Systematic Review of Environmental Quality Assessment Tools for Urban Green Spaces

The environmental quality assessment tools for urban green spaces, which are widely used to explore the relationship between spatial characteristics and physical activities, have become a research hotspot in the fields of urban planning, public health and sports science. Adopting the bibliometric and meta-analysis methods, this research sorts out nine tools for assessing urban green space environmental quality, and summarizes the application modes and scopes, advantages and disadvantages of these assessment tools. First of all, it finds out that the development of the environmental quality assessment tools for urban green spaces began in the early 21st century, and has experienced the exploration period, development period and active period. The tools assessment scope covers urban parks, walking environment, and neighborhood green space. The primary assessment methods include systematic observation, remote assessment and subjective perception. Then, based on the differences in environmental scales, it sums up 8 first-level indicators and 58 second-level indicators. The first-level indicators comprise the traffic environment, surrounding environment, entertainment and convenience facilities, natural quality, maintenance management, artistic aesthetics, and safety guarantee. Finally, it explores the practical application of standard tools, providing a basis for mutual reference and integration of multiple disciplines.