Perceptions and use of urban green spaces on the basis of size

Abstract

Urban green spaces have a beneficial effect on the health and well-being of citizens. The features of such spaces and users’ satisfaction with them determine the type and frequency of activities conducted inside parks. Understanding the relationships among these aspects is important for promoting adequate designs for these spaces. On the other hand, the limited availability of urban surface area in many cities determines the size of parks. The effect of size on people’s satisfaction and their use of parks is an aspect that has not been studied in depth in the scientific literature. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationships between citizens’ perceptions of the parks’ features and their uses as a function of their size. For this purpose, surveys were conducted in large and small green spaces. The results showed the importance of considering noise in the management of both types of parks to improve overall satisfaction. In addition, overall satisfaction was related to visual aspects (conservation) in large parks, and social aspects (safety and users) in small parks. Suitably designed canine and play areas in large parks and functionality for the streets surrounding small parks can contribute to reducing noise annoyance. This study showed that the size of green spaces has a positive correlation with the frequency of walking, exercising and relaxing. Furthermore, improving some environmental features would also help to increase the frequency of these activities. In this regard, the existence of groves played an important role in promoting physical activity in both types of parks, and the quality of the air and the absence of noise contributed to relaxation in large parks.