Abstract
Many studies have argued that a better understanding of people’s preferences about public urban green spaces may inform urban planners to effectively provide and manage urban green spaces to meet users’ needs. The aim of this study is to examine urban residents preferred public green space characteristics and investigate whether similarities and differences can be highlighted in three different Portuguese cities. Through a web-based questionnaire based on the best-worst scaling (BWS) method, residents of Lisbon, Porto and Évora (n = 750) were asked to select the most and least important public green space characteristic among thirteen attributes. The results suggest a consensus about some green space characteristics across cities but also the existence of some local variations in city residents’ preferences. Overall, this study can support public authorities and urban planners as they strive to effectively design and manage urban green spaces to meet users’ needs.
Highlights
Urban green spaces are increasingly acclaimed as central elements in the promotion of environmental sustainability and quality of life in cities, following a long history of gradual recognition of its various hygienist, social, cultural, aesthetic, functional, economic or ecological functions
By examining relevant public green space characteristics among three different cities by placing those characteristics on a ‘best-worst scale’, the present study extends the understanding of urban residents’ preferences regarding public green spaces
The results reveal some local variations in beliefs about urban green space characteristics
Summary
Urban green spaces are increasingly acclaimed as central elements in the promotion of environmental sustainability and quality of life in cities, following a long history of gradual recognition of its various hygienist, social, cultural, aesthetic, functional, economic or ecological functions. Green spaces provide environmental benefits, such as the mitigation of heat island effects, the reduction of pollutants in the air, promotion of biodiversity and noise reduction They are important in cities due to social benefits, by providing ample recreational opportunities, by supporting social interaction and integration and by contributing to the improvement of mental and physical health [1,2,3,4]. Public urban green spaces, such as urban parks, are traditionally the most valuable elements of urban green infrastructures [5] They are primarily managed by government agencies and accomplished for public use, and so they are central elements in the promotion of quality of life in cities, namely owing to their contribution to the liveability of the dwelling environment, to the experience of nature [6] and to the increasing demand for nature-based recreation facilities [7].
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