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Land
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The Use and Perception of Urban Green Space in the...
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The Use and Perception of Urban Green Space in the Wake of COVID-19

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Planning and Landscape Architecture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 April 2024) | Viewed by 8010

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Francesca Ugolini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Bioeconomy – National Research Council of Italy, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Interests: plant-soil relationships; ecosystem services; urban green infrastructure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. David Pearlmutter

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental, Geoinformatic and Urban Planning Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
Interests: urban design; microclimate; green infrastructure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the success of the Special Issue of Land on the "Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Use and Perception of Urban Green Space", we are happy to announce the opening of a second volume of this thematic Special Issue.

The dramatic events of the pandemic have posed challenging questions worldwide, regarding not only public health but also the limitations on access to social spaces—particularly the isolation measures that were initiated in 2020 by most countries to contain the spread of the virus. The large number of scientific studies that have examined the effects of these measures demonstrates how such lockdowns particularly impact the use of urban green spaces and influence the public’s awareness of the critical role that such green spaces play in daily life.

Several common threads can be found in the first volume of our Special Issue. Although the use of green spaces is linked to the actual habits of individual people and their access to Nature, several studies highlighted the general need to guarantee equitable access to parks and other green areas, especially in a time of travel limitations (Nay et al., 2022; Burnett et al., 2022; Taff et al., 2021). Urban green spaces represent safe places for social interactions that were abruptly interrupted by the pandemic (Luo et al., 2022; Huerta and Utomu, 2022; Khalilnezhad et al., 2021), and people are keenly aware of the mental health benefits and relaxation that such places can offer (Uchiyama and Kohsaka, 2022; Li et al., 2022; Chen et al. 2022; MacKinnon et al., 2022). It has also been seen in multiple cases how the physical quality of a particular green space may influence the level of satisfaction and engagement by users (Feng and Burt, 2022).

The aim of this ongoing Special Issue is to collect further studies on how the need, perception and usage of green spaces have changed in the wake of the pandemic, and to shed light on how administrators and policy makers can confront the environmental, biological, and social threats that have arisen. It is our hope that by encouraging a communal discussion on the planning and management of urban green spaces, we can increase the resilience of both our cities and the natural environment on which they depend.

Dr. Francesca Ugolini
Prof. Dr. David Pearlmutter
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biodiversity
  • biophilia
  • cities
  • forest therapy
  • gardens
  • green spaces
  • health

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3605 KiB  
Article
Do We Need Different Urban Green Spaces Now? A Case Study of Preferences during Pandemics
by Ieva Misiune
Land 2023, 12(12), 2106; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122106 - 26 Nov 2023
Viewed by 940
Abstract
The role of public urban green spaces (UGSs) in providing various ecosystem services, especially those related to the physical and mental health of city dwellers, has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. While research has analyzed shifts in UGS visitation and changes in people’s [...] Read more.
The role of public urban green spaces (UGSs) in providing various ecosystem services, especially those related to the physical and mental health of city dwellers, has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. While research has analyzed shifts in UGS visitation and changes in people’s attitudes, there remains a noticeable gap in our understanding of the necessary adaptations required within UGS environments. This paper presents the survey results of Vilnius city residents (Lithuania) conducted in the final days of the quarantine in 2021 and discusses the findings in the broader context of other studies. The survey is centered on preferences for UGS qualities clustered into four groups. The results provide empirical evidence that UGS users highly prioritize ergonomic and ecological characteristics related to comfort and naturalness. However, the preferences differ between those who live close to UGS and those who live further away. In contrast, aesthetic and social qualities are of relatively lesser significance for all. Similar preferences have been identified in international studies, underscoring the global nature of this phenomenon that urban planners must consider when designing or enhancing local UGS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use and Perception of Urban Green Space in the Wake of COVID-19)
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13 pages, 1784 KiB  
Article
Virtual Forest Environment Influences Inhibitory Control
by Viola Benedetti, Gioele Gavazzi, Fiorenza Giganti, Elio Carlo, Francesco Riccardo Becheri, Federica Zabini, Fabio Giovannelli and Maria Pia Viggiano
Land 2023, 12(7), 1390; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071390 - 12 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1016
Abstract
Exposure to natural green environments, whether through visual media or in person, can bring numerous benefits to physical and mental health. Given the restorative effects that natural forest environments have on the human mind, it is plausible to assume that these effects can [...] Read more.
Exposure to natural green environments, whether through visual media or in person, can bring numerous benefits to physical and mental health. Given the restorative effects that natural forest environments have on the human mind, it is plausible to assume that these effects can also extend to cognitive processes, such as cognitive control, which are fundamental to higher-level cognitive function. In this study, we investigated whether viewing videos of urban or forest environments would have an impact on inhibitory control and attention in people with or without a past COVID-19 infection. To investigate the impact of virtual natural and urban videos on cognitive performance, 45 participants were recruited, and the exposure to forest vs. urban videos was assessed on a Go/No-Go task and an Attentional Network Test. The data showed that in both groups, exposure to the forest videos improved the inhibitory component. The results are discussed in the context of the well-established evidence of the beneficial effects of green environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use and Perception of Urban Green Space in the Wake of COVID-19)
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20 pages, 340 KiB  
Article
Time Spent Interacting with Nature Is Associated with Greater Well-Being for Girl Scouts Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Carly E. Gray, Peter H. Kahn, Jr., Joshua J. Lawler, Pooja S. Tandon, Gregory N. Bratman, Sara P. Perrins, Yian Lin and Frances Boyens
Land 2023, 12(7), 1303; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071303 - 28 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1089
Abstract
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic rendered daily life overwhelmingly difficult for many children. Given the compelling evidence for the physical and mental health benefits of interaction with nature, might it be the case that time spent interacting with nature buffered the negative [...] Read more.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic rendered daily life overwhelmingly difficult for many children. Given the compelling evidence for the physical and mental health benefits of interaction with nature, might it be the case that time spent interacting with nature buffered the negative effects of the pandemic for children? To address this question, we conducted a longitudinal investigation with a cohort of 137 Girl Scouts across two time periods: right before the onset of the pandemic (December 2019–February 2020) and one year later (December 2020–February 2021). We found that during the pandemic (compared to pre-pandemic), Girl Scouts fared worse on measures of physical activity, positive emotions, negative emotions, anxiety, behavioral difficulties, and problematic media use. However, by using mixed models, we also found that, on average, Girl Scouts who spent more time interacting with nature fared less poorly (in this sense, “did better”) on measures of physical activity, positive emotions, anxiety, and behavioral difficulties, irrespective of the pandemic. Further analysis revealed that these advantageous associations were present even when accounting for the amount of nature near each child’s home (as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index, percent of natural land cover, and self-reported access to nature). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating nature interaction and children’s well-being to use data collected from the same cohort prior to and during the pandemic. In addition, we discuss the importance of opportunities to interact with nature for children’s well-being during future periods of social upheaval. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use and Perception of Urban Green Space in the Wake of COVID-19)
25 pages, 4846 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Analysis of Seasonality and the Impact of COVID-19 on Tourists’ Use of Urban Green Space in Okinawa: An ARIMA Modeling Approach Using Web Review Data
by Ruochen Yang, Kun Liu, Chang Su, Shiro Takeda, Junhua Zhang and Shuhao Liu
Land 2023, 12(5), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051075 - 16 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1562
Abstract
We employed publicly available user-generated content (UGC) data from the website Tripadvisor and developed an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model using the R language to analyze the seasonality of the use of urban green space (UGS) in Okinawa under normal conditions and [...] Read more.
We employed publicly available user-generated content (UGC) data from the website Tripadvisor and developed an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model using the R language to analyze the seasonality of the use of urban green space (UGS) in Okinawa under normal conditions and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The seasonality of the use of ocean-area UGS is primarily influenced by climatic factors, with the peak season occurring from April to October and the off-peak season from November to March. Conversely, the seasonality of the use of non-ocean-area UGS remains fairly stable throughout the year, with a relatively high number of visitors in January and May. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted visitor enthusiasm for travel, resulting in significantly fewer actual postings compared with predictions. During the outbreak, use of ocean-area UGS was severely restricted, resulting in even fewer postings and a negative correlation with the number of new cases. In contrast, for non-ocean-area UGS, a positive correlation was observed between the change in postings and the number of new cases. We offer several suggestions to develop UGS management in Okinawa, considering the opportunity for a period of recovery for the tourism industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use and Perception of Urban Green Space in the Wake of COVID-19)
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21 pages, 2502 KiB  
Article
Different Environments and Physical Activity before and during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Data from Slovenia
by Vita Žlender and Stefano Gemin
Land 2023, 12(2), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020282 - 18 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1100
Abstract
The relationship between physical activity and green spaces has been widely researched, but less so when comparing physical activity in different environments. This study investigates the variations in physical activity across six environments (nature, park, urban, home, sportsground and indoor venue) and how [...] Read more.
The relationship between physical activity and green spaces has been widely researched, but less so when comparing physical activity in different environments. This study investigates the variations in physical activity across six environments (nature, park, urban, home, sportsground and indoor venue) and how it was influenced by lockdown governed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1161 participants using an online survey conducted in spring 2021 in Slovenia. The results show that 95.5% of respondents are somewhat physically active, mostly in nature and at home. Respondents found natural shade, trees, secure access to and secure use of green spaces most important, recreational routes most encouraging, and bad smells and crowdedness most discouraging for outdoor physical activity. During the lockdown, 80% of people maintained or increased their physical activity. Regression analysis showed significant differences in preference for green space characteristics and levels of physical activity in different environments. Several sociodemographic and living environment characteristics also appeared significant. Our research findings underline the importance of considering a variety of environments when exploring preferences for physical activity. They also provide scientific evidence and justification for recommendations in planning and policy-making to encourage outdoor physical activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use and Perception of Urban Green Space in the Wake of COVID-19)
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18 pages, 4377 KiB  
Article
Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown on Use and Perception of Urban Green Spaces and Demographic Group Differences
by Shiqi Wang and Ang Li
Land 2022, 11(11), 2005; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112005 - 09 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1540
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unprecedented travel restrictions around the world and significantly altered people’s daily behaviors. Although previous works have explored the changes in usage and perceptions of urban green spaces (UGS) before and through the pandemic lockdown, there are certain differences in [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unprecedented travel restrictions around the world and significantly altered people’s daily behaviors. Although previous works have explored the changes in usage and perceptions of urban green spaces (UGS) before and through the pandemic lockdown, there are certain differences in conclusions for various regions, and demographic group differences are not figured out. Our study aimed to evaluate the impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown on the use and perception of urban green spaces in Xuzhou, China and identify the differences across groups through an online survey of 376 respondents. The descriptive statistical results showed that approximately half reduced UGS visits, and one third reported increased importance of UGS’s health benefits, especially in mentality. During the lockdown, the city park and community park were the most common destinations and the well-maintained lawn was regarded as the most valued characteristic, followed by sports facilities and seating facilities. Walking was the most frequent means of travel, while public transport was the least common choice. The regression analysis suggested that age, marriage, living pattern and income have significant influences on usage and perception of UGS. The young and the unmarried were more likely to perceive increased social benefits by visiting UGS compared to before the pandemic. People living alone visited the private garden more frequently, and people from three-generation-families preferred green life streets. Richer people unusually spend more time in UGS, benefited more and had more potential to renew green activities. In addition, more perceived risks related to COVID-19 resulted in higher self-reported health benefits. Finally, the suggestions for encouraging UGS visits during the pandemic lockdown are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use and Perception of Urban Green Space in the Wake of COVID-19)
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