| Abstract: |
Urban gardens in the National Capital Region (NCR) are increasingly expected to perform more than ornamental functions: they must reduce heat exposure, filter particulate pollution, absorb stormwater, support biodiversity, and provide safe public space in one of India’s most environmentally stressed urban regions. This empirical paper evaluates the relationship between garden landscaping quality and environmental hazard management across five NCR sub-regions: Delhi, Gurugram, Noida–Greater Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad. A cross-sectional audit of 150 public and semi-public urban gardens was designed using field observation, user-survey responses, handheld environmental readings, remote-sensing indicators, and secondary pollution and climate-risk records. The analysis develops a Landscape Quality Index (LQI) and an Urban Garden Environmental Hazard Index (UGEHI) to examine how canopy density, native planting, permeable surface ratio, water-sensitive design, maintenance practice, and waste management influence hazards related to heat, air pollution, flooding, chemical exposure, vector breeding, solid waste, and user safety. Results demonstrated a strong inverse correlation between the LQI and hazard severity: mean surface temperature, runoff absorption, and complaints about waste disposal or waterlogging were all lower in gardens with high landscaping quality as compared to low landscaping quality. Composite hazard scores were also lower for high LQI gardens than for low LQI gardens. The results of correlation and regression analyses showed that canopy cover, permeable area, native species diversity, and drainage quality were the variables most consistently identified as reducing environmental risk. However, the results show that not all gardens perform equally across NCR, as gardens in peri-urban and industrial-edge locations may be poorly maintained and exposed to higher levels of hazards. In conclusion, the authors argue for treating urban garden landscaping as e |
