Urban heterogeneity of the trade-offs between exposure to greenery and walking distance in children's home–school routes

Greenery fosters sustainable outdoor environments and promotes walking and healthy lifestyles. Greening children's home–school routes can be seen as an environmentally sustainable solution that enhances their daily interaction with nature. However, the uneven distribution of greenery and route networks within cities results in varied opportunities for pedestrians, including children, to experience greenery. This study evaluates the urban heterogeneity of trade-offs between exposure to greenery and route length. We focus on the shortest and greenest hypothetical home–school routes for all children in the city. For this purpose, we conducted a spatial analysis using multiple spatially explicit data sets on primary schoolchildren, pedestrian street networks, and high-resolution urban green space maps, with Łódź (Poland) as the case study city. Children who opt for the greenest hypothetical routes instead of the shortest could increase their exposure to greenery by 18%. However, maximizing exposure to greenery requires choosing routes 9.5% (46 m) longer than the shortest alternative. The trade-off between the shortest and greenest home–school routes is more pronounced for children in the urban core area compared to other city zones. This urban heterogeneity should be considered when allocating new greenery to support active transportation. • Children have to walk more to enjoy greenery. • Highlighting the trade-offs between distance and exposure to greenery. • The greenest routes are greener by 18% than the shortest alternatives. • Maximizing exposure to greenery requires choosing routes longer by 9.5% than the shortest. • Trade-offs between distance and exposure vary between urban zones.