Exposure and access to green infrastructure in residential care facilities: Spatial inequities in Brussels

A growing body of research has identified multiple health and well-being benefits of exposure and access to green infrastructure by older adults living in cities. Existing studies, however, largely focus on the older population living in their own homes. Green Infrastructure within and around residential care facilities (RCFs)—also known as nursing/care/senior homes/centres, where older adults with reduced autonomy and mobility often relocate—remains understudied. This research addresses this knowledge gap by spatially assessing exposure and access to green infrastructure among 129 RCFs in the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium, and examining its equity implications. We employed five indicators to identify the spatial patterns of green infrastructure within and around RCFs and conducted correlation analyses and spatial regression models to examine socio-environmental inequities, considering the three different management types (public, non-profit, for-profit) and their affordability (monthly fees). Results show that overall RCFs have access to a substantial amount of greenery within RCF settings, but very scarce surrounding green infrastructure, highlighting the importance of multi-dimensional assessments. The spatial patterns also show a prevalent lack of surrounding green infrastructure in RCFs located in urban core areas ( p < 0.01). Public RCFs generally offer higher green infrastructure exposure ( p < 0.001), but their availability (n=27) is limited. For-profit RCFs (n=81) are more numerous, with a significant negative correlation between greater exposure to green infrastructure and affordability ( p < 0.05), meaning that more expensive for-profit RCFs are generally greener. Our findings suggest that the ongoing privatisation of RCFs in Brussels and other cities may turn access to green infrastructure into a privilege for wealthier older adults.