Characterizing the Urban Green Spaces in Davao City, Philippines: Implications for Design and Management

Urban green spaces (UGS) are important contributors to urban quality of life. UGS support human well-being by providing ecosystem services such as climate regulation, the capture of pollutants, and flood regulation. They also help in the communities' social interactions. This study defines the UGS in Davao City, Philippines by considering their physical and social dimensions. Using a geographic information system (GIS) software, QGIS, and a spatial pattern analysis program, Fragstats, the physical characteristics of the UGS were measured by factoring in the indicators of quality, quantity, spatial distribution, and accessibility. The study surveyed six UGS by applying the Public Space Index (PSI), which measures how good the UGS are in terms of inclusiveness, meaningful activities, safety, comfort, and pleasurability, alongside users’ needs and preferences. Results showed that the green space per inhabitant is only 0.37 square meters (m2), which is below the recommendations cited by numerous studies. The shape index is 1.03 and aggregation is 50.15, which means that the majority of UGS are square and are neither aggregated nor fragmented. The average PSI of all six surveyed UGS is 66.09 with 71.64 as the highest individual score. User perceptions varied accordingly, which are directly correlated with the results of the computed PSI. Even though the average result is high, each UGS should also be viewed separately to determine its strengths that may be emulated and weaknesses that needs to be improved. Space planners, designers, and policymakers may use these results in planning and appropriating UGS in Davao City. Keywords: urban green space · urban parks · public space index · GIS · Davao City · Philippine