Recreational green spaces as the future for sustainable cities: Case of Karura Forest in Nairobi, Kenya

Investigation of Adoption and Cognizance of Urban Green Spaces in India: Post COVID-19 Scenarios

Green space is not always equitably located in cities, and the attractiveness of green space varies, leaving some residents with easy access to high-quality parks and others with little or no access or access to under-maintained parks. To remedy these inequities, this study identified attractive and well-utilized recreational green spaces and developed a model to measure the likelihood of using these recreational green spaces (PSG). The goal was to reduce the travel time and cost of walking or using public transportation to get to green spaces and to design all green spaces to be attractive. The data come from the perspective of the city’s public transportation system and residents’ personal choices. First, the attractiveness of recreational green spaces was calculated from big data on the geolocation of cell phones, measuring the level of provision of recreational green spaces and the trip rates of urban residents. After that, the travel cost to reach recreational green space in residential areas was calculated according to residents’ travel habits. Finally, the probability of all recreational green spaces in the city being used was calculated by combining the population size of residential areas. Taking Pu’er City in China as an example, the attractiveness and utilization rates of recreational green spaces were calculated by PSG, and the results of the study showed that the probability of residents choosing to use the recreational green spaces that are closer to the residential area, with a larger population capacity, and with a higher attractiveness is the highest. The results of the study help promote equitable access to health and socialization opportunities for individuals and communities, thereby promoting environmental justice to help mitigate and respond to climate change.

At present, when planning the allocation of recreational green space in urban and rural areas, there is often a cognitive bias against rural recreational green space, and planners, designers, and government officials often think that the countryside is a productive green space, so they do not set up a special leisure green space for rural residents to use. Therefore, this study first analyzed the relevant data of the National Leisure Life Survey and the Guizhou Provincial Statistical Survey Corps Family Housing Survey, and compared and discussed the degree of urbanization, the distance to leisure places, the demand for community parks, and the demand for activity centers. Secondly, 112 residents and 236 residents sampled by random telephone were selected from the household income and expenditure survey of the Guizhou Provincial Statistical Survey Corps, and the questionnaire survey and empirical research were carried out to further evaluate the differences in residents’ demand for green space according to the different attributes of urban and rural residences (urban, intermediary, and rural). The results of this study show that both the data analysis and the empirical research obtained by the Guizhou Provincial Statistical Survey Corps confirm that urban and rural residents have a demand for recreational green space, indicating that no significant difference was found in the demand for recreational green space between urban and rural residents. Green space is important for both urban and rural residents, and the results of this study hope to reverse the bias of policymakers on the planning strategy of urban and rural recreational green space.

As cities grow and urban population increases, researchers find it necessary to study the urban environment, particularly urban green spaces. The article is aimed at analyzing and assessing urban green spaces as well as identifying ways of their transformation.The attractiveness of urban green areas increases when they become part of a continuous pedestrian framework consisting of corridors (embankments, boulevards, alleys) and nuclei (gardens and parks). In big cities with the population of one million people or more continuous green pedestrian areas can be created only within a big city centre. On the city periphery they are concentrated around the so called periphery poles – comparatively small areas with a good access to public transport.Using field work methods the authors of the article have taken inventory and assessed the state of green spaces at the level of administrative districts in the city of Perm. They have also analyzed and assessed separate elements of the green spaces. The largest green spaces are located in Kirovsky and Ordzhonikidzevsky districts which are the most distant from the city centre. The best-kept green areas can be found in Leninsky and Sverdlovsky districts which are in the city centre. Parks and park areas are common in Perm. However they differ from each other in terms of their size, recreational facilities, accessibility and maintenance. The city does not have enough ecological, historic and cultural as well as theme objects which form ecological needs, develop esthetic and educational needs and make the city more attractive and original. Most parks and park spaces need additional reconstructing.In the big city centre of Perm a continuous pedestrian green framework has not been created yet although there are unique conditions for that. Today there are four separate components of the possible framework. Two of them are corridors; another one contains corridors and nuclei while the last component includes only nuclei. The elements of the pedestrian framework of the city centre account only for 10 percent of all the green spaces of Perm. The project of the urban railway system development will make the city periphery more attractive and encourage the creation of pedestrian framework nuclei there.Like all landscapes, parks in the city of Perm have a high cultural potential for creating comprehensive recreational and tourist facilities. Park area development in Perm should increase the touristic, cultural and ecological potential of the city, make open public spaces more comfortable and improve the environment. That is why public green spaces should get new functions.The work connected with improving green space management and functioning should unite city residents, help them build friendly relations with each other, support their initiatives and make them more interested in changing their environment for the better. This work contributes to the development of civil society if it is based on its institutions.KeywordsUrban environmentGreen spacesFunctioningTransformationCivil society

This paper examined the recreational needs of the user population in South-eastern Nigeria. The study considered educational status, public awareness, degree of awareness, public recreational options, extant open space services, and reasons for low usage of available recreational facilities. The study was carried out using descriptive statistics, use of weights and relative mean scare analysis. The study showed a general loss of interest in the available public recreational facilities and services, thus leading to disregard of public recreational open spaces. This fact prompts a high rate of conversion of public recreational spaces in South-Eastern Nigeria for other uses. There is therefore the need to provoke users’ interest through classical advertisements, posting of bills and publication in both local and national dailies, particularly on the implication of converting recreational spaces in the areas being advertised. This calls for the need for public enlightenment plans in the likes of orientation programs, seminars, symposiums, recreation outreach courses and educating the masses at various levels, on the need to recreate and participate actively on public open space activities. Keywords: Recreation, open space services, public recreation, users, recreational facilities.

Recreational green spaces are associated with human thriving and well-being. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic a spotlight has been shed on the interconnection between access to these spaces, human well-being and social equity. Containment measures enacted in many cities effectively precluded people from reaching distant recreational areas during the pandemic and consequently, recreational areas close to home became particularly important. Urban density is often associated with building or population density with the assumption that if either parameter has a high value, the availability of open (green) space is low. Certain densities are associated with specific spatial qualities. Addressing challenges of sustainable development, a detailed evaluation of density is necessary to allow evidence-based arguments, planning and decision-making. In this study we develop a multi-scale analysis method for quantifying and assessing green infrastructures from settlement unit to building level to reach a differentiated view on density, arguing that density can be organized in different ways achieving very different qualities. For this purpose, we use geospatial-data analysis and in-depth neighborhood studies to compare two cities in Asia and Europe, revealing different ways of organizing density in the built environment and identifying a derivation of approaches for sustainable development in dense urban regions.

Introduction Blacks have a high burden of poor sleep health outcomes. Environmental determinants, such as green space or open environments, represent an underexplored contributor to sleep burden among Blacks. The extent these environmental factors affect sleep health outcomes within this population has not been adequately explored. To fill this gap in the literature, we investigated associations between environmental factors and sleep outcomes among Blacks in a large urban city. Objectives included (1) examine if zip-code derived open spaces (defined as proportion of open space in residential area,) green spaces (defined as open tree coverage of the ground) and blue spaces (proportion of water space) sleep apnea risk, and insomnia symptoms; (2) Examine if open, blue, and green spaces predict sleep outcomes independent of sex, age, and education level. Methods Our study used data from the Metabolic Syndrome Cohort Study (2009-2014), a studythat examined behavioral intervention methods to improve sleep apnea outcomes among Blacks. Sleep Apnea was assessed with the ARES (apnea risk) scale and insomnia status was collected through self-report (“Do you have difficulty staying/falling asleep or waking up?”) in a subset of 344 participants. Logistic regression analyses were performed to predict the effect green, blue, and open spaces had on sleep outcomes. To account for within zip-code correlation, mixed effects models (unadjusted and adjusted) account for sex, age, and education were considered. Results We found that none of the green, blue, or open space variables predicted sleep outcomes in the unadjusted model. In adjusted models, green space predicted sleep apnea risk scores, (OR=1.03, P<.05), but not insomnia. Conclusion Our study examined the extent which green, blue, and open spaces predicted insomnia and sleep apnea in urban blacks. We found that only green spaces were associated with sleep apnea, and none of our environmental variables predicted insomnia. Given the large amount of literature detailing a complex and multifactorial process on how environment affects sleep outcomes, our findings suggest that the link between urban environments, green spaces, and sleep outcomes may not be as definitive as they seem. Further research should explore the differential effect environment has on diverse populations’ sleep outcomes. Support (If Any) NIH R01HL142066, R01HL095799, RO1MD004113, R01HL152453

In recent years, there has been a systematic return of humans to nature, the importance of the services and benefits provided by forests and other green spaces has increased, and thus the interest in recreational facilities that appear in forest areas has also increased. Recreational infrastructure in forests is essential to enhance the visitor experience while ensuring the ecological sustainability of forest ecosystems. The aim of our research was to establish how the socio-demographic factors have influenced the public perception of recreational infrastructure in forests, and how the demand for certain types of recreational land facilities has changed. The research material consists of the results of a questionnaire survey (online and traditional) carried out in Poland from September to October in 2020. A total of 1402 people were surveyed. A logistic regression (LR) model was used to determine the influence of the socio-demographic profile of the respondents on their perception of the importance of recreational infrastructure. The results indicate that linear recreational infrastructure, i.e., cycling (38.6% of respondents), walking (32.9%), and educational paths (19.7%), were of greatest interest. Viewpoints were highly preferred by respondents (29.9% of respondents). The demand for recreational facilities was mainly determined by the age and number of children owned and the place of residence of the respondents. Other socio-demographic characteristics, i.e., education level, gender, and satisfaction with the standard of living, were less influential on respondents’ views. Among the most needed recreational amenities in forests, social (52.2%) and recreational (46.5% of respondents) facilities were highlighted. The factors most strongly determining respondents’ views on the need to develop a particular type of recreational facilities in the forest were frequency of visits to the forest and distance of residence from the forest. Other factors such as age, education level, gender, or the number of children owned determined respondents’ opinions on the issues analyzed to a lower extent. The results are of great use, allowing public forest managers to better plan infrastructure in forest areas. Our research provides valuable insights into the management of forests, especially those with dominant social functions. The resulting recommendations allow us to prepare forests for changing demographic trends (an expected increase in urbanized areas and aging population) and rising social expectations. We prove that forests and recreational infrastructure are crucial in promoting people’s physical and mental health. Properly planned recreational infrastructure is able to encourage more physical activity outdoors and more frequent visits to forests.

Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals has the seventh target of its Sustainable Cities and Communities focused on providing access to safe and inclusive green and public spaces. Principles of sustainable development necessitate that a balance is struck between environment and development to ensure healthy urban living. It has long been established that the presence of natural areas and planned open green spaces in and around urban settlements contributes to a quality of life by providing important ecological, social and psychological benefits to humans. In India, rapid urbanisation is resulting in significant land being used for developmental activities resulting in decline in open spaces across cities. It needs to be noted, the case in Chandigarh, India is different from rest of the country, where open spaces are considered as inviolable land use. Being a rare exception amongst the cities established immediately after India’s Independence, urban greens were visualized and planned as an integral component in the city’s Master Plan. Le Corbusier conceived the master plan of Chandigarh as analogous to human body, where green spaces symbolized the lungs. The greens in Chandigarh were created as functional, organized and natural spaces for integration and convergence of mind and body, that is the city as well as of its population. The research delves into the aspect of inclusivity of its various green spaces based on the social survey of the city’s residents. The intent is to determine the usability and accessibility of the greens by the residents for various recreational, cultural and ecosystem services. The measures of inclusivity of the green spaces are defined to address the key question being researched upon, that is if green spaces have contributed to Chandigarh being a healthy city. Built upon the social survey tools, the authors discern the typologies of green spaces as the measure for building a healthy city contextualized for Chandigarh.

This study addressed factors influencing public open space vandalisation trends and transmutation roots in South-eastern Nigeria. To achieve the aim of the study, the research considered: public open space vandalisation and reasons for vandalising public recreational open spaces. The research adopted field investigations method via case study approach which involved descriptive survey research design through field observation, questionnaire administration and oral interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data research methods were employed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result of the study demonstrated that urban indifference and insensitivity contributed marginally to public recreational open space vandalisation and conversion in the sampled urban areas. Besides, vandalisation contributed immensely to increased loss of interest in public recreation as a result leads to disregard of public recreational open spaces. This prompted a high rate of conversion of public recreational spaces in South-Eastern Nigeria as the management abandoned some of the recreational spaces, with dissuading costs like obesity, boredom and insomnia. To resolve these abnormally, there is the need to engage in spatial services to both monitor and predict future occurrences in the management of public recreational open spaces in South-eastern Nigeria. Besides, the private sector should be encouraged to invest in open space operations in the sampled states. Key Word: Vandalisation, Public Open Space Management, Recreation, Open Space Conversion, Conversion Root

Unplanned urbanization, demographic and environmental changes have forced many cities into more uncertainty and risk, challenging economic, social, and environmental sustainability. In this context nurturing resilience in the face of various uncertainties of environmental, socioeconomic and other sociopolitical risk is an urgent matter. Resilience has become an important goal for many cities throughout the world leading to the enhancement of urban ecology and maintenance of essential ecosystem goods and services to make sure the sustainable future for all. The Kathmandu metropolitan city is one of the fastest-growing capital cities with recent and frequent evidence of unplanned development, loss of green space, tragic events of an earthquake, flood and other environmental problems causing devastation, economic damages, and loss of human life/health, and habitats. In this background, the paper evaluates suitable sites for urban green space development using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) based multi-criteria analysis methods with geographical information system (GIS).Variables taken for this study are school point data, health facility’s location data, emergency service’s locations, water bodies, emergency road network data, recent land use/land cover data, population data, existing park, and slope. The unit of a study is a metropolitan city. Our evaluations demonstrate the spatial distribution of different not suitable areas, less suitable, moderate suitable, and highly suitable area respectively, of the 4.47%, 7.19% of the area are high and moderate suitable area, while the largest area 78.87% is less suitable and 9.47% are not suitable for the development of green open space. The result indicates human occupancy is everywhere and per capita, open green space in the city is very below the global average. The local government must think about different modality for development of green open space in collaboration with other government agency occupying more open space or engagement with private sectors. This finding could contribute a planner for spatial planning of green space development in a Metropolitan City.

The presence of open spaces in the spatial order of the campus can encourage students to engage in outdoor activities aimed at improving their quality of life and academic performance. Providing an integrated, open campus space is the key to creating a unique, dynamic, and aesthetic campus. During development, Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) continues to develop the infrastructure to support all lecture events, one of which is an open space configuration for College Building E. The landscape design process for this college building is in progress. It consists of five steps consisting of (1) problem identification; (2) data collection; (3) data analysis; (4) formulation of concepts; and (5) Design. The landscape design concept of College Building E conceptually applies the principle of multifunctional space as seen in the design of public green open spaces that combine the functions of public and green spaces. The coexistence of public and green spaces creates harmony in the design of educational, recreational, interactive, aesthetic, and dynamic open spaces.

Territories -in- between

The negative effects of long working hours and shift work on the physical and mental health of blue-collar groups should not be underestimated. Under intense stress, they have limited time to access recreational green space, and their own health is thus affected. In this study, a conceptual model of recreational satisfaction among blue-collar workers was established based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The model explores the factors affecting their level of satisfaction when using recreational spaces. Anning Industrial Park in Yunnan Province was used as an example. User data were collected and analyzed using a questionnaire survey and structural equation methods. The results indicate that recreation intention, perceived park quality characteristics, and perceived value all had significant and positive effects on the park recreation satisfaction of blue-collar workers. This study applied social economics theory to the field of landscape planning, identified the typical characteristics of blue-collar workers and their green space use, and strived to optimize the UGS configuration and functional facilities through the evaluation of recreation satisfaction indexes, which provided guidance and reference for improving the service quality of green spaces.

‘Green spaces’ provide important cultural ecosystem services in our towns and cities. ‘Green’ space may come in many forms – for example parks, village greens, urban commons, or just neglected and undeveloped wasteland. But all of it is important as it can provide much needed space for open air recreation and exercise in crowded urban areas. The covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdown has shown just how important it is for us to have easy access to open space for recreation and exercise. But much of our green space is, in an age of austerity, under threat. Covid-19 has shown that we need to reappraise planning policy for the designation and protection of new areas of green space in our urban environment; to better protect existing open space, including village greens and commons; and to seek to rebalance planning policy to ensure that the drive for new housing does not take place at the expense of ensuring that adequate green space is provided for existing and future communities.