A Challenge of Sustainable Urbanization: Mapping the Equity of Urban Public Facilities in Multiple Dimensions in Zhengzhou, China

Abstract

The rapid urbanization and population growth in China have brought the issues of social equity and justice to the forefront. The supply and layout of public service facilities play a crucial role in determining the residents’ quality of life and have become a significant factor triggering social equity and justice concerns. This study took Zhengzhou’s urban core as an example. From the perspectives of regional equality, spatial equity, and social justice, the service area analysis and Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method were used to analyze the public service facilities’ layout situation and the equity and justice issue and to discuss the causes of the current situation. The study found that the social equity and justice of public facilities in Zhengzhou’s urban core were more prominent. The accessibility of public facilities inside and outside the 3rd ring road of the urban core exhibited marked differences, indicating a need for improvement in regional equality and spatial equity. Vulnerable groups lacked special care and public facilities lacked justice. Combined with the development process of urbanization in Zhengzhou, this paper argued that this was closely related to the government’s public policies.