The motivation and factors influencing visits to small urban parks in Shanghai, China

In densely populated cities with high-rise buildings, large green spaces are a limited resource, and it is hard to visit large green spaces frequently due to long distance from places of residence. Small Urban Green Space (SUGS) in dense city areas might contribute to satisfy the need for everyday experiences of outdoor areas, but the study on SUGS use is limited, in particular in Asian contexts.The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of socio-demographic factors, personal factors, spatial attributes of residence, and satisfaction with park features on the use of SUGS and sources of motivation for visiting SUGS. Data were collected through face-to-face survey, and were analyzed using a hierarchical regression model. Results showed that relaxation and rest (36 %), physical exercise (23 %), and meeting friends (21 %) were the three most widespread reasons for SUGS use. The results indicated that socio-demographic factors, personal factors, spatial attributes of residence and park features factors explained 23 %, 2%, 25.6 % and 3% of the total variance in frequency of park visitation, respectively. Age, being willing to spend time in nature, with child under 7 years, noise and facility were positively correlated with SUGS use. Income,distance from home to the park, and residential green spaces were negatively correlated with SUGS use.Our findings are expected to assist urban planners in creating guidelines to better utilize SUGS.

Automated summary

The study explored the use of Small Urban Green Spaces (SUGS) in densely populated areas, particularly in Asian contexts. Factors such as age, willingness to spend time in nature, having children under 7 years old, noise levels, and park facilities were found to positively correlate with SUGS use, while income, distance from home to park, and residential green spaces were negatively correlated. The findings are expected to aid urban planners in better utilizing SUGS.