Influence of perceived social benefits on motives for visiting urban green infrastructure spaces in small and medium-sized towns in Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

Although the benefits of urban green infrastructure (UGI) in sustainable development are well established in the literature, the specific benefits with the most influence on why people visit or use UGI spaces are not well understood. This study investigated the influence of perceived social benefits on motives for visiting UGI spaces in small and medium-sized towns in Southeast Nigeria. A survey of 513 participants in four main towns of Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria was done. The data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests, descriptive and categorical regression analyses. The findings showed that the main motives for visiting UGI spaces were for enjoying nature, fresh air, relaxing, and walking these were significantly different across the respondents' age, marital status, and location. The role of UGI in promoting human-nature interactions, enhancing life satisfaction, and social interactions were the top three social benefits identified. The three social benefits with the most significant influence on motives for visiting UGI were the role of UGI in promoting physical well-being, social relations, a sense of community, and life satisfaction. The study implies that understanding public motives for visiting/using GI spaces and their predictors is vital for effective policy-making, planning, and management of UGI.