Tweeting the High Line Life: A Social Media Lens on Urban Green Spaces

Jisoo Sim,Patrick Miller,Samarth Swarup

doi:10.3390/su12218895

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate elevated parks as urban green spaces using social media data analytics. Two popular elevated parks, the High Line Park in New York and the 606 in Chicago, were selected as the study sites. Tweets mentioning the two parks were collected from 2015 to 2019. By using text mining, social media users’ sentiments and conveyed perceptions about the elevated parks were studied. In addition, users’ activities and their satisfaction were analyzed. For the 606, users mainly enjoyed the free events at the park and worried about possible increases in housing prices and taxes because of the 606. They tended to participate in physical activities such as biking and walking. Although the 606 provides scenic observation points, users did not seem to enjoy these. Regarding the High Line, users frequently mentioned New York City, which is an important aspect of the identity of the park. The High Line users also frequently mentioned arts and relaxation. Overall, this study supports the idea that social media analytics can be used to gain an understanding of the public’s use of urban green spaces and their attitudes and concerns.

Highlights

Social media is emerging as a key data source and is playing an increasingly important role in the urban design and planning process
We recommend to urban planners and landscape architects who want to make an elevated park that every elevated park has to be used in its own context
The High Line, which is designed for art exhibitions and special events, is used by tourists who want to enjoy New York City

Summary

Introduction

Social media is emerging as a key data source and is playing an increasingly important role in the urban design and planning process. Social media data about urban spaces can help researchers understand urban use, urban area characteristics, and user perceptions [1,2,3]. Since social media provides a forum for communicating and sharing thoughts [7], it can be used in the design and planning process as a tool for understanding user characteristics. Martí et al describe how social media and other recent technologies have transformed people’s interactions in urban spaces [8]. The importance of social media analytics in urban design and planning is that social media analytics provide a means to collect data efficiently, gather users’ thoughts directly, and collect past data

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