An integrated framework to evaluate the equity of urban public facilities using spatial multi-criteria analysis

Spatial equity is an important component of sustainable urban planning. We introduce an Integrated Spatial Equity Evaluation (ISEE) framework based on spatial multi-criteria analysis to assess spatial equity. This framework measures the balance between demands generated by residential areas and supply offered by urban services at various spatial scales. It considers the balance between different types of services at one spatial scale, and the balance between the same type of services across different spatial scales, applying an absolute measure of spatial equity at parcel level based on geographic analysis and Spatial Multi-Criteria Analysis (SMCA) methods. Its application is demonstrated in a case study area in Tehran, Iran by evaluating equitable access to several basic services used mostly by children. The results show that overall the case study area has an oversupply of educational services and an undersupply of recreational services, while some parts of the case study area have insufficient access to these services within a reasonable distance. The ISEE outputs can be readily visualised and interpreted providing urban planners with parcel level information to aid their decisions on how to equitably balance demand and supply for urban facilities and services.