Vegetation density of urban parks and perceived appropriateness for recreation

Bjerke, Tore; Østdahl, Torbjørn; Thrane, Christer; Strumse, Einar

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2006.01.006

Cited by 211 publications

(132 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…However, these landscapes do not necessarily provide the best habitat for biodiversity. These preferences could in part be influenced by a perception that safety decreases as vegetation cover increases (Parsons 1995;Bjerke et al 2006); this is despite evidence that crime, including gun assaults, robbery and burglary, can decrease as vegetation increases (Branas et al 2011;Troy et al 2012). A second possibility is that there is a mismatch between perceived levels of nature and reality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Depending on the ecological context of a city such landscapes are not necessarily the most biodiverse or natural. On the other hand, dense vegetation in parks has been associated with safety concerns (Parsons 1995;Bjerke et al 2006) and is not necessarily conducive to some recreational uses of parks (such as ball or other sports, and some forms of children's playgrounds; Ferré et al 2006;McCormack et al 2010). Furthermore, some people have a conscious aversion to natural experiences (Bixler and Floyd 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What is the role of trees and remnant vegetation in attracting people to urban parks?

et al. 2014

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Public parks commonly contain important habitat for urban biodiversity, and they also provide recreation opportunities for urban residents. However, the extent to which dual outcomes for recreation and conservation can be achieved in the same spaces remains unclear. We examine whether greater levels of (i) tree cover (i.e. park 'greenness') and (ii) native remnant vegetation cover (i.e. vegetation with high ecological value) attract or deter park visitors. This study is based on the park visitation behaviour of 670 survey respondents in Brisbane, Australia, detailing 1,090 individual visits to 324 urban parks. We first examined the presence of any clear revealed preferences for visiting parks with higher or lower levels of tree cover or remnant vegetation cover. We then examined the differences between each park visited by respondents and the park closest to their home, and used linear mixed models to identify socio-demographic groups who are more likely to travel further to visit parks with greater tree cover or remnant vegetation cover. Park visitation rates reflected the availability of parks, suggesting that people do not preferentially visit parks with greater vegetation cover despite the potential for improved nature-based experiences and greater wellbeing benefits. However, we discovered that people with a greater orientation towards nature (measured using the nature relatedness scale) tend to travel further for more vegetated parks. Our results suggest that to enhance recreational benefits from ecologically valuable spaces a range of social or educational interventions are required to enhance people's connection to nature.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is the role of trees and remnant vegetation in attracting people to urban parks?

et al. 2014

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“…Density in this case mainly concerns how dense or covering the vegetation is at eye level or between knee and eye 307 level, and has been cited in several studies as important for perception of personal safety 308 (Schroeder & Anderson, 1984;Coles & Bussey, 2000;Jorgensen et al, 2002;Bjerke et al, 2006;309 Herzog & Bryce, 2007). For example Jorgensen et al (2002) found that naturalistic, dense 310 vegetation was perceived as unsafe.…”

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confidence: 99%

Perceived personal safety in relation to urban woodland vegetation – A review

Jansson

Fors

Lindgren³

et al. 2013

Urban Forestry & Urban Greening

181

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3Urban woodland vegetation provides people with many aesthetic, ecological and psychological benefits, 4 but can also generate problems concerning people's perception of safety. This paper reviews existing 5 knowledge about perceived personal safety in relation to vegetation, particularly woodland vegetation, in 6 urban green spaces such as parks and residential areas. Individual and social factors, but also vegetation 7 character, maintenance and design, proved to be important for perceived personal safety. Vegetation- (Schroeder & Anderson, 1984;Burgess et al., 1988).

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“…This resonates with other studies that have investigated the relative influence of quality versus quantity of neighborhood amenities. In relation to mental health, for example, the quality of parks and public open space has been found to be more important than quantity, both when quality is measured objectively [42] or by resident perceptions [43][44][45]. Similarly, the mere presence of "public spaces" within a community does not guarantee their use, with quality and aesthetics of such spaces an important determinant of how they are perceived and used by residents [46] More broadly, it is possible that the general tenor of satisfaction with suburban life (as measured by social capital and sense of community indicators) shapes attitudes towards features of that suburb as well as propensity for involvement, and this may explain the differences observed between suburbs in this study.…”

Section: Urban Studies Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Streets Apart: Does Social Capital Vary with Neighbourhood Design?

Bulsara

2012

Urban Studies Research

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While neighbourhood differences in social capital have been mapped, few empirical studies have considered the nexus between specific physical characteristics of communities and social capital. In this study we hypothesised that social capital would be positively associated with a more walkable street network design, but inversely associated with negative experiences and perceptions of neighbourhood environments. Data was gathered through a random cross-sectional telephone survey of adults (n = 339) from three suburbs with differing street network design. Although there was some relationship between street network layout and social capital, this was not always as hypothesised by previous studies. Perceived incivilities, lower levels of trust and support were among factors that may have countered some of the positive influences of a walkable street network design on social capital. Overall, our findings suggest that the built environment may influence neighbourhood social capital at both a real and perceived level. While the actual presence and type of facilities, neighbourhood design and walkability may impact on social capital formation and maintenance, so too can perceptions of the physical and social environment. Understanding the complex intertwining of physical neighbourhood features, perceptions and social dynamics is relevant to growing public policy interest in strengthening social capital for enhanced community wellbeing.

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Vegetation density of urban parks and perceived appropriateness for recreation

Cited by 211 publications

References 34 publications

What is the role of trees and remnant vegetation in attracting people to urban parks?

What is the role of trees and remnant vegetation in attracting people to urban parks?

Perceived personal safety in relation to urban woodland vegetation – A review

Streets Apart: Does Social Capital Vary with Neighbourhood Design?

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