Urban green spaces (UGS) are vital for urban sustainability, but unequal exposure to UGS can lead to serious health inequalities. The long-term drivers of inequalities in personal exposure to UGS and the underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. This study measures trends in inequality in UGS exposure in 710 Japanese municipalities over a 20-year period (2000–2020). The direct and indirect effects of economic status, urbanization, and infrastructure investments on inequalities in UGS exposure were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling while considering the mediating roles of land use, demographic, and greening factors. This study found that the distributional inequality in UGS exposure in Japanese municipalities has increased significantly over the past two decades. Economic levels, urbanization, and infrastructure investments drive UGS exposure inequality directly and indirectly through greening and population density. While these relationships may vary by period and region, UGS and population density remain key predictors. Given Japan's challenges related to population decline and aging, cities need to focus on population dynamics and the distribution and size of UGS based on specific economic conditions and stages of urbanization to formulate effective strategies for sustainable development.

中文翻译：

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经济水平、城市化和基础设施投资如何影响城市绿地暴露的不平等？来自日本市政当局的见解


城市绿地 （UGS） 对于城市可持续发展至关重要，但不平等的 UGS 暴露会导致严重的健康不平等。个人暴露于 UGS 不平等的长期驱动因素及其潜在机制仍未得到充分了解。本研究衡量了 20 年期间（2000-2020 年）日本 710 个城市的 UGS 风险敞口不平等趋势。使用偏最小二乘结构方程模型分析了经济状况、城市化和基础设施投资对 UGS 暴露不平等的直接和间接影响，同时考虑了土地利用、人口和绿化因素的中介作用。这项研究发现，在过去二十年中，日本城市 UGS 风险敞口的分布不平等显著增加。经济水平、城市化和基础设施投资通过绿化和人口密度直接或间接地推动了 UGS 风险敞口的不平等。虽然这些关系可能因时期和地区而异，但 UGS 和人口密度仍然是关键的预测因素。鉴于日本在人口下降和老龄化方面面临的挑战，城市需要根据特定的经济条件和城市化阶段来关注人口动态以及城市绿化的分布和规模，以制定有效的可持续发展战略。