IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i6p3447-d771920.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Combined Small- and Large-Scale Geo-Spatial Analysis of the Ruhr Area for an Environmental Justice Assessment

Author

Listed:
  • Nicolai Moos

    (Geomatics Group, Faculty of Geosciences, Institute of Geography, Ruhr University Bochum, D-44870 Bochum, Germany)

  • Carsten Juergens

    (Geomatics Group, Faculty of Geosciences, Institute of Geography, Ruhr University Bochum, D-44870 Bochum, Germany)

  • Andreas P. Redecker

    (Geomatics Group, Faculty of Geosciences, Institute of Geography, Ruhr University Bochum, D-44870 Bochum, Germany)

Abstract

This paper investigates spatial relationships regarding the accessibility of urban green space, the overall yearly vitality of the surrounding vegetation, and additional indicators such as air and noise pollution, in urban areas. The analysis uses socio-economic data sets derived from a sophisticated disaggregation approach. It results from applying a new tool that processes data from coarse and small-scale data sets to smaller spatial units in order to derive more fine-grained insights into the characteristics of the smallest suburb. The consequent data sets are then augmented by comprehensive raster-based accessibility network analysis and the incorporation of measured data on air and noise pollution. Gaining an overview over the whole area on the one hand, and looking at smaller city districts in detail on the other, unveils whether there is an imbalance regarding all combined indicators. After correlating two socio-economic indicators, a spatial comparison of the preliminary results determines whether this approach reveals neighborhoods wherein residents of a lower socio-economic status are exposed to multiple threats at once. As a result, the paper presents a workflow to obtain a broader and, at the same time, more small-scale overview of polycentric agglomeration. Simultaneously, it provides a large-scale insight into single sites, right down to the city block level. Consequently, this study provides a sophisticated approach that helps to assess the quality, quantity and characteristics of the specific spatial distribution of environmental justice in small- to large-scale urban areas at a glance. The results help to identify regions of inequalities and disadvantages. They allow for querying additional values assigned to large-scale spatial units. These versatile variables provide a means to reveal other noticeable indicators. Furthermore, this entails the opportunity to evaluate the distinct living conditions of locally affected demographic groups, and improve them with tailored approaches. Finally, the results can enhance the perception of these living conditions, and be used to promote the capacity for organizing the lives of the respective residents more sustainably, helping the neighborhood to grow accordingly.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolai Moos & Carsten Juergens & Andreas P. Redecker, 2022. "Combined Small- and Large-Scale Geo-Spatial Analysis of the Ruhr Area for an Environmental Justice Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3447-:d:771920
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3447/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3447/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. McCauley, Darren & Heffron, Raphael, 2018. "Just transition: Integrating climate, energy and environmental justice," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 1-7.
    2. Spencer Banzhaf & Lala Ma & Christopher Timmins, 2019. "Environmental Justice: The Economics of Race, Place, and Pollution," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 33(1), pages 185-208, Winter.
    3. Yukio Sadahiro, 1999. "Accuracy of areal interpolation: A comparison of alternative methods," Journal of Geographical Systems, Springer, vol. 1(4), pages 323-346, December.
    4. Despina Deligiorgi & Kostas Philippopoulos, 2011. "Spatial Interpolation Methodologies in Urban Air Pollution Modeling: Application for the Greater Area of Metropolitan Athens, Greece," Chapters, in: Farhad Nejadkoorki (ed.), Advanced Air Pollution, IntechOpen.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alaina Kinol & Elijah Miller & Hannah Axtell & Ilana Hirschfeld & Sophie Leggett & Yutong Si & Jennie C. Stephens, 2023. "Climate justice in higher education: a proposed paradigm shift towards a transformative role for colleges and universities," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(2), pages 1-29, February.
    2. Samantha A. Sharpe & Cristina M. Martinez-Fernandez, 2021. "The Implications of Green Employment: Making a Just Transition in ASEAN," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-19, July.
    3. Hausman, Catherine & Stolper, Samuel, 2021. "Inequality, information failures, and air pollution," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. McCauley, Darren & Pettigrew, Kerry, 2023. "Building a just transition in asia-pacific: Four strategies for reducing fossil fuel dependence and investing in clean energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    5. Colby, Bonnie, 2023. "Teaching Water Resource Economics for Policy Analysis," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 5(3), September.
    6. Hogan, Jessica L. & Warren, Charles R. & Simpson, Michael & McCauley, Darren, 2022. "What makes local energy projects acceptable? Probing the connection between ownership structures and community acceptance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    7. Vincent Cheruiyot Kirui1 & Dr. Paul Kipyegon Sang, 2020. "The Quest for Socioeconomic Development in Kenya: A Review of the Impact of Public Infrastructure on the Voyage," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 4(11), pages 145-158, November.
    8. Van Uffelen, N. & Taebi, B. & Pesch, Udo, 2024. "Revisiting the energy justice framework: Doing justice to normative uncertainties," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    9. Wang Chang & Yun Zhu & Che-Jen Lin & Saravanan Arunachalam & Shuxiao Wang & Jia Xing & Tingting Fang & Shicheng Long & Jinying Li & Geng Chen, 2022. "Environmental Justice Assessment of Fine Particles, Ozone, and Mercury over the Pearl River Delta Region, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-15, August.
    10. Liotta,Charlotte & Avner,Paolo & Viguié,Vincent & Selod,Harris & Hallegatte,Stephane, 2022. "Climate Policy and Inequality in Urban Areas : Beyond Incomes," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10185, The World Bank.
    11. Can Zou & Jun Tai & Li Chen & Yue Che, 2020. "An Environmental Justice Assessment of the Waste Treatment Facilities in Shanghai: Incorporating Counterfactual Decomposition into the Hedonic Price Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-12, April.
    12. Anne Christine Lusk & Xin Li & Qiming Liu, 2023. "If the Government Pays for Full Home-Charger Installation, Would Affordable-Housing and Middle-Income Residents Buy Electric Vehicles?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-26, March.
    13. Monyei, Chukwuka G. & Akpeji, Kingsley O. & Oladeji, Olamide & Babatunde, Olubayo M. & Aholu, Okechukwu C. & Adegoke, Damilola & Imafidon, Justus O., 2022. "Regional cooperation for mitigating energy poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: A context-based approach through the tripartite lenses of access, sufficiency, and mobility," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    14. Ren, Simiao & Hu, Wayne & Bradbury, Kyle & Harrison-Atlas, Dylan & Malaguzzi Valeri, Laura & Murray, Brian & Malof, Jordan M., 2022. "Automated Extraction of Energy Systems Information from Remotely Sensed Data: A Review and Analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).
    15. H. Spencer Banzhaf & Kyle Mangum, 2019. "Capitalization as a Two-Part Tariff: The Role of Zoning," NBER Working Papers 25699, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Guo, Shuocheng & Kontou, Eleftheria, 2021. "Disparities and equity issues in electric vehicles rebate allocation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    17. Jerch, Rhiannon & Kahn, Matthew E. & Lin, Gary C., 2023. "Local public finance dynamics and hurricane shocks," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    18. Gordon, Joel A. & Balta-Ozkan, Nazmiye & Nabavi, Seyed Ali, 2022. "Homes of the future: Unpacking public perceptions to power the domestic hydrogen transition," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    19. Sokołowski, Jakub & Bouzarovski, Stefan, 2022. "Decarbonisation of the Polish residential sector between the 1990s and 2021: A case study of policy failures," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    20. Blankenship, Brian & Aklin, Michaël & Urpelainen, Johannes & Nandan, Vagisha, 2022. "Jobs for a just transition: Evidence on coal job preferences from India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3447-:d:771920. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.