Green Space Per Capita Calculator
Green space per person for a suburb or city, against the WHO minimum of 9 m² and the 50 m² that well-served cities reach — and how much more is needed to hit a target.
Green space per capita is public green area divided by population.
How the green space per capita calculator works
Green space per capita is public green area divided by population. The WHO puts a floor at 9 m² per person; most planning targets sit between 15 and 30, and the leafiest cities exceed 50.
Growth erodes it silently: a suburb that adds 20% to its population with no new parks loses 17% of its green space per person without a single tree being cut.
Formula: per capita = green area / population
Worked examples
| Inputs | Green space per person (m²) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 62 ha for 48,000 people | 12.92 | 12.9 m² — above WHO, below target |
| A leafy suburb | 52.08 | 52 m² |
| Dense inner city | 3.33 | below the WHO minimum |
FAQFrequently asked questions
How much green space per person is enough?
The WHO minimum is 9 m². Most planning targets are 15 to 30, and it should be within a short walk, which the total alone does not guarantee.
What counts as green space?
Publicly accessible parks, reserves and sports grounds. Private gardens, golf courses and road verges are usually excluded.
Why does growth matter so much?
Because the numerator stays fixed while the denominator grows. Infill development without new parks erodes provision every year.
Is more always better?
Distribution matters more than total past the minimum. A single large park serves fewer people than the same area as several small ones.
How do cities compare?
Vienna and Singapore exceed 50 m²; London around 30; Tokyo under 10. Density and history explain most of the difference.
Where these figures come from
- UN-Habitat — Urban Indicators Guidelines — density, green space and public space benchmarks
- World Health Organization — Urban green spaces — the 9 m² per person minimum
- ITE — Parking Generation Manual — parking demand rates by land use
- Office for National Statistics — Population estimates — the UK's national statistics agency
Last checked: September 2026. Default per-capita rates are mid-range figures from national statistical agencies and utility reports; every one is an input you should replace with the local figure.