Student Bernice Buohemaa does explorations of accessibility and social inequality of urban green spaces in Paramaribo

28 April 2020

We proudly present Bernice Osea Buohemaa,

Who successfully completed his master thesis research in:

"Explorations of accessibility and social inequality of urban green spaces in Paramaribo"

With the many benefits of UGS such as reducing temperature and air quality regulation, and providing a place for social cohesion and recreation, there is the need for access for all. This led to research into EXPLORATIONS OF ACCESSIBILITY AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY OF URBAN GREEN IN GREATER PARAMARIBO. The research objectives specifically looked to:

1: Investigate the spatial distribution of green spaces in the Greater Paramaribo Region.

2: Assess the level of accessibility to green spaces in the Greater Paramaribo Region.

3: Assess the level of social inequality associated with the accessibility to UGS in the Greater Paramaribo Region.

This study classified the types of UGS using a visual interpretation based on aerial images and then analyzed the distribution of the UGS types in Greater Paramaribo. Using network analysis, the accessibility to UGS was then analyzed using the sizes of UGS and different modes of transportation. To assess the level of social inequality this research used the Gini coefficient and the Pearson correlation.

The results obtained from the research showed that there are more UGS in the outskirts of the region than in the central parts. However, there is more variation in the types of UGS in the central parts of the Greater Paramaribo Region than in the outskirts since UGS types such as playgrounds are mostly concentrated in the central parts. Results also indicate that those resorts with the highest access to UGS are the ones outside the center, where many Javanese and Hindustani live. On the contrary, Creoles and Natives more frequently live in central resorts with least access to UGS . Compared to the average residential house, elderly homes and schools in the Greater Paramaribo Region have better access to UGS; and average income per resort is not correlated with accessibility. It is recommended to increase UGS availability and diversity of UGS types in disadvantaged resorts especially within walking distance of residential houses so that all residents can benefit from UGS.

Read more about all student researches within this project​