The Spatio-Temporal Variations of Urban Green Space: The Case of Nekemte Town, Ethiopia

Abstract More people live in cities and towns worldwide as a result of urbanization. The study was carried out in Nekemte town, where the effects of horizontal urban physical growth were evident. It aims to estimate the spatio-temporal fluctuations of urban green space in peri-urban areas and inner parts of the town by looking at the extent of built-up areas between 2003 and 2022. This study employed spatial analysis tools to estimate the area coverage of built-up and unbuilt space, utilizing Arc GIS 10.2 for image classification. The spatial analysis result showed that Nekemte town's urban built-up environment rapidly altered, negatively affecting the area coverage of green spaces. In this regard, the area covered by built-up was expanded by 42.4% while that of green spaces were decreased by 26.9%. Between 2003 and 2022, it drastically changes the current land use land cover, which includes grasslands, farmlands, shrubs land, and mildly urban forests. Therefore, future urban spatial expansion of Nekemte town must consider proper urban plan preparations and implementation that prohibit unwanted land speculation. Furthermore, plan-based residential construction and suitable compensation for people living on the periphery of cities are also strongly recommended to reduce the deterioration of urban green spaces.