Using Landscape Metrics for Assessing Spatial Distribution Pattern of Urban Green Space in Mashhad

Urban green spaces are generally available for free to city dwellers which have a vital and key role in people's mental and physical health. Despite the fact that many cities in the country have urban green space, it differs in terms of the distribution and other spatial parameters, both at the level of the cities in Iran and at the level of the regions within each city. This study evaluates the different characteristics of the green space of the holy city of Mashhad by applying the satellite image processing and analyzing data provided by the city municipality. In this research, utilizing the spatial data of the parks of the thirteen districts of Mashhad municipality and the land cover maps generated by Google Earth Engine system, eight landscape metrics of the land surface were calculated in GIS software for each of the districts. The results show the difference between the parks of each one of the thirteen districts of the city of Mashhad in terms of various landscape metrics. Also, the analysis of the results of this study showed that the 10th district of Mashhad municipality has a more favorable situation than other regions, both in terms of the number of parks and the ease of access to green space for citizens. The findings can be used as a ideal model for the development and improvement the spatial characteristics of other parks within thirteen regions of Mashhad.