Parks and Recreation: Perceptions and Uses of Neighbourhood Green Areas

Abstract

Urban green areas hold many important values relating to biodiversity, climate adaptation, human wellbeing, but also as a place enabling positive social settings. As technology developed, so did new ways to interact with people. When new contacts can be created all over the world through internet and long-distance travelling, spontaneous interactions and creating new contacts in our proximity risks being forgotten. However, social possibilities near the residence are still something many people call for. To enable such spontaneous interactions and open up for new contacts in the neighbourhood, attractive environments must be available where people want to spend time and have the option to meet new people. In Sweden, different planning ideals have formed neighbourhoods of varying character with different opportunities for people to meet. Depending on the time during which an area was built public spaces and green areas have been formed differently depending on concurrent planning paradigms. The aim of this study was to investigate if the use and perceptions of green areas in different neighbourhoods varied depending on the type of greenery, or during different weather conditions. The results show that wind conditions and sun access vary between the three areas. While harsher wind conditions had little effect on people’s use of green areas, sun access was noted as an important factor to make people visit the outdoors. Some variations in the use of green areas depending on the type of greenery present were noted, both for passive and active recreation. The results gathered in the study implies that to make people visit their neighbourhood green areas, good sun access should be granted, as well as ensuring possibilities to conduct different activities, both active and passive.