| dc.description.abstract | Environmental Justice (EJ) promoting fair treatment despite social differences is crucial when creating essential regulations or policies regarding the natural environment while ensuring equality amongst citizens regarding these rules. Greenery plays an essential role in keeping us happy; it can reduce our stress levels, benefit our respiratory systems, and hold prospects enticing us to move more physically. However low-income groups or minorities live within areas where they have only limited access to evergreen spaces, denying them these advantages provided by nature, unlike other wealthy or predominantly ethnic groups. This study aims to deduce the link between EJ and the distribution of green spaces in Storhaug district of Stavanger municipality in Norway. The study utilizes mixed methods such as surveyed residents and a Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis examining the factors influencing unequal spatial distributions indicating aspects of EJ, especially availability and accessibility.
After conducting an analysis based on resident questionnaire responses, the findings indicate that most individuals within Storhaug have easy access to public green space located near or within their neighbourhood - typically within about 300 meters of walking distance or no more than a five-minute journey on foot. However, in contrast to recommended standards suggested by most regulatory organizations such as the Norwegian Environmental Agency (NEA), and similar established figures in the scientific community who focus on this realm – most neighbourhoods aren't meeting enforced requirements when it comes to allocation of necessary quantities of green open space per person. Additionally, attention must be brought to environmental justice-related concerns if they’re not being thoroughly addressed during planning phases for these public sectors throughout Storhaug's land plots. Considering these discoveries thus far – it is strongly recommended to incorporate environmental justice values into future project proposals aimed towards expanding greenspace availability as it pertains to this locality which will ultimately benefit all people alike. | |
