Background

Equitable park access grows more critical amid rapid urbanization.

Parks are essential elements of urban life that greatly contribute to the quality of life in cities. With urban areas expanding, effective planning and equitable distribution of these spaces are becoming increasingly vital. Yet, research on parks at the macro level that can inform urban park planning and management, especially in the Philippine context, remains limited.

A geospatial data-driven approach to studying urban parks.

This study then seeks to address this gap by examining the biophysical characteristics, urban context, and accessibility of parks across the Greater Manila Area (GMA) through a geomatics approach. Geomatics, as used in this research, refers to the application of geospatial technologies, such as GIS and remote sensing to map, measure, and analyze the spatial distribution and environmental attributes of urban parks.

The study focus: Greater Manila, home to a quarter of the nation’s population.

GMA covers the Metropolitan Manila (National Capital Region) and the surrounding provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite. It is home to 26.05% of the country’s population. Findings of this research aim to provide valuable insights into the current state of parks in GMA and inform urban planning and policy decisions for sustainable park management in one of Southeast Asia’s most densely populated regions.

Methodology

The study utilized multiple open-source geospatial datasets to gather quantitative information on the biophysical characteristics, urban context, and accessibility of parks.

• All secondary data gathered then underwent manual cleaning and GIS processing using QGIS software to achieve desired data quality and visualization.

• Analysis was then conducted at various administrative levels – including the entire region, by province, by city/municipality, and by barangay – using descriptive statistics to summarize spatial patterns and variations.

• To provide further context on the urban environment of parks, the study also expanded the scope of analysis from the parks themselves to the surrounding 1-km radius vicnity of each park as well.

• Multiple regression analysis was then performed to identify significant relationships between a variety of variables influencing park distribution and accessibility.

• However, the study has limitations due to its reliance on secondary open-source geospatial datasets, which may not fully capture on-ground conditions. While remote sensing tools supported manual data cleaning, no ground truthing was conducted to verify the accuracy of mapped features.

Results and Discussion

Metro Manila hosts nearly half of the region’s 1,766 parks, mostly within residential areas. 

A total of 1,766 parks across the region were identified, with Metro Manila contributing the largest share (803). On average, parks measure 0.62 ha. in size and have an average tree cover of 27.55%. Nearly half (45.92%) are located within residential areas, often developed as amenities within private estates.

Park space per capita falls far below global standards, leaving millions without access. 

The average park space per capita in the region is only 0.62 sq. m. per capita, which falls far below the World Health Organization’s recommended minimum of 9 sq. m. per capita. Spatial analysis revealed that 1 in every 2 barangays lacks any access to parks, affecting an estimated 7.36 million people.

Parks occupy minimal land compared to built-up areas and other recreational spaces. 

In terms of land distribution, there is only 1 sq. m. of park for every 129 sq. m. of built-up area in the Greater Manila Area. Furthermore, parks are outnumbered by basketball courts and greatly overshadowed in size by golf courses and cemeteries across the region.

More populous and warmer cities tend to have more parks but lower tree cover. 

Regression analysis suggests that cities with more parks tend to have greater population, warmer temperatures, and lower tree cover. These factors appear to drive demand for formal green spaces in areas where urban heat and limited natural greenery are most pressing.