Abstract
Given the benefits of urban greenways on the health and well-being of urban populations, the increased use of urban greenways has garnered increasing attention. Studies on urban greenways, however, have been mostly conducted in Western countries, whereas there is limited knowledge on greenway use in urban areas in developing countries. To address this shortcoming, the present study selected Wutong Greenway in Shenzhen, China, as a case study and focused on the use pattern and factors that influence the frequency and duration of urban greenway use in developing countries. An intercept survey of greenway users was conducted, and 1257 valid questionnaires were obtained. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between potential predictors and greenway use. Results showed that visitors with a varied sociodemographic background use Wutong Greenway with high intensity. Various factors affect the use of urban greenways, including individual and environmental factors and greenway use patterns. Unlike previous studies, we found that accommodation type, length of stay at present residence and mode of transportation to the greenway are important factors that affect greenway use. In contrast with studies conducted in Western countries, less-educated and low-income respondents visit the Wutong greenway even more frequently than others. Thus, the greenway is an important public asset that promotes social equity and that all residents can freely use. To better serve citizens, we suggest that the greenway network should be extended to other areas and that its environmental quality should be improved.
Highlights
Around the world, more and more people are living in cities and using urban infrastructure as a result of rapid urbanization
In China, a developing country, 55.9% of the population lived in urban areas by 2015; this proportion continues to increase at a rapid pace [1]
We found that Wutong Greenway users are more likely to be male, youths, married, employed, have resided at their present residency for a long time and are living in their own house; these results reinforced those of previous studies of developed countries [18,40] and China [22,41]
Summary
More and more people are living in cities and using urban infrastructure as a result of rapid urbanization. According to a statistical report from the World Health Organization, more than half of the world’s population lived in urban areas by 2010. In China, a developing country, 55.9% of the population lived in urban areas by 2015; this proportion continues to increase at a rapid pace [1]. Population density is extremely high in metropolitan areas of China, such as the Pearl River. As a result of rapid urbanization, developing countries experience many urban problems, including traffic congestion, environmental degradation and lack of public space. Urban environments have an increasingly important role in the daily lives of urban residents
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More From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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