Abstract
Densification of cities threatens the provision of public open space for people living in and around cities. The increasing evidence of the many benefits of recreational walking for physical and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted an urgent need for fostering the availability of public open space. In this context, urban planners need information to anticipate recreational needs and propose long-term, resilient solutions that consider the growing demand driven by increasing urban population and intensified in times of crisis such as the recent pandemic. In this paper, we harness the unique large MOBIS:COVID-19 GPS travel diary data on mobility behaviour collected during a normal baseline period and during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Canton of Zurich Switzerland. We estimate a sufficiency rate that allows to geolocate locations where the demand for public open space is higher than the available offer. In a second step, we explore if preference patterns for recreational areas have changed during the pandemic. Results indicate that the main cities and important towns in the case study area are saturated by current demand, and that the pandemic has amplified the problem. In particular, urban dwellers look for tranquil areas to recreate. Such information is crucial to guide decision-making processes for planning the cities of the future.
Highlights
Global pandemics, in particular the recent Covid-19 outbreak, have caused unprecedented decrease in travel (Apple, 2021; Axhausen, 2020; Google, 2021) accompanied by an increased risk of physical and mental illness (Lesser & Nienhuis, 2020; Peçanha, Goessler, Roschel, & Gua lano, 2020; Zhang, Zhang, Ma, & Di, 2020)
The demand for public open space in times of stress and anxiety arising from household confinement, economic recession, and income losses has strongly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic (Venter, Barton, Gundersen, Figari, & Nowell, 2020), but these spaces are increasingly put under pressure by the need to
The pressure increased in magnitude and in its extent
Summary
In particular the recent Covid-19 outbreak, have caused unprecedented decrease in travel (Apple, 2021; Axhausen, 2020; Google, 2021) accompanied by an increased risk of physical and mental illness (Lesser & Nienhuis, 2020; Peçanha, Goessler, Roschel, & Gua lano, 2020; Zhang, Zhang, Ma, & Di, 2020). Public open spaces (pedestrian streets, green spaces, sidewalks, trails, pedestrian squares, etc.) are known to provide important health benefits to dwellers & Hahn, 2015), providing recreational areas for physical activities, relief from stress and promoting social contacts (de Vries, Verheij, Groene wegen, & Spreeuwenberg, 2003; Hartig, Mitchell, de Vries, & Frumkin, 2014; Maas, Verheij, Groenewegen, de Vries, & Spreeuwenberg, 2006; Mitchell & Popham, 2008). The demand for public open space in times of stress and anxiety arising from household confinement, economic recession, and income losses has strongly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic (Venter, Barton, Gundersen, Figari, & Nowell, 2020), but these spaces are increasingly put under pressure by the need to. Un derstanding the capacity of open space to absorb increased demand while maintaining social distancing is essential to make our cities more resilient to such disruptive events
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