Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 2454252 |
| Journal | Ecosystems and People |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 10 Feb 2025 |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
Abstract
Public green spaces (PGS) have the capacity to fulfil the needs and interests of diverse groups of urban dwellers and thus contribute to their well-being. However, PGS designers and managers usually lack spatially disaggregated information on how PGS is used, by whom, and for what reasons. This study aims to assess spatial PGS visitation and avoidance patterns and their respective determinants using the city of Bochum, Germany as a case study. The research design consists of the design and application of an online map-based survey (public participation GIS–PPGIS) targeting residents and subsequent statistical and spatial analyses. Survey data include 807 completed surveys with 1084 marked visited points and 329 marked avoided points across the study area. Our results show both spatial clusters and co-occurrence of PGS visitation and avoidance. Respondents visit and avoid PGS for different reasons, which are linked to societal determinants (e.g. exercising or resting and relaxing), physical determinants (e.g. amount of grassy area or presence of trash) and sociodemographic background. Although reasons for PGS visitation and avoidance show limited spatial variation across different PGS, we find variation when disaggregating by gender and age. Insights generated can provide useful guidance for urban planners and policy makers for prioritising design and management actions to address reasons for avoidance of PGS, enhance their perceived quality and benefits, and craft PGS management concepts that better address place-specific conditions and preferences of different sociodemographic groups.
Keywords
- connection to nature, Davide Geneletti, ecosystem services and disservices, public green spaces, Public participation GIS (PPGIS), urban green infrastructure
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Environmental Science(all)
- Ecology
- Environmental Science(all)
- Nature and Landscape Conservation
- Environmental Science(all)
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Ecosystems and People, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2454252, 2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Why do people visit or avoid public green spaces?
T2 - Insights from an online map-based survey in Bochum, Germany
AU - Romelli, Claudia
AU - Anderson, Carl C.
AU - Fagerholm, Nora
AU - Hansen, Rieke
AU - Albert, Christian
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Public green spaces (PGS) have the capacity to fulfil the needs and interests of diverse groups of urban dwellers and thus contribute to their well-being. However, PGS designers and managers usually lack spatially disaggregated information on how PGS is used, by whom, and for what reasons. This study aims to assess spatial PGS visitation and avoidance patterns and their respective determinants using the city of Bochum, Germany as a case study. The research design consists of the design and application of an online map-based survey (public participation GIS–PPGIS) targeting residents and subsequent statistical and spatial analyses. Survey data include 807 completed surveys with 1084 marked visited points and 329 marked avoided points across the study area. Our results show both spatial clusters and co-occurrence of PGS visitation and avoidance. Respondents visit and avoid PGS for different reasons, which are linked to societal determinants (e.g. exercising or resting and relaxing), physical determinants (e.g. amount of grassy area or presence of trash) and sociodemographic background. Although reasons for PGS visitation and avoidance show limited spatial variation across different PGS, we find variation when disaggregating by gender and age. Insights generated can provide useful guidance for urban planners and policy makers for prioritising design and management actions to address reasons for avoidance of PGS, enhance their perceived quality and benefits, and craft PGS management concepts that better address place-specific conditions and preferences of different sociodemographic groups.
AB - Public green spaces (PGS) have the capacity to fulfil the needs and interests of diverse groups of urban dwellers and thus contribute to their well-being. However, PGS designers and managers usually lack spatially disaggregated information on how PGS is used, by whom, and for what reasons. This study aims to assess spatial PGS visitation and avoidance patterns and their respective determinants using the city of Bochum, Germany as a case study. The research design consists of the design and application of an online map-based survey (public participation GIS–PPGIS) targeting residents and subsequent statistical and spatial analyses. Survey data include 807 completed surveys with 1084 marked visited points and 329 marked avoided points across the study area. Our results show both spatial clusters and co-occurrence of PGS visitation and avoidance. Respondents visit and avoid PGS for different reasons, which are linked to societal determinants (e.g. exercising or resting and relaxing), physical determinants (e.g. amount of grassy area or presence of trash) and sociodemographic background. Although reasons for PGS visitation and avoidance show limited spatial variation across different PGS, we find variation when disaggregating by gender and age. Insights generated can provide useful guidance for urban planners and policy makers for prioritising design and management actions to address reasons for avoidance of PGS, enhance their perceived quality and benefits, and craft PGS management concepts that better address place-specific conditions and preferences of different sociodemographic groups.
KW - connection to nature
KW - Davide Geneletti
KW - ecosystem services and disservices
KW - public green spaces
KW - Public participation GIS (PPGIS)
KW - urban green infrastructure
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85217866161&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/26395916.2025.2454252
DO - 10.1080/26395916.2025.2454252
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85217866161
VL - 21
JO - Ecosystems and People
JF - Ecosystems and People
SN - 2639-5908
IS - 1
M1 - 2454252
ER -