Assessing the air quality benefits of early 20th-century urban parks using i-Tree canopy

The equitable distribution of urban green spaces is critical for safeguarding human health, enhancing quality of life, and supporting sustainable urban ecosystems. This study assesses three early-20th-century parks in central urban areas of Türkiye: Kültürpark (İzmir), Atatürk Park (Balıkesir), and Mimar Sinan Park (Kayseri), using the i-Tree Canopy tool. The selection of the study areas was primarily based on their large size and central location, reflecting the planning approach of their period, as well as on their similar land-cover patterns. Land cover within each park was classified into five categories: grass/herbaceous, impervious buildings/grounds, soil/bare ground, tree/shrub, and water. To quantify regulating ecosystem services, including carbon storage, atmospheric pollutant removal, and their associated economic value, 2050, 3100, and 4150 random sampling points were generated in proportion to park size. The results indicate that Kültürpark, the largest park by area, sequesters 43.75 ± 0.88 t of carbon, absorbs 160.40 ± 3.24 t of CO₂, removes 1240.44 kg of atmospheric pollutants, and provides an estimated annual economic benefit of USD 904 ± 18. Although Atatürk Park and Mimar Sinan Park are similar in area, the park with a higher tree/shrub cover proportion demonstrates greater ecological and economic contributions. These findings underscore the importance of planning urban parks as large green spaces within city planning frameworks and highlight the critical role of land-cover distribution in park design. Furthermore, it demonstrates that priority should be given to high-quality plantation compositions in landscape design to enhance regulatory services and support the development of sustainable urban environments.