Study: Equity of Urban Green Space in Montréal

Click here to read the final report on ArcGIS StoryMaps

For my final project for UBC’s GEOS 370: Advanced Geographic Information Science course, I collaborated in a team of three to conduct an applied GIS research project examining green space equity across the City of Montréal. Drawing on the framework of environmental justice and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, we investigated how access to urban green space varies by dissemination area in relation to income levels, immigration status, and visible minority populations.

I contributed to the project's research design, data acquisition, and GIS workflows using ArcGIS Pro. This included geoprocessing spatial datasets from Statistics Canada and municipal sources, performing network-based accessibility analysis, calculating green space-to-population ratios, and building a composite index of spatial inequity. We visualized our findings in a public-facing ArcGIS StoryMap, combining illustrative maps, statistical charts, and explanatory narrative.

Our results revealed uneven spatial distribution of green space, with clear disparities concentrated in several areas, particularly where socioeconomically marginalized communities reside. The final project was presented to peers and instructors, with emphasis on methodological rigour, visualization clarity, and real-world planning implications, with hope of encouraging policymakers and stakeholders to prioritize equitable distribution of green spaces in Montréal's future urban development.