Differences in perceived health benefits and travel distances to green space across population groups: Insights from a Public Participation GIS study

Despite the growing evidence base linking urban green space access to human health and well-being, questions remain about the optimal properties, quantity, and location of health-supportive functions within green infrastructure. These challenges are particularly evident in efforts to integrate health and well-being perspectives into green infrastructure planning and management, where access to any green space is often assumed to translate into health benefits. However, prior research suggests that specific green space properties influence different health outcomes, indicating that health-supportive functions are not evenly distributed across green infrastructure. This study draws on distributional justice literature and employs a spatial-analytical approach to assess the demand for and access to specific green space health benefits. Primary data on urban green space use in the Vienna Metropolitan Area, Austria, were collected using Public Participation GIS (PPGIS), a digital participatory mapping method. Adult participants (N = 1,723) marked frequently visited green spaces on a base map (N = 5,882) and evaluated each site based on its building, restoring, and harm-reducing capacities. In-group differences in distances to visited green spaces and perceived health benefits were analyzed using logistic regression models and visualized with Kernel density plots. The results revealed distinct patterns in the health benefits associated with actual green space use, reflecting both varying demands for health-supportive functions among different population groups and disparities in their distribution across urban green infrastructure. Overall, the findings suggest that systematic spatial monitoring of health-supportive green space functions can identify inequities in green space access and could enhance the integration of health and well-being perspectives into multifunctional green infrastructure planning.