Abstract
The development of green space along urban rivers could mitigate urban heat island effects, enhance the physical and mental well-being of city dwellers, and improve flood resilience. A linear park has been recently created along the ephemeral Pedieos River in the urban area of Nicosia, Cyprus. Questionnaire surveys and micrometeorological measurements were conducted to explore people’s perceptions and satisfaction regarding the services of the urban park. People’s main reasons to visit the park were physical activity and exercise (67%), nature (13%), and cooling (4%). The micrometeorological measurements in and near the park revealed a relatively low cooling effect (0.5 °C) of the park. However, the majority of the visitors (84%) were satisfied or very satisfied with the cooling effect of the park. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the odds of individuals feeling very comfortable under a projected 3 °C future increase in temperature would be 0.34 times lower than the odds of feeling less comfortable. The discrepancies between the observed thermal comfort index and people’s perceptions revealed that people in semi-arid environments are adapted to the hot climatic conditions; 63% of the park visitors did not feel uncomfortable at temperatures between 27 °C and 37 °C. Further research is needed to assess other key ecosystems services of this urban green river corridor, such as flood protection, air quality regulation, and biodiversity conservation, to contribute to integrated climate change adaptation planning.
Highlights
More than half of the world’s population lives today in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 66% by 2050 [1]
While most of the people would suffer from discomfort according to the actual conditions, only 37% of visitors felt uncomfortable or very uncomfortable. These findings suggest that the park visitors in Nicosia are well adapted to the hot local climatic conditions
Nicosia’s Pedieos Park users primarily visit the park for physical activity and exercise. These responses are aligned with the findings of Irvine et al [41], who found that physical activity and nature observation were the two main motives for visiting 13 public green spaces in Sheffield (UK)
Summary
More than half of the world’s population lives today in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 66% by 2050 [1]. Urbanization is causing a myriad of problems, such as the loss of green space, increased surface runoff and flooding hazards, which have a negative effect on people’s well-being. The changes in land use associated with urban development have increased storm runoff and have degraded riparian areas and natural flows of rivers and streams [2]. In the 19th and 20th centuries, many European cities channelled their streams into concrete sections or underground pipes [3]. These culverted rivers exhibit substantial flood risks due to the likelihood of blockages. Urban land uses with little vegetative cover are the most affected by the phenomenon [5]
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