Attitudes and Behaviors toward the Use of Public and Private Green Space during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran

Abstract

This paper reports the results of an exploratory study carried out in Birjand, Iran, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to explore the behavioral change in the use and the motivation to visit a green space (public or private) during the pandemic as compared to the pre-pandemic period, the effect of green spaces (private and public) on users’ feelings, the relations between the extent to which the access to green spaces was missed, and characteristics of respondents and the place they live. A survey was carried out through an online questionnaire in winter 2020 and about 400 responses were collected. The results showed a decrease in visitation of public green spaces during the pandemic, and higher visitation of private green spaces such as gardens or courtyards by those with access. In addition, both public and private green spaces enhance positive feelings and decrease the negative ones. Respondents missed access to green spaces, especially when their visitation before the pandemic was high, and women missed them more than men. Therefore, private green spaces might represent an opportunity for psychological respite in time of a pandemic, but also for socialization. The study reports respondents’ useful suggestions for urban landscape planning for the city of Birjand that might also be useful for other cities in dry lands; improving the quality of green spaces beyond the quantity may play a role in enhancing the connection to nature in the time of a pandemic, with positive effects on mental health, and this can also can improve recreation opportunities and reduce inequalities.

Exploring public values through Twitter data associated with urban parks pre- and post- COVID-19

“…Values associated with parks could be subject to environmental characteristics and social conditions as they often emerge from unique experiences in certain places ( Brown et al, 2015 , Chen et al, 2020 , Dickinson and Hobbs, 2017 , Hull et al, 1994 , Ives et al, 2017 ). During the COVID-19 pandemic when social distancing and home quarantine were recommended, the health and psychological benefits of urban parks became more salient as people were in need of being outside of home for mental rejuvenation, companion seeking, and physical activity ( Addas and Maghrabi, 2022 , Fagerholm et al, 2021 , Heo et al, 2021 , Khalilnezhad et al, 2021 , Noszczyk et al, 2022 , Reid et al, 2022 , Spano et al, 2021 , Ugolini et al, 2020 ). Although urban parks appear to be crucial to physical and mental wellbeing, decrease in usage or desire to visit was found to result from concerns about viral transmission, especially in places that tend to be crowded and at times when COVID cases were surging ( Addas and Maghrabi, 2022 , Fagerholm et al, 2021 , Larson et al, 2022 , Lopez et al, 2020 , Pan et al, 2022 ).…”

Change of Residents’ Attitudes and Behaviors toward Urban Green Space Pre- and Post- COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A lot of pieces of evidence have shown that the unavailability and absence of UGSs, social isolation, and blockades during COVID-19 have a negative impact on mental health [13], presenting varying degrees of anxiety, anger, fear, irritability, reduced well-being, and other negative emotions [14][15][16], and increasing the risk of mental health disorders [17]. On the other hand, exposure to blue-green space is beneficial for physical and mental health [18,19], relieves stress [3], reduces anxiety, improves attention recovery [20], and increases well-being and satisfaction. To some extent, it increases motivation to exercise and enhances physical activity, thus reducing diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia [21][22][23].…”

The impact of reduced time spent outdoors during the Covid-19 lockdown on the health and well-being of young people in Czechia

“…Less affected were those who live in a house with its own garden, which allowed for an outdoor stay in a "safe" environment. The positive influence of one's own gardens has also been documented from Italy (Spano et al 2021), Brazil (Marques et al 2021) or Iran (Khalilnezhad et al 2021). Also Lõhmus et al (2021) found that more greenery around the home is associated with fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.…”

“…The results of our study suggest that the deterioration of physical condition and mental well-being during the lockdown was more declared by women. The findings of an Iranian study (Khalilnezhad et al 2021) indicate that natural areas were also missing from women during the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Roe et al (2013) also point to the greater sensitivity of women.…”