Which US Cities Have The Most Green Space? | Geotab
Published on July 9, 2019
Geotab examined map and census data to measure green space and other land uses across major U.S. cities
Toronto, Ontario - July 9, 2019 - Geotab, the world’s leading connected vehicle company for smart city and fleets, today released a new study analyzing infrastructure density in 15 major U.S. cities. The results depict the allocation of space that an individual resident would receive if a city was divided equally by its population. Highlighting which U.S. cities are deemed the most “liveable” based on their urban footprint, the full interactive report can be accessed here.
Analyzing OpenStreetMap data, Geotab established the total area of green space, roads and buildings in each city. These figures were then divided by the respective population of each location as reported by the latest U.S Census data to reveal the size of the allocated ‘plot’ per person. Geotab illustrated these plots to demonstrate the ratio of green space, roads and buildings to one individual. Additionally, the report ranks the cities based on the amount of green space, buildings and roads that are attributed to each person.
Green space
According to the results of Geotab’s Urban Footprint study, the U.S city with the most green space per person is Atlanta with 1,023 ft2 per person. Meanwhile, Dallas takes second place (870 ft2) followed by Portland (856 ft2).
Based on Geotab’s findings, Atlanta has seven times as much green space per person than the city with the least green space: New York City (146 ft2). This is closely followed by Miami (166 ft2) and Boston (168 ft2).
“Although Central Park is a popular spot for residents looking to step out of the hustle and bustle of NYC, it falls short in regards to providing residents with a substantial allocation of green space per person,” said Maria Sotra, VP of Marketing at Geotab.
Of the cities included in the research, Washington D.C. was found to be the only city that had a larger plot of green space per person (592 ft2) than roads (495 ft2) or buildings (542 ft2).
The five most livable cities (according to the largest allocation of green space per person):
Atlanta, GA (1,203 sq ft)
Dallas, TX (870 sq ft)
Portland, OR (856 sq ft)
Washington, DC (592 sq ft)
Milwaukee, WI (426 sq ft)
Roads
New Orleans was found to be the city with the largest area of roads per person (1,453 ft2), followed by Dallas (1,191 ft2) and Atlanta (1,151 ft2). New York City was found to have the smallest area of roads per person (247 ft2), with San Francisco taking second place (326 ft2) followed by Boston (370 ft2).
Buildings
New Orleans takes first place again, with the largest plot of buildings per person (1,412 ft2), followed by Dallas (1,367 ft2) and Denver (1,229 ft2). New York City has the smallest plot of buildings per person (311 ft2), followed by Boston (440 ft2) and San Francisco (474 ft2).
“Anyone that has travelled to more than one city in the United States. will know that there are some locations that feel more crowded than others,” added Sotra. “But this research just goes to show how stark that comparison is in reality.”
Methodology
Using OpenStreetMap data, Geotab compiled maps of 15 major American cities showing only buildings, roads, and green urban spaces such as parks. Road widths were calculated using OpenStreetMap data where available, supplemented with city infrastructure manuals and aerial imagery. These maps were then used to measure total areas and divided by population (latest U.S. Census estimates) for the per-person figures. City boundaries are from U.S. Census TIGER/Line, other map shapes © OpenStreetMap contributors. Research was conducted in April 2019.
Post Tags
Media Contact
Nicole Riddle
Senior Specialist, Strategic Communications
pr@geotab.com
About Geotab
Geotab, the global leader in connected vehicle and asset solutions, leverages advanced data analytics and AI to enhance fleet performance, safety, and sustainability while optimizing costs. Backed by a team of industry leading data scientists, engineers and AI experts, we serve over 50,000 customers across 160 countries, processing billions of data points hourly from more than 4 million vehicles. Data security and privacy are at the forefront of all we do—trusted by Fortune 500 organizations and some of the largest public sector fleets in the world, we meet top cybersecurity standards. Geotab’s open platform and diverse Geotab Marketplace offers hundreds of fleet-ready third-party solutions. Learn more at www.geotab.com and follow us on LinkedIn or visit Geotab News and Views.
Related posts
Geotab and General Motors to Provide Connected Vehicle Offering for Government Fleets in U.S.
May 24, 2022
Geotab Launches Citizen Insights Solution for Government Agencies
October 19, 2021
Geotab selected as sole telematics provider for the State of Oklahoma
September 21, 2021
Recent News
Geotab® Simplifies Sustainability Compliance with TÜV Rheinland Certified Calculation Method for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report
October 23, 2024
Bridging the Data Gap: Commercial Freight Insights from Five Key U.S. Bridges
October 16, 2024
Geotab Integrates Data from Volkswagen Group Fleets
September 24, 2024
Geotab, Kia, and 42dot Join Forces to Drive the Future of Fleet Management
September 12, 2024