296
Woldeamanuel, M., Kent, A., McGee, M., & Carvajal, S. (2020). Walk access to neighbourhood parks: Evaluating availability, quality and connectivity. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Urban Design and Planning, 173(3), 96–107. https://doi.org/10.1680/jurdp.19.00051
Xu, Z., Georgiadis, T., Cremonini, L., Marini, S., & Toselli, S. (2025). The Perceptions and Attitudes of Residents Towards Urban Green Spaces in Emilia-Romagna (Italy)—A Case Study. Land, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010013
Zhang, J., Yue, W., Fan, P., & Gao, J. (2021). Measuring the accessibility of public green spaces in urban areas using web map services. Applied Geography, 126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2020.102381
Zhang, T., Wang, L., Hu, Y., Zhang, W., & Liu, Y. (2024). Measuring Urban Green Space Exposure Based on Street View Images and Machine Learning. Forests, 15(4), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040655
Zhu, Z., Lang, W., Tao, X., Feng, J., & Liu, K. (2019). Exploring the quality of urban green spaces based on urban neighborhood green index-a case study of Guangzhou city. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(19). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195507