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Modelling the services of green spaces for communal well-being in the urban environment of Lahore, Pakistan

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Abstract

Green spaces function as integral communal areas facilitating interaction and nurturing a collective sense of community. Removing such green spaces ultimately limits the opportunities for physical activity and outdoor recreation, creating more sedentary lifestyles and a decrease in social connection. This study offers a comprehensive investigation of the benefits of green spaces for communal well-being (i.e. social well-being and overall life satisfaction) within the urban context of Lahore. The study is based on Murray Bookchin's social ecology principles and aims to understand how people may interact with their social and physical surroundings. Such research is driven by the increasing trend of urban built-up expansion, which poses considerable risk for green spaces. To achieve this objective, a field survey was conducted using a simple random sampling technique in which 1050 respondents were examined with the help of a structured questionnaire. After collecting and screening the data, the study performed regression analysis utilizing R software to compute the services of green spaces for the community, which found significant trends (e.g. Social Well-Being; R2 = 0.56 and Life Satisfaction; R2 = 0.59) statistically. Similarly, a structural model was formulated to deduce the services of green spaces for communal well-being. The analysis reveals a significant relationship (β = 0.717, R2 = 0.632, at P < 0.00), reinforcing the substantial influence of green spaces on communal well-being. As a result, the findings and conclusion of the study suggest that green spaces are crucial to the community well-being of Lahore, and steps should be taken to ensure their sustainability and preservation.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate the anonymous reviewers' thorough analysis of our initial work as well as their illuminating observations and beneficial recommendations.

Funding

No funding was obtained for this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Malaya, Malaysia

    Muhammad Jabbar & Mariney Mohd Yusoff

  2. Institute of Geography, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Nasar-u-Minallah

Authors
  1. Muhammad Jabbar
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  2. Muhammad Nasar-u-Minallah
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  3. Mariney Mohd Yusoff
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and methodology design of the study. Material preparation, data collection, and formal analysis and investigation were performed by Muhammad Jabbar. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Muhammad Nasar-u-Minallah. Mariney Mohd Yusoff supervised the study and the review and editing of the manuscript. All authors commented on the first and subsequent versions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muhammad Nasar-u-Minallah.

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Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Malaya's Research Ethics Committee (UMREC).

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Appendix A

Appendix A

QUESTIONNAIRE

Section 01: Personal Information

  1. 1.

    Age:

  1. i.

    20 - 29 Years

  2. ii.

    30 - 39 Years

  3. iii.

    40 - 49 Years

  4. iv.

    50 - 59 Years

  5. v.

    60 & Above Years

  6. vi.

    Prefer not to answer

  1. 2.

    Gender:

  1. i.

    Male

  2. ii.

    Female

  3. iii.

    Others:_________

  4. iv.

    Prefer not to answer

  1. 3.

    Marital Status:

  1. i.

    Single/Unmarried

  2. ii.

    Married

  3. iii.

    Prefer not to answer

  1. 4.

    Qualification:

  1. xxii.

    10 Years

  2. xxiii.

    12 Years

  3. xxiv.

    14 Years

  4. xxv.

    16 Years

  5. xxvi.

    18 Years

  6. xxvii.

    PhD

  7. xxviii.

    Prefer not to answer

  1. 5.

    Profession: _________________

  2. 6.

    Monthly Income of Household

  1. i.

    Less than $200

  2. ii.

    $200 - $500

  3. iii.

    $500 - $1000

  4. iv.

    $1000 - $2000

  5. v.

    More than $2000

  6. vi.

    Prefer not to answer

  1. 7.

    Family Size: _________________

  2. 8.

    Address:

  1. i.

    Ravi Town

  2. ii.

    Gulberg Town

  3. iii.

    Shalimar Town

  4. iv.

    Samanabad Town

  5. v.

    Wagha Town

  6. vi.

    Iqbal Town

  7. vii.

    Aziz Bhatti Town

  8. viii.

    Nishtar Town

  9. ix.

    Data Gung Buksh Town

  10. x.

    Lahore Cantt.

  11. xi.

    Prefer not to answer

  1. 9.

    How do you visit green spaces?

  1. i.

    Daily

  2. ii.

    Weekly

  3. iii.

    Monthly

  4. iv.

    Often

  5. v.

    Rarely

  6. vi.

    Prefer not to answer

  1. 10.

    How many hours do you spend in green spaces?

  1. i.

    One

  2. ii.

    Two

  3. iii.

    Three

  4. iv.

    Four

  5. v.

    Five

  6. vi.

    Prefer not to answer

  1. 11.

    How long do you travel for visiting green spaces?

  1. vii.

    0.5 km

  2. viii.

    1km

  3. ix.

    2km

  4. x.

    3km

  5. xi.

    4km

  6. xii.

    5km

  7. xiii.

    6 – 10 km

  8. xiv.

    Prefer not to answer

  1. 12.

    What is your favorite hobby? Answer: _________________________

Section 02: Social Well-being

Instructions: Kindly mark tick (✓) in relevant box according to the response.

Sr.

No.

Statement

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither Agree Not Disagree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

1

I feel loneliness mostly

     

2

I am content with my surrounding

     

3

I have close contact with my direct neighbors

     

4

I feel pleasant in my home

     

5

I think it's important to be a member of an association

     

6

I have sufficient money for a membership in an association

     

7

I miss people around me

     

8

People in my neighborhood handle each other in a positive manner

     

9

I feel insecure in my own home

     

10

I gladly participate in activities in my neighborhood

     

11

I sufficiently contribute to society

     

12

I trust in the people in my surrounding

     

13

I know many people who I can trust entirely

     

14

I gladly help other people if they need my help

     

Section 03: Subjective Well-being

Instructions: Tick (✓) mark in relevant box according to the response.

Sr.

No.

Statement

Strongly Agree

Agree

Not Agree Not Disagree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

1

In most ways, my life is close to my ideal.

     

2

The conditions of my life are excellent

     

3

I am satisfied with my life as a whole

     

4

So far, I have gotten the important things which I want in my life

     

5

If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.

     

Signature:_____________________

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Jabbar, M., Nasar-u-Minallah, M. & Yusoff, M.M. Modelling the services of green spaces for communal well-being in the urban environment of Lahore, Pakistan. GeoJournal 89, 97 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-024-11099-2

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