ACCESSIBILITE ET INEGALITES SPATIALES DES ESPACES VERTS DANS UNE VILLE SAHELIENNE : LE CAS DE ZINDER (NIGER)

Secondary cities in the Sahel are experiencing rapid population and spatial growth, accompanied by a decline in accessible vegetated areas. This article measures not the stock of green spaces in Zinder, but their effective accessibility, based on the assumption that average provision conceals considerable intra-urban disparities. The study combines a georeferenced inventory of 215 green spaces, a survey of 279 residents and users, multi-ring buffer zones and a Thiessen tessellation. Of the 215 spaces recorded, 43 are developed and 39 are functional, including 17 in District 1 alone, while District 2 has only 3 for a population of 114,330. The population burden ranges from 8,249 to 38,110 people per green space, a ratio of 4.6, independently confirmed by the median area of theoretical catchments, which ranges from 38.6 to 180.4 hectares. These areas range from 4.65 to 672.01 hectares, a ratio of 144. Despite a 900 m buffer zone, 55.73% of the built-up area remains beyond the reach of a functional green space. Moreover, most urban vegetation falls into categories not listed in the law: cemeteries, ponds and central reservations. However, this lack of legal classification does not explain their disappearance.