Ten kinds of available nutrients in 509 greenbelt soil samples from 9 administrative regions in Shanghai were analyzed by AB-DTPA extraction and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectrometry. The results showed that the soils were rich in available potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese and iron, but lack of available phosphorus, sulfur and molybdenum. The contents of available phosphorus and sulfur in some samples were exceeding the corresponding standard, which might be related to the application of large amounts of organic-improved materials. Both available zinc and copper were accumulated in different levels, while some soil samples exceeded the corresponding standard. The available-nutrient contents in the greenbelts in different periods and regions might be related to the soil-forming factors and human activities. The contents of available zinc and copper in soil increased significantly with the extension of year since the greenbelts were constructed, but the other nutrients had no significant difference. In terms of different administrative regions in Shanghai, the contents of available nutrients were lower in Yangpu District, Zhabei District, Pudong New Area and Xuhui District, but relatively higher in Changning District, Jing’an District and Huangpu District. Hongkou District and Yangpu District showed the highest accumulation degree in zinc and copper. The contents of soil nutrients were equal between the public green space and the park. The contents of available potassium, sulfur and magnesium in road green space were significantly higher than those in the public green space and in the park, but the contents of available zinc, copper and iron were significantly lower. With the increase of soil depth, the contents of available sulfur, magnesium and molybdenum were increased, but those of available phosphorus, potassium, manganese and zinc were slightly decreased. The AB-DTPA extraction method is suitable for rapid analysis of most available nutrients in soil and can be used widely in China.