Quantifying the quality of outdoor space in high-intensity residential areas: A case study of Nanjing in China

The quality of outdoor space in residential areas is of great importance to residents. However, the existing studies predominately focus on a certain types of open space. In addition, there is lack of objective quantification. In this study, a novel approach is developed in order to quantify the quality of outdoor space based on the identification of value dimensions and the classification of the open spaces. Firstly, the residential outdoor space is divided into six types of open space. Secondly, the value weights of different open spaces are calculated through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on the data from on-site and online questionnaire survey. Finally, the approach developed in this study was tested in high intensity residential areas. Results of this study helps to better understand the quality of outdoor space in high intensity residential development, hence provides useful inputs for the future planning of such developments.