Encouraging the use of urban green space: The mediating role of attitude, perceived usefulness and perceived behavioural control

Abstract

Urban green space (UGS) contributes to the psychological and physical well-being of urban population. Therefore, public authorities have been identifying ways to encourage the use of UGS. Although prior studies identified important UGS attributes, the influence of these attributes on UGS use remains inconsistent. To address this inconsistency, the mediating effects of attitude, perceived usefulness and perceived behavioural control were investigated in the present study. A telephone survey was conducted in Hong Kong. The results of this survey showed that the three factors have a mediating role between UGS attributes and the behavioural intention to use UGS. The findings suggested that UGS attributes do not directly influence behaviour, but rather indirectly via attitudinal factors and perceived behavioural control. This conclusion provides insightful implications for public authorities and UGS management. The findings indicated that while UGS attributes would influence users' appreciation and their use of UGS, promotional campaigns should be launched to change users' attitudes and to position their use of UGS as a social trend.