Urban green spaces may not be safely accessible from the perspective of refugee childrenWhile access to urban green space (UGS) is important for the health and well-being of all children, vulnerable populations, such as refugee children, may derive the greatest benefits. However, refugee housing sites generally have limited environmental resources. Additionally, very little research has examined refugee children’s ability to access UGS. This study was conducted in Berlin, Germany, a city with 85,000 registered asylum seekers, 40% of whom are estimated to be children under the age of 18. The study sought to investigate if UGS in Berlin meets criteria to be considered available, accessible, and attractive to refugee children, based on their own perceptions. The study also examined other environmental and social issues impacting refugee accommodation locations.
A mixed-method approach was utilized to examine 30 refugee accommodation sites across Berlin. Data collection involved three phases. The first phase centered on assessing the availability, accessibility, and attractiveness of UGS specifically for refugee children to determine a “green space supply indicator.” Because prior research indicates that refugee families tend to have a “more anxious perception of safety,” standard measures of greenspace availability and accessibility were modified to reflect refugee preferences for closer UGS, meaning that stricter access standards were employed for refugee children than the general population. <em>Available</em> green space included green space within 1000 meters of the study sites based on geographical information system (GIS) data. To be considered <em>accessible</em> from refugee children’s perspectives, available green spaces needed to be less than 500 meters (children’s perceived neighborhood distance) and 500–1000 meters (parents’ perceived neighborhood) away from each study site. These quantitative distances were based on qualitative perception data collected in a previous study. <em>Attractive</em> green spaces were defined using a space syntax method based on their accessibility by well-connected roads which may be perceived to be safe by refugee families. The second phase utilized the Environmental Justice of Berlin (EJB) database to examine indicators of environmental and socioeconomic status of the 30 study sites, including noise burden, air pollution, thermal burden, green space supply, and social disadvantage. The final phase focused on closer examination of three refugee accommodation sites in comparison to their neighborhoods’ population density and rent index to determine how residents are affected by environmental and social indicators.
Results indicate that, compared to other residents, refugee children have fewer potential opportunities to access UGS. Although the majority (63%) of refugee accommodation sites have ample available green space (above the standard for the area), it was found that from refugee children’s perspectives, 60% of the locations have limited access to UGS due to barriers such as street infrastructure that block access. Refugee locations also tended to be lower in green space attractiveness. Analysis of findings from the Environmental Justice Map of Berlin revealed that 70% of refugee accommodations sites have at least one environmental burden. Both higher noise burdens and thermal burdens were detected at refugee accommodation sites. On the other hand, refugee accommodation sites were less likely to be burdened with air pollution. Overall, though, refugee accommodation sites faced greater environmental challenges than other residential areas, with the sites commonly experiencing multiple environmental and social burdens. Findings from the three selected refugee accommodation sites further reveal their individual challenges regarding both UGS access and environmental burdens.
The study provides a city-wide analysis that revealed that while the locations of refugee accommodations may appear to have better access to greenspace, closer examination based on refugee children’s perspectives suggests that the majority of refugee accommodation locations have restricted access to UGS. Further, refugee accommodation sites frequently only had accessible UGS at distances assessed from refugee parents’ perspectives, therefore, many of UGS may only be truly accessible when children are accompanied by their parents. The study highlights the need for urban planning policies to support the creation of inclusive UGS and refugee accommodation sites within safe walking distances of each other.
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