GIS and Green Spaces' Management in Porto Novo Town in Benin

SIG et gestion des espaces verts dans la ville de Porto-Novo au Bénin. Porto­Novo town has for a long time neglected to take in account ecological parameters in its process of development, in favor of uncontrolled expansion of constructed areas. The aim of this study is to analyze the attractiveness of public green spaces in the city for their efficient management. GPS, survey questionnaire and GIS were the main tools used for this purpose. Fourteen green spaces, distributed into eight public squares, four gardens and two wooded esplanades were identified in the town. The numbers of trees available in each site and their species diversity are relatively weak. The area of green space per inhabitant is very low and difficult to improve because of the lack of available areas. A strong frequentation of the spaces (61.4% of surveyed) was noted on a radius of 300 m, against respectively 30% and 8.6% of frequentation on radii of 600 and 900 m. Finally, maps of attractiveness and spatial coverage of green areas were developed. A model of optimal management of green spaces in the town is proposed based on identified sociological and technical constraints