Accessibility to public services and green areas in Warsaw housing estates in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the 10-minute neighbourhood concept

During the lockdown period, the quality of the residential environment determined by accessibility of primary public services and green spaces became very important. In the global discussion, the concepts of chrono-urbanism, which define the optimal distance to different services per unit of time, have become widely discussed.

This paper aims to assess the quality of the residential environment of selected Warsaw housing estates regarding accessibility to primary public services and green spaces in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the 10-minute neighbourhood concept. The study analysed 21 Warsaw housing estates in terms of accessibility to public services, commerce and green space within a 10-, 20-and 30-minute buffer. The results indicate that housing estates built before 1989 have better accessibility to selected services than newer ones. The most differentiating criterion for housing estates was the provision of internal greenery. In contrast, accessibility to facilities and green areas was, apart from the two housing estates, good or very good. This conclusion demonstrates the importance of conducting analyses on the provision of internal greenery in housing estates.

The high rates of Biologically Active Areas (BAA) in the newly adopted local development plans may indicate positive change, although we cannot yet speak of a trend. However, they may suggest a growing awareness of the role of green spaces in maintaining the health and well-being of residents, and the lessons learned from the pandemic will further reinforce this process.