Recreational experiences in parks and gardens, Ibadan, Nigeria

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Purpose– The recreational benefits of urban parks and gardens have been documented in the literature. However, the extent to which the mechanism behind this is reliant on demographic variables and sites' quality, among others, is not clear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of these variables on recreational experiences in Ibadan, Nigeria, towards recommending the best practices.Design/methodology/approach– A questionnaire was carried out with a random sample of users (n=232) of the three most prominent parks and gardens in the city. The content was grouped into three broad themes – the overall design of urban natural landscape, meeting people's needs, and the nature of space management. These three streams of parameters were investigated on a five-point Likert scale. The questionnaire was designed to elicit information on personal, physical and psychological issues.Findings– Based on the hypotheses that recreational experiences do not depend on the variables, results indicate no correlation between recreational experience and age, education, marital status, income and schedule of visits. However, there are positive significant correlations with gender, sites' quality, company and frequency of visit.Practical implications– The results of the study suggest policy indication that planning for parks and gardens in cities should consider gender, sites' quality, company and frequency of visit variables further beyond age, education, marital status, income and schedule of visits.Originality/value– The study was carried out in May 2011, and it has capacity to guide planning for urban eco-recreation places in developing nations.