Abstract
Green spaces are important parts of urban infrastructure. COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown periods around the world have confirmed benefits that people derive from using green spaces for their physical and mental health. Green spaces need to meet the needs of users so that people can use them and benefit over time. It is important to consider users' perceptions and attitudes. User input proves beneficial in improving management practices. We investigated the differences in attitudes and perceptions of respondents from different large settlements in Croatia towards green spaces. Data on the use and perception of green spaces were collected in the first lockdown period in Europe and processed the part of the questionnaire on attitudes and perceptions towards green spaces. People have similar, mostly positive perceptions of green spaces regardless of the size of the settlement. Differences were found in the perception of disadvantages and needs related to the management of green spaces. This is the first study of the attitudes and perceptions on a large spatial scale in Croatia, so the results are exploratory and important. This study contributes to research on the social aspects of green spaces by investigating the influence of environmental context on perceptions and attitudes.
Highlights
Green spaces are one of the most important components of infrastructure in cities
It was hypothesised that different experiences of nature will shape attitudes and perceptions (Berenguer et al 2005), and that perceptions of the environment of green spaces may have an impact on community connectedness, which could promote participation in green space issues (Arnberger and Eder 2012)
It was hypothesised that there would be differences in the perceptions and attitudes of respondents from differently sized settlements in Croatia, more similarities than differences were found. This means that people generally have similar attitudes towards green spaces, regardless of the size of the municipality
Summary
Green spaces are one of the most important components of infrastructure in cities. The benefits they provide to citizens are numerous and are often referred to as urban ecosystem services to highlight the benefits they provide to the urban environment (Haase et al 2014). The process of urbanization is characterized by pressure on vacant land and its subsequent conversion into construction areas for new housing This process is evident in cities undergoing transition, such as postsocialist cities. In these cities, many of which can be found in Eastern Europe, there is a significant process of land-use change leading to the loss of green spaces. Many of which can be found in Eastern Europe, there is a significant process of land-use change leading to the loss of green spaces In such cities, there is often a lack of public participation in decision-making regarding green spaces. Public participation in green space planning and management, when perceived as democratic and fair, contributes to
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