Abstract
Urban green spaces encourage outdoor activity and social communication that contribute to the health of local residents. Examining the relationship between the use of urban green spaces and factors influencing their utilization can provide essential references for green space site selection in urban planning. In contrast to previous studies that focused on internal factors, this study highlights the external factors (traffic convenience, population density and commercial facilities) contributing to the use of urban green spaces. We conducted a spatiotemporal analysis of the distribution of visitors in 208 selected green spaces in central Beijing. We examined the relationship between the spatial pattern of visitor distribution within urban green spaces and external factors, using the Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation, and geographical detectors. The results of the study were as follows. The spatial distribution of visitors within central Beijing’s green spaces was concentrated, forming different agglomerations. The three examined external factors are all associated with the use of green spaces. Among them, commercial facilities are the important external factor associated with the use of green spaces. For the selection of sites for urban green spaces, we recommend consideration of external factors in order to balance urban green space utilization.
Highlights
Urban green spaces have significant social, ecological, and cultural value
Further research was conducted to analyze the relationship between the spatial distribution of visitors in urban green spaces and external factors contributing to their use by applying geographical detectors
Applying the point of interest (POI) data, we conducted extensive fieldwork in our study area to ensure the accuracy of the locations and boundaries of all of the selected urban green spaces
Summary
Urban green spaces have significant social, ecological, and cultural value. Several studies have demonstrated that urban green spaces offer benefits relating to individuals’ health and wellbeing such as relaxation [1], recreational opportunities [2,3], and a connection to nature [1]. Other studies have confirmed that urban green spaces are key components of ecosystem services that contribute to the mitigation of high temperatures [4,5,6,7], abatement of air pollution [8], noise reduction [5], the provision of wildlife habitats [9,10,11,12], and the prevention of floods and soil erosion [13]. Studies have revealed important benefits associated with cultural services provided by urban green spaces such as landscape aesthetics, outdoor recreation, and spiritual and cultural values [14,15]. Public Health 2017, 14, 237; doi:10.3390/ijerph14030237 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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