Assessment of Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Urban Green Spaces in Bhopal Using a Geospatial Approach

Urban Green Spaces (UGS) constitute a crucial component of the urban landscape, contributing significantly to the quality of urban life. Therefore, it is imperative for urban planners to use effective tools and formulate suitable metrics for regular mapping and monitoring of the urban greening and deforestation trends in neighborhoods, regardless of their size. To this end, this study uses a geospatial approach to evaluate the distribution of UGS, considering factors related to quantity and quality. The study focuses on Bhopal city of India. The indicators for UGS distribution were derived from remote sensing data, allowing for cost-effective assessments at desired time intervals. According to the findings, Bhopal’s UGS significantly declined, became fragmented, and disintegrated between 2010 and 2020. The different neighborhoods went through varying degrees of degradation. The methodology adopted facilitates an intra-city analysis of green cover patterns, emphasizing the need to allocate space for greenery in urban planning for comprehensive well-being.