Park Research Articles

ESTUDIO EPIDEMIOLÓGICO DE PARÁSITOS EN HECES DE PERROS EN PARQUES DE COZUMEL, QUINTANA ROO, MÉXICO

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Contamination of public spaces with canine feces containing parasites increases the possibility of transmission of these parasites to people and other canines. <strong>Objective: </strong>To estimate the frequency and variables associated with parasite eggs/oocysts in canine feces collected in public parks from Cozumel Island, Mexico. <strong>Material and methods:</strong> One hundred and fifteen stool samples were collected in 23 public parks, which were selected by convenience and analyzed by direct smear microscopy. The variables evaluated were i) with/without tourism, ii) low/high economic level), iii) high/low number of inhabitants and iv) area collection site paved/unpaved. A statistical association analysis test (Χ<sup>2</sup>) was performed to determine significance of results and the odds ratio (OR) between the studied variables was evaluated. <strong>Results: </strong>A parasite prevalence of 27% was found, recording the following order of species <em>Ancylostoma</em> spp > <em>Trichuris</em> spp > <em>Toxocara </em>spp > <em>Isospora</em> spp = <em>Taenia </em>spp. Statistical significance was not found in the X<sup>2</sup> tests and ORs. The positive sample frequencies of the variables evaluated did not show any correlation, irrespective of the parasite reported. <strong>Implications:</strong> Stray dogs, pet dogs, people and pet owners visiting public parks of Cozumel Island, Mexico, could be infected by gastrointestinal parasites. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> In public parks from Cozumel Island, gastrointestinal parasite eggs/oocysts are present in canine feces. However, the variables evaluated did correlate with the presence of these parasites.</p>

Non-native plants invasions public parks, friends or foe?

AbstractNon-native plants (NNPs) are known as alien species, which are brought outside of their natural habitats due to human activity and have an impact on the biodiversity of native plants (NPs). Because parks serve as havens for NNPs, they may pose a threat to them. The present study documented the NNPs conserved in the parks distributed in Cairo and the new settlements surrounding it. Thirty field visits were conducted from spring 2022 to Spring 2023 in 19 parks distributed in the study area. In each park NNPs were recorded. Native range, natural habitats and national geographical distribution, ethnobotanical uses, threats, and human risks were determined for NNPs. The results indicated that 37 wild NNPs belonged to 18 families were recorded in the surveyed gardens. Six species belonged to Tropical America, and other six species belonged to Mediterranean region. All recorded species were distributed in the Nile region. Thirty-six species used as medicinal plants and 31 species for human food. All recorded NNPs were exposed to one or several types of threats in their natural habitats, while 10 species were found to have a toxic effect on humans. Our results showed that the Egyptian botanic and public gardens could play an important role in the future as a source of NNPs that could be used for their contributions to ecosystem functioning and services. Also provides evidence for the essential role of public gardens in the Egyptian Nile Region for plant diversity conservation, as helps conserve wild species from other geographical regions.

Source identification and human health risk to polychlorinated biphenyls in public parks and playground surface soils, southern zone of Ghana.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) constitute a typical example of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that have been detected globally in most environmental media. Soil serves as a critical reservoir for PCBs. This research is aimed at evaluating the potential exposure and associated health risks posed by soil-laden PCBs to humans during outdoor activities on public playgrounds and parks within the southern zone of Ghana where limited studies have been undertaken. Surface soils collected from 56 sites were processed and analyzed for seven indicator PCBs in soil particle sizes less than 63µm. A multi-residual analytical approach for the simultaneous analysis of PCBs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) via gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was utilized. The results indicated that the concentration of PCBs ranged from 0.26 to 24.00µg/kg with an average total concentration of 1.86 ± 3.23µg/kg which is below the environment guideline threshold of 1.3mg/kg stipulated by the Canadian Council of Ministers for residential playgrounds/parkland soils. Multivariate analysis showed that the sources of the PCBs could be attributed predominantly to historical release, atmospheric transfer, and deposition. The excess lifetime cancer risks posed to children and adults are less than 10-6 thereby implying the existence of low carcinogenic health risk to the human populace within the southern zone of Ghana. Thus, the conduct of outdoor activities at the public playgrounds/parks within these highly populated areas poses no significant risk to human health.

Examining the nonlinear relationships between park attributes and satisfaction with pocket parks in Chengdu

Pocket parks have become a popular intervention for improving urban residents’quality of life. Although previous studies have investigated how park attributes contribute to user satisfaction, most assume that they have a (generalized) linear relationship. The assumption may understate the importance of parking attributes that are nonlinearly associated with park satisfaction and misestimate the effects of other attributes, yielding flawed implications for park planning and design. In this study, we employed linear regression and gradient boosting decision trees sequentially on data from Chengdu, a typical large and developing city aiming to become a Garden City by 2035, to examine the associations between park satisfaction and park attributes, which were measured on a five-point scale. Both models showed that the most important correlate of park satisfaction is entrance location, followed by footpath design, trees and shrubs, safety, flowers, convenience for social activities, and greenness.Moreover, some attributes are nonlinearly related to park satisfaction. For instance,green spaces and flowers greatly contribute to park satisfaction only when they perform well (i.e., their performance scores exceed Scale 3 of the five-point scale).The attribute of trees and shrubs diminishes park satisfaction substantially only when its performance is inferior (i.e., its score is lower than Scale 3). Furthermore, some seemingly unimportant attributes (such as recreational facilities and park maintenance) impose a non-trivial detrimental impact on park satisfaction when park users are extremely dissatisfied with the attributes (i.e., their performance scores are at the lowest level). The nonlinear relationships offer nuanced insights on the design of small public parks in densely developed urban areas.

Making Spaces for Girls

The paper explores the exclusion of teenage girls from public spaces, particularly parks and recreation grounds. It reveals the multiple challenges faced by teenage girls in accessing and utilising these spaces and the impact this has on their well-being and sense of inclusion in the community.The fundamental problem is that parks are not designed with the needs of teenage girls in mind. Facilities intended for teenagers, such as skate parks, Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs), and BMX tracks, predominantly cater to the interests of boys, contributing to inequality of opportunities. Moreover, the design and dominance of these facilities by boys can further discourage girls from participating in outdoor activities, impacting their physical health and mental well-being. Consequently, teenage girls perceive public spaces as unwelcoming and unsuitable for their use.Safety emerges as a critical concern, with teenage girls reporting feeling unsafe in public spaces due to various factors, including sexual harassment. The paper highlights the broader definition of safety for girls, encompassing not only physical security but also the sense of welcome and acceptance in a space. This is important not just because girls have a right to public space. The barriers they face also impact their physical and mental well-being to a significant degree. Drawing attention to the intersectionality of these challenges, the paper advocates for the active engagement of teenage girls in the design process, recognizing their diverse perspectives and needs.While the paper identifies emerging principles for effective engagement with teenage girls, it calls for further research and larger-scale practical projects and a need to evaluate the impact of inclusive design on the ground. Ultimately, the research contributes to a growing discourse on gender-inclusive urban planning, advocating for a paradigm shift that prioritises the needs and voices of teenage girls in shaping public spaces.

Reclamation satisfaction and post-mining land use potential in Central Appalachia, US

Community support for the mining industry depends upon satisfactory reclamation that preserves the land's potential to benefit the landowners and communities after the mining period. Abandoned mines that have been reclaimed poorly can often lead to a decline in local support for mining. Using the case of surface mining in Kentucky, this study assessed and compared landowners’ and their neighboring residents’ perceptions of environmental change, satisfaction with reclamation, and perceived barriers and opportunities to use reclaimed land to benefit the landowners and the broader community. We found poor satisfaction with reclamation efforts and only modest success in effectively managing reclaimed land for the intended use, largely because of inadequate reclamation. Financial incentives, legal assurance, and better reinforcement of reclamation rules were perceived to be potentially useful policy interventions to help landowners use the reclaimed lands effectively. Although they were acceptable to residents, landowners were quite unlikely to adopt educational projects, public parks, and biofuel crops. However, they were relatively more likely to adopt farmland, timber, and nature conservation and these uses were highly acceptable to the neighboring residents as well. Although this study focused on mining, the findings shed light on the social dynamics of mining's effects, reclamation, and the feasibility of land use alternatives in regions influenced by extractive industries.

Horticultural and Ecological Assessment of Public Gardens and Parks at Benghazi City during Last Five Decades

Gardens and parks play significant and major role from ecological and environmental point of view. The presence of trees, plants and greenery in public gardens and resorts helps to cool the surrounding environment, reduce air pollution and improve air quality. They can also support pollinators and wild life like bees, butter flies and birds by providing a diverse range of flowering plants and habitats for urban wildlife. Despite of the ornamental plants were very limited, and the workers and specialists in this field were very rare, the municipality of Benghazi tried to provide the horticultural structures like plant nurseries, training programs and investing in employees and providing opportunities for their development. During years from 1990 to 2023, the number of gardens and parks was jumped to more than 127. Recently, more horticultural care was noticed not only in the governmental sector but also in the private one while the number of ornamental nurseries increased, private agricultural companies established, and more plants were imported and introduced to the city. Because of lack of information, we tried to analyzed and assayed the gardens and parks situation from horticultural and ecological point of view at Benghazi city from 1973 to the present using available information with focusing on the development of this sector to provide more data base for the authorities, interests and researchers.

An Assessment of the Presence of Clostridium tetani in the Soil and on Other Surfaces

Introduction: Standard emergency medicine practice includes tetanus vaccine administration as part of wound care management for patients who are not fully immunized. Since there have been no available studies in the United States reaffirming the prevalence of Clostridium tetani (C tetani) since 1926, we sought to identify its prevalence in a major urban county in the US. Methods: We sampled soil, rusted metal, concrete, and dog feces to determine the prevalence of C tetani in a single metropolitan county in the United States. Soil samples and swabs were collected from four locations: the soil of a public park and an elementary school; dog feces from a single public dog park; and rusted surfaces (metal and concrete) in common student areas of a university campus. The presence of C tetani in each sample was determined using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: In total, 200 samples were collected, of which 37 (18.5%) tested positive for C tetani DNA. Among the 140 samples taken from the soil, just one (0.7%) tested positive for C tetani DNA. Of the 40 samples of rusted metal and concrete surfaces, 30 (75%) tested positive for C tetani, and six (30%) of the 20 samples from dog feces tested positive for C tetani. Conclusion: We found that C tetani is frequently present on rusted metal and concrete surfaces but rarely in soil samples. Minor wounds contaminated with soil may be considered low risk for tetanus. However, future studies should assess the burden of C tetani in other similar urban, suburban, and rural environments to help determine the threat of C tetani more exactly.

Learning from Two Early Brownfield Redevelopment Projects in Italy: Soil Desealing, Cooling Effects, and Implementation of Nature-Based Solutions Through Traditional Planning Tools

Consideration of the future fate of brownfields in urban environments has driven a complex ‘season’ of decisions, planning, and implementation that has seen the emergence of different approaches and actions for their reuse. Among the various experiences of brownfield redevelopment, some projects have also promoted the partial renaturalisation of areas through soil desealing and demolition of existing buildings. These greening initiatives have provided new public facilities, e.g., parks and green areas, helping to improve the conditions of urban environments both from ecological and social perspectives. This article adopts ex ante and ex post methods to analyse two Italian case studies of brownfield regeneration involving desealing interventions and investigates two key aspects: (i) the planning process and tools that were put in place to implement the projects and (ii) the impacts for human wellbeing that were produced in terms of cooling effects. The analyses conducted show the real effectiveness of renaturation interventions especially related to reforestation measures in terms of temperature reduction. The examination of the two case studies also revealed the importance and potential success of traditional planning and implementation tools in promoting interventions that can now be considered innovative in terms of their actual contribution to current urban challenges. The results therefore allow us to emphasize the fundamental importance of the philosophy and basic principles of a transformation process, even guided by traditional planning tools, for the improvement of the environmental conditions of an urban context and the successful implementation of nature-based solutions.

Exploring the relationship between frugivorous birds and fruit trees in urban parks using citizen science data

Exploring the relationship between frugivorous birds and fruit trees in urban parks using citizen science data

Integrating Interactive Media for Social Connectedness at Urban Public Parks in Sustainable Smart Cities: A Systematic Review

Integrating Interactive Media for Social Connectedness at Urban Public Parks in Sustainable Smart Cities: A Systematic Review

Soil animal communities demonstrate simplification without homogenization along an urban gradient.

Urbanization profoundly impacts biodiversity and ecosystem function, exerting an immense ecological filter on the flora and fauna that inhabit it, oftentimes leading to simplistic and homogenous ecological communities. However, the response of soil animal communities to urbanization remains underexplored, and it is unknown whether their response to urbanization is like that of aboveground organisms. This study investigated the influence of urbanization on soil animal communities in 40 public parks along an urbanization gradient. We evaluated soil animal abundance, diversity, and community composition and related these measures to urban and soil characteristics at each park. The most urbanized parks exhibited reduced animal abundance, richness, and Shannon diversity. These changes were influenced by many variables underscoring the multifaceted influence of urbanization on ecological communities. Notably, contrary to our expectation, urbanization did not lead to community homogenization; instead, it acted stochastically, creating unique soil animal assemblages. This suggests that urban soil animal communities are concomitantly shaped by deterministic and stochastic ecological processes in urban areas. Our study highlights the intricate interplay between urbanization and soil animal ecology, challenging the notion of urban homogenization in belowground ecosystems and providing insight for managing and preserving belowground communities in urban areas.

Characterization of municipal solid waste with the perspective of biofuels and bioproducts recovery in Northeast Mexico

This work focuses on analyzing the physical composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) and the physicochemical characterization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) in a city in Northeast Mexico to propose an adequate treatment and valorization system. Diverse samples were analyzed over 5 months at the city of Saltillo landfill, where the daily discarded MSW was classified into household (HW), central market waste (CMW), and public areas and parks waste (PPW). For the HW and CMW, the fraction with the highest proportion was the organic residues from food products, with 22.15 and 25.78%, followed by other organic wastes (manure, yard waste, leaves, etc.) at 12.58 and 10.24%, respectively. Furthermore, the organic fraction was segregated from the rest of the MSW and classified into four subtypes, and their physical composition and physicochemical characteristics were determined. The results contribute to laying the foundations for the proper treatment of the OFMSW not just in the studied region but also in cities with similar conditions. Moreover, the OFMSW’s feasibility in treating via bioenergy technologies is revealed, and this research proposes a biorefinery treatment pathway through dark fermentation followed by high solids anaerobic digestion generating bioenergy and diverse bioproducts.

Developing an integrative management plan for urban and peri-urban forests: A case study of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Many cities worldwide have adopted management strategies for urban forests, typically focusing on forest parks, street trees and park trees. However, planning that concentrates on natural urban forest areas remains scarce. This study introduces an advanced planning framework for the integrative management of natural urban forests and applies it to Ljubljana's urban forests (2151 ha). The framework consists of an initiation phase and a six-step planning procedure. Through a comprehensive process lasting 20 months, with strong stakeholder involvement and political support, we developed a strategic plan for Ljubljana’s entire urban forest area and an operational plan for a specific block within this area. The approach employs the integrative management of forest stands within or near the city, incorporating harmonised activities in silviculture, recreation, protection, harvesting and communication. This planning method aims to bridge the gap between traditional forest management planning and urban green infrastructure planning.

Exploring perception and immersive experience of visually impaired people in 360° video and 3D ambisonic audio

For a long time, immersive experiences have been designed with primarily sighted users in mind. However, recent advancements open exciting possibilities for expanding this realm to include individuals with visual impairments such as Cataracts, Glaucoma, and Severe low visual. One promising avenue lies in utilizing 360-degree videos with 3D Ambisonic audio recordings to create immersive experiences specifically tailored to their unique perceptual abilities. In this context, this preliminary study investigates audio-visual perception and presence of visually impaired people (VIP) in immersive reality (IR) environments, by applying 360-degree video and 3D Ambisonic audio recordings in three different environments of a public park "Parking area, Green space, and Playground". The methodological approach of this study is based on a comparative study between sighted (SIG) and visually impaired people (VIP), by conducting questionnaires such as the presence questionnaire and the emotional salience questionnaire. The findings show that both categories can experience the same presence within the IR environment with a difference in the evaluation of the acoustic environment, where the visually impaired show a greater influence on mechanical sounds. By designing inclusive experiences for all, IR has the potential to be equally engaging and immersive for everyone, regardless of sight.

Interracial interaction, park ownership, belonging, community asset, and perceived provision of cultural ecosystem services

Public urban parks contribute fundamentally to social and ecological functioning of modern cities, and enhance human wellbeing through associated ecosystem services, including cultural ecosystem services (CES). This study was conducted to understand how components of interactional justice contribute to users’ perceptions of how well CES are provided in public parks. This paper therefore explores the possibility of parks’ contribution to sense of ownership and belonging, and their place as community assets, as potential catalysts for CES. Data came from an online survey distributed to adult residents of St. Louis, Missouri, USA in spring-summer of 2019. Black respondents reported more positive park interactions than white respondents. Positive interactions in parks were positively related to all dependent variables, while negative interactions were negatively related to belonging and community asset, but positively related to perceived provision of CES. Only community asset was positively related to perceived provision of CES. Results suggest that residents perceive the provision of CES differently based on the quality of interactions with others in their community parks. Additionally, feeling that the park is a community asset contributed positively to users’ perceptions of CES associated with it. This finding indicates that the social and cultural components of a community park relate to how well that space is perceived to deliver cultural environmental benefits. As these interactions influence relationships to and use of the park itself, it is implied that interactional justice plays an important role in determining how effective urban parks are in delivering CES.

Adult Sports Participation and Physical Activity: How About Curling?

Despite its well-documented physical and psychosocial benefits, sport remains the least engaged form of physical activity (PA) among adults. Many adults may lack the skills needed to play or continue to play sports and aging adults are more likely to avoid participation for fear of poor performance or injury. A sport that shows great promise for adults seeking new sports participation outlets is curling. Curling is a team sport comprised of four interchangeable positions working collectively to deliver granite stones across a sheet of ice in an effort to outscore the opponent team. While it seems reasonable that walking on ice, “throwing” a 44 lb granite stone across a sheet of ice, and periodically sweeping while walking on ice over a two-hour period would generate at least a moderate amount of physical activity, research to date is quite limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to objectively measure the amount and intensity of PA achieved by average recreational curling participants during a typical curling match. Methods Members of a curling club in NC were asked to wear Actigraph Accelerometers (model GT3X) while they participated in their regularly scheduled curling match. All participants had at least one year of curling experience. Curling matches lasted between 90 and 120 minutes. Participants were asked to indicate their age, gender, and curling position during the match (lead, second, vice, skip) which were matched with accelerometer data. Results Overall, 110 participants (37 female, 73 male, avg. age 50 yrs) spent most of their curling time in light or moderate-intensity activity (18.1% Sedentary; 49.5% light; 32.4% moderate; .03% vigorous). In terms of minutes, the average participant spent 35.9 minutes engaged in Moderate-to-Vigorous PA (MVPA) per curling experience. This represents 23.9% of the weekly 150min of MVPA suggested by the CDC. The second position had the highest percentage of moderate activity level and a small percentage of vigorous activity. No other position reached a vigorous level. The skip position had the highest amount of sedentary activity as well as light activity. Females had a higher level of moderate activity in comparison to males. However, males reached a small amount of vigorous activity. The age group of 18 - 36 had the highest amount of moderate activity and the lowest amount of sedentary activity. This age group reached an average of 41.0 minutes of MVPA per curling experience. The age group of > 58 had the highest amount of sedentary activity and the lowest amount of moderate activity. Conclusions Curling may be a good sports participation option for adults looking for alternatives to meet recommended weekly amounts of MVPA. Participants should consider playing in one of the first three positions to maximize the amount and intensity of PA achieved while playing. Furthermore, since curling also requires balance, coordination, muscular strength, multitasking, strategic reasoning, and can cater to most physical challenges without compromising the integrity of the game, it may be an ideal sport to promote for adults of all ages and sport abilities. Implications for Practice and Policy Findings should be used to inform strategies for promoting curling as an opportunity for team sport involvement that has the added value of contributing to daily physical activity. However, , access and opportunities to play, especially for underserved populations, are limited. Given that most curling clubs in America are private and require a membership to play. Partnership arrangements between existing clubs and public parks and recreation departments could increase both access and opportunities to play.

The Garden and Its Walls

This essay examines the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver through a sociocultural lens. Positioned in Chinatown within Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), the garden is the first authentic Ming Dynasty-style scholar’s garden outside of China. Operating as both a public park managed by the Vancouver Park Board, as well as a paid garden managed by a nonprofit organization, the garden symbolizes an intersection of Canadian and Chinese cultures, offering a distinctive lens for analyzing cultural interplay. The concepts of the «contact zone» as well as assemblage theory are central to understanding the garden’s role in facilitating cross-cultural dialogues. Influenced by scholars like James Clifford and Mary Louise Pratt, the garden serves as a physical and conceptual space where cultures converge, fostering interpersonal dialogue among visitors of varied backgrounds. Philipp Schorch’s expansion of the contact zone to museum spaces offers a framework for analyzing the garden as representing Chinese culture in Vancouver as well as tying the garden to its locality. The analysis of the garden extends beyond its own confines and over its walls, exposing and exploring the complex relationship the garden has to its surrounding space, the DTES, and Chinatown.

Perception of urban green space among university students in Bangladesh.

Public parks and other green areas are crucial components of urban development. Urban management in emerging countries such as Bangladesh faces major challenges, especially because of the socio-environmental impacts of urbanization. Urban management initiatives in developing countries sometimes neglect crucial services for university students, such as study environments and recreational facilities. This study aimed to investigate students' perceptions of urban green space (UGS) and its potential benefits to our daily lives at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet, Bangladesh, We collected data from 438 respondents by using a survey questionnaire-based stated preference approach as a methodological tool, using non-monetary assertions as the basis for the method. The survey included questions about respondents' social background, the frequency with which they visited green spaces, the benefits of urban green spaces and their perception of urban green spaces. We performed statistical analysis both descriptive and inferential statistics. Our findings suggest that 71.7% of students primarily use street trees and peace gardens as their main sites for urban green spaces. The study suggests that the advantages of urban green spaces, which include physical, mental, and environmental benefits, are strongly associated with criteria such as gender, academic level, and vulnerable to home locality for climate change (CC) or extreme weather events (EWEs). The Binary Logistic regression analysis identified urban life as the most influential factor. The correct classification rate was approximately 74.7%, indicating the model's strong accuracy in classification. Students who have lived in urban areas for more than 20 years have a reduced awareness of urban green spaces at 5% level of significance. Planning and policymaking for the creation and administration of urban green spaces, considering aspects like land use and environmental sustainability, could benefit from this study.

Differential effects of urbanization-induced heavy metal pollution on soil microbial communities under evergreen and deciduous trees

Urbanization has significantly increased heavy metal contamination in urban soils, adversely affecting soil microorganisms, which are vital indicators of soil quality. However, the effects of urbanization-induced metal pollution on soil microbial communities remains largely underestimated. This study examines soil microbial communities and properties beneath the canopy of three deciduous and three evergreen trees in urban parks, situated at varying distances from the city center. The results demonstrated that urbanization consistently alters soil physicochemical properties, including pH, soil moisture, and specific heavy metal contents (e.g., Zn, Mn, Cr). The α-diversity of soil bacterial community was significantly influenced by pH and specific heavy metals (e.g., Cr, Cd), whereas the α-diversity of fungal community was affected by pH, independent of heavy metal concentrations. The response of heavy metal content to urbanization exhibited a consistent pattern across both deciduous and evergreen trees, although the effect differed between these tree types. Furthermore, urbanization impacts the diversity, structure, composition and network of soil microbial communities. Notably, the Shannon index of soil fungal communities under deciduous species shows an initial increase, followed by a decline as urbanization intensifies. In contrast, the Simpson index of soil bacteria under evergreen tree species decreases with increased urbanization. Moreover, urbanization alters soil bacterial networks, with higher network density observed in less urbanized areas. It may also affect microbial functions, such as xenobiotic and lipid metabolism. This study provided a theoretical basis for urban park soil management, which is crucial for enhancing urban soil ecosystem services and mitigating the adverse effects of urbanization.