A Framework for the Spatial Inequality in Urban Public Facility for Urban Planning, Design and Management

Spatial inequality, spatial injustice, and spatial inequity are topics that have been of great interest for academics in various research fields. Among them, the uneven distribution and accessibility of urban public facilities (abbreviated as “UPF”) as one of the most predominant research subjects explores the factors that lead to disparities for people to access indispensable resources and services, which might cause significant marginalization for certain communities and further increase overall inequality. Extensive research has contributed to a status-quo understanding of spatial inequality/injustice/inequity in UPFs from demographic, political, and morphological points of view. However, there lacks a detailed set of guidelines, particularly in terms of location-specific urban planning, urban design, and UPF management strategies, which seek for more equitable opportunities for the public to receive and use amenities. To fill the gap, this research carried out an in-depth review of literature that studied spatial inequality/injustice/inequity research related to UPFs. The results showed that the findings of the current literature that studied spatial inequality/injustice/inequity research in UPFs can be mainly distinguished into three aspects: (a) morphology: the spatial structure and character of physical urban elements; (b) quantity: the uneven quantity of UPFs; (c) quality: the disparity in the quality of UPFs. Based on that, this research proposed empirical planning and design interventions from a spatial perspective. In conclusion, a framework that displays a hierarchical process of understanding and interpreting the spatial inequality/injustice/inequity in UPFs from an ambiguous concept to detailed interventions was developed, extending knowledge-based principles for urban practitioners to thoroughly understand and communicate an equal and inclusive urban environment.