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Characteristics of urban green space (UGS) to promote the diversity of users in a compact urban development

Ghorbanzadeh Bahadori, Maliheh (2022) Characteristics of urban green space (UGS) to promote the diversity of users in a compact urban development.

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Abstract:Urban green spaces, namely public urban parks, provide a range of physical and psychological wellbeing benefits for urban residents but often remain unused or under-used by a portion of the population. Especially in a compact urban development where land is scarce and developing new urban green space can be challenging, diverse users must use the valuable allocated land to urban parks to its fullest potential. This thesis aims to identify the characteristics of urban green space in a compact urban form and its surrounding neighborhood that promote diversity of users. The socio-ecological model(Schipperijn, 2010) was applied to conceptualize the factors of urban parks and surrounding neighborhoods influencing urban park use. The fifth dimension of neighborhood environment with function-mix, active travel, and public transportation was added to the model to adapt the model to this thesis. The study applies structured observation in two urban parks in Amsterdam's compact neighborhoods, and the diversity of the users was defined as users of different genders and ages. The result revealed that multifunctional areas in the parks attract more diverse users. Multifunctionality can be promoted by: a) placing a range of functions simultaneously within the same area or by b) spatial segregation of functions in one zone. Also, the findings indicate the synergy between the arrangement of activities in the park and the surrounding neighborhood’s land use and transportation offered unique activity chances. The active park use was promoted by better access to public transportation and walking/ cycling infrastructure in Oosterpark, and sports fields and broad walking pathways supported the possibility of active park use. The framework developed in this study provides a holistic overview of factors influencing the use of urban parks in compact development, and the findings provide an empirical understanding of such factors. This study highlights the need for collaboration between different disciplines, including urban planning, landscape design, and related fields, to pursue a common goal of appreciating the fullest potential of urban parks by promoting the diversity of users. Keywords: Urban green space, urban park, diversity of users, age, gender
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:ITC: Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation
Subject:43 environmental science, 74 (human) geography, cartography, town and country planning, demography
Programme:Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation MSc (75014)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/92005
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