Contrasting differences of the green space accessibility utility: a study of 30 major cities in China

Introduction Green spaces provision for urban residents is one of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, whether urban residents can readily access green space remains unanswered, both physically and mentally. Methods This paper proposes a new indicator—Green Space Accessibility Utility (GSAU) based on three indicators—Green Space Accessibility (GSA), Green Space Accessibility Inequality (GSAI), and Travel Aversion Index (TAI), aiming at revealing green space accessibility and inequality for residents of the 30 major Chinese cities based on both physical and mental attributes. Results We found that: (1) GSA of megacities is approximately 1.5 times that of large cities and demonstrates consistent enhancement with increasing walking scale. (2) Although GSA in eastern cities is roughly twice that in western cities, GSAI in the east is about 1.6 times higher than in the west, revealing a distinct inequality paradox, particularly acute within eastern megacities. (3) GSAU in southern cities is about 15% higher than in northern cities, and this regional disparity can be amplified to 30% under seasonal influences, GSAU in northern cities is more susceptible to seasonal fluctuations. Discussion These findings contribute to evaluating the effectiveness of urban green space utilization, informing the development of context-appropriate planning strategies, and promoting sustainable urban development.