Odhengo and colleagues connect Nairobi’s green spaces to use, perception, economic value and social inequality. Combining surveys, interviews and GIS analysis, the study treats green space not only as ecological provision but as a resource whose accessibility, maintenance, safety and perceived quality determine actual use. Its iconic operation is valuation across multiple registers: environmental sustainability, physical and mental wellbeing, social cohesion and willingness to invest in maintenance are made comparable without reducing the parks to monetary value alone. The study’s theoretical contribution lies in recognising that green-space benefits depend on institutional quality and unequal socio-economic conditions. Methodologically, mixed methods link spatial distribution to user experience. The bridge to public-health planning is direct: urban green spaces function as health and social infrastructure only when residents can access, trust and repeatedly use them.
