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Making friends in Zurich's urban forests and parks: The role of public green space for social inclusion of youths from different cultures
Abstract
Integrating the distinct cultures of foreign resident youths is a challenge for Swiss political and educational institutions. An empirical survey of pupils (n = 437) and teachers in selected schools of the city and metropolitan area of Zurich investigated leisure activities in urban forests and public green spaces for their potential to facilitate social interaction between Swiss and immigrant young people. Patterns of socialising and making friends in these outdoor locations were found to differ depending on age, school level, gender and the percentage of immigrants in each residential area. Public urban green spaces were found to play an important role for children and youths in making contacts and friends across cultures, which is considered a prerequisite for social inclusion.
... Parks and green spaces may provide particularly important opportunities for social integration for groups who may be at risk of exclusion or marginalisation. For example, social interactions in urban green spaces have been found to help young people make friends across different cultures (Seeland et al., 2009). They provide opportunities for people from different ethnic groups to mingle (Peters et al., 2010). ...
... Exploring the role of parks in providing inclusive leisure spaces, Hindley (2018) found that Parkrun provided an environment for casual sociability, as well as facilitating a shared experience of exercising with others. Parks and green spaces can be inclusive and welcoming places for children and young people, who can build friendships outside their own cultural groups (Seeland et al., 2009). ...
... Studies in Berlin (Bendt et al., 2013) and Zurich (Seeland et al., 2009) found that natural spaces in cities can be places of shared learning and cross-cultural friendships. Luck et al. (2011) find that wellbeing in urban neighbourhoods is positively related to a variety of vegetation, Research with refugees and migrants shows the positive links between activities such as urban gardening and food sharing in natural environments, exploring woodlands, and establishing a sense of belonging (Eggert et al., 2015;Jay and Schraml, 2009;Rishbeth and Powell, 2013;Li et al., 2010). ...
This report summarises a rapid review of evidence on the social benefits of urban parks and green spaces. It has been conducted by researchers from Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Sheffield. It focuses on issues such as health, wellbeing and social integration rather than on the wider environmental and ecological benefits of green spaces.
It is based on a review of 495 empirical studies published within the last ten years that have been through a process of academic peer review, supplemented by an additional 31 papers reviewed in
order to cover evidence gaps. After sifting for quality and relevance, 385 papers were considered.
... Social interaction was the most common element in all the studies which reported the integration of people with a migration background. Seeland et al. (2009) reported that urban public green spaces played a role in facilitating social interaction, which was a prerequisite for social inclusion. The study by Leikkilä et al. (2013) also found that urban nature had the potential to facilitate social interaction among people from different ethnic groups. ...
... Migrants generally belong to the lower socioeconomic strata of society (Seeland et al., 2009), and many forests or parks are in places with wealthier inhabitants (Stodolska et al., 2017), which makes access to the natural environment difficult (Keith et al., 2018;Madge, 1997). In an earlier study, Stodolska et al. (2017) reported that accessibility depended on socioeconomic status. ...
... Migrants with a higher socioeconomic status visited distant nature parks and reserves more than migrants from lower socioeconomic strata. The lack of accessibility forced migrants to remain within their own ethnic groups (Seeland et al., 2009). ...
... Social relations/relationships were regarded as any relationship between two or more individuals, usually measured the quality of respondents' subjective assessments, including satisfaction with others or the number of acquaintances they had in UGS. The presence of UGS provided participants with opportunities to meet new friends (Seeland et al., 2009) Physical characteristics (Xin et al., 2020), quality (Kaźmierczak, 2013) and functions (Kaiser et al., 2021) provided by parks were significantly correlated with the social relations. However, residential greenery was not associated to residents' satisfaction with social relations (Orban et al., 2017). ...
... Perceived accessibility was shown to promote the usages of UGS (Sims-Gould et al., 2019), and significantly affect residents' social health benefits (Li et al., 2021). Compared with the objective measurement of distance, perceived accessibility to green spaces was related to social relationship (Seeland et al., 2009) and social support (Dadvand et al., 2016). Perceived safety is the main reason to decide whether people use UGS or not. ...
... The attractiveness of parks helped promote the use and physical activity of older adults (Carlson et al., 2012;Wagner et al., 2020). Attractive outdoor environments provided opportunities for young people to meet and make new friends (Seeland et al., 2009;Sims-Gould et al., 2019). Regarding preference, Zhang et al. (2021) claimed that preference ratings for landscape elements had a positive impact on residents' social health. ...
Urban green space is an important resource to effectively improve the urban environment and human health. A growing body of evidence highlights their positive impact on physical, mental and social health. Less focus has been paid to the social health benefits of urban green space. Designing urban green space to improve the social health of various groups has become a crucial problem, given the lack of uniformity in defining and measuring social health, as well as the varying social health needs of different individuals. This review aims to explore the relationship between urban green space and social health of individuals, which is defined as how one gets along with other people, how other people react to him/her, and how one reacts with the social institutions and societal mores. According to the PRISMA extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, 60 articles published between 1998 and 2022 met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. The results demonstrated that different types of urban green space significantly influenced the social health of individuals. The dimensions of social health of individuals based on urban green space could be divided into four groups: social contacts, social relations, social support and social connections, which were mainly affected by the physical characteristics, perceptions, and usages of urban green space to varying degrees. Socio-demographic characteristics could moderate the strength and orientation of the relationship between urban green space and social health of individuals. As the first scoping review to analyze the relationship between urban green space and individual social health, this study not only provides evidence for the social health benefits of urban green space, but also offers information and tools for future research and policymakers.
... Overall, the findings of this research support previous studies that define social activities through playing together, gathering and socialising in groups of different sizes (Baek et al., 2015;Chaudhury et al., 2019;Clark & Uzzell, 2002;Drianda & Kinoshita, 2015;Lachowycz, Jones, Page, Wheeler, & Cooper, 2012;Said, 2012;Seeland, Dubendorfer, & Hansmann, 2009). This importance of social activity is slightly different from previous studies in the European context, such as Seeland et al. (2009) in Switzerland, Peters et al. (2010) in Netherland, and Jay and Schraml (2009) in Germany, that suggest parks are increasingly used by youth to play adventure games, have barbeques and socialise. ...
... Overall, the findings of this research support previous studies that define social activities through playing together, gathering and socialising in groups of different sizes (Baek et al., 2015;Chaudhury et al., 2019;Clark & Uzzell, 2002;Drianda & Kinoshita, 2015;Lachowycz, Jones, Page, Wheeler, & Cooper, 2012;Said, 2012;Seeland, Dubendorfer, & Hansmann, 2009). This importance of social activity is slightly different from previous studies in the European context, such as Seeland et al. (2009) in Switzerland, Peters et al. (2010) in Netherland, and Jay and Schraml (2009) in Germany, that suggest parks are increasingly used by youth to play adventure games, have barbeques and socialise. ...
... In response to the second research question, "What park amenities are preferred by youth for social engagement?", findings show that youth prefer to be with their family in parks with natural elements such as woodlands, whereas they preferred to be with their friends in settings with splash zones/water parks, sports fields and playgrounds. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of youth preferences, as compared to studies suggesting parks are widely used and preferred for play and active forms of social activities, such as talking with friends/ peers and siblings, being with others in playgrounds and other natural areas (Baek et al., 2015;Chaudhury et al., 2019;Clark & Uzzell, 2002;Drianda & Kinoshita, 2015;Jansson & Persson, 2010;Jansson et al., 2016;Seeland et al., 2009). Youth responses to, "Where did you meet these friends? ...
People of varying ages have different reasons for visiting parks during their leisure time, and while previous studies often focused on youth activities during their play within parks, less attention has been given to which park settings are preferred by the youth themselves for socialising, and with whom they want to socialise. This study explored youth social engagement within neighbourhood parks as behaviour settings, considering the environments as theorised entities that embody predetermined uses by suggesting and or enabling specific activities. Data was collected using an online visual data collection method called a photo-choice tool with a total of 192 youth, aged 9–17 from the Moreton Bay Region of Queensland, Australia, who completed the tool while visiting a neighbourhood park. Using theoretical saturation during the analysis, the data was grouped into three main themes; environmental attributes (park settings), social attributes (people with whom youth preferred to go), and behavioural attributes (motives for the preferred activities). Findings show that the presence of others, including friends, siblings and parents, motivate youth in both age categories (9–12 years and 13–17 years) to visit parks, and this presence of people also affects their preferences for park activities. The results of this research demonstrate that accompanying friends is one of the most important reasons youth visit a park, and that social activities and social interactions among youth are not only affected by the affordances of the park settings, but also by the social affordances that youth present to each other.
... In studies conducted in the U.S.A., the fact that houses close to urban parks are more valuable and preferable for refugees and that refugees living in places where there are no urban open green areas do not like these areas express the significance of natural landscapes for refugees [6]. Zube and Pitt [26] found that Yugoslavs prefer natural landscapes more. However, it has been observed that the water scene is also important for refugees, and they use urban parks close to the water more [29] (Figure 2). ...
... At the same time, urban parks improve refugees' social interactions with other people through recreational activities. Seeland et al. [26], in their study on the social interaction between Swedish people and refugee students in Zurich, it was determined that refugees made friends more easily in urban parks and that urban parks improved the communication environment. Moreover, refugees' easy access to urban parks is also a substantial factor affecting their behavior. ...
Today, migration mobility is experienced intensely all over the world. As refugees seek asylum in their countries of origin, the process of integration begins spontaneously, and urban parks, which are the most important part of the public space and provide the unity of the city dwellers, play an active role in this process. "How does the use of urban parks change with the unpredictable number of refugees all over the world and especially in Turkey and how does this situation find expression in Ankara?" is the starting point of the study, while "the fact that refugees are under difficult socio-cultural and economic conditions has led to the use of urban parks and negatively affected the use of parks by local people" is the hypothesis of the study. Within the scope of the study, Ulubey Şehit Ömer Karaosmanoğlu Park, located in Altındağ district of Ankara, which is one of the countries hosting the highest number of refugees in the world and has the highest Syrian population in Ankara, was selected as the sample area and the park usage tendencies of both refugees and local people, how they feel about using the park together and whether the park contributes to the adaptation process were examined through a face-to-face survey. According to the survey data; it has been determined that there is not a full harmonization between the refugees using Ulubey Şehit Ömer Karaosmanoğlu Park and the local people and refugee women have more difficulties in harmonization than refugee men. With this study, solution suggestions are presented to local governments at the point of planning and design of urban parks in countries hosting refugees.
... NFPs contribute to the advancement of scienti c information and local economic development 8 . Through fostering a sense of place attachment, the acquisition of public spaces may contribute to a higher level of social cohesion 9,1,10 , living ful llment, and increased interaction with others 11,12 . ...
... and "inadequate facilities in the activity area" (42, 12.43%). Other reasons given for not visiting the forest parks included "poor public transportation" (40,11.83%), safety factors (35, 10.36%), "no companion" (29,8.58%), ...
As urbanization accelerates, there is an increasing desire for access to green spaces to promote human health; however, there is a scarcity of evidence documenting the characteristics that green spaces must have to provide genuine benefits. This research investigates the connection between greenery in public places and residents' health, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, which has boosted the need for such spaces. The focus is on understanding how forest parks are utilized and perceived by people in their daily activities, within the cultural context of China, with a specific emphasis on the constraints faced in China. The study examines the attributes of green spaces and the ecological characteristics of forest parks as accessible urban greenery, as well as their impact on the behavior of visitors. A survey of 338 residents visiting 5 forest parks from Suqian was conducted, utilizing a random sampling method for respondent selection. The results indicate that respondents use urban forest parks for relaxation, stress reduction, and enjoyable activities with family and friends. The research also reveals a strong connection between visitor usage patterns and forest park characteristics, including factors such as distance, safety, playground quality, natural elements, and quietness. Primary constraints that hinder the utilization of urban forest parks in Suqian were identified as the lack of time and long distances. Respondents expressed a higher interest in visiting forest parks more frequently if safety and accessibility were improved, along with the addition of extra amenities. These findings provide valuable insights into accessibility patterns and constraints related to the utilization of urban forest parks by Suqian residents. The research also offers suggestions for addressing public security and safety concerns based on residents' visiting habits. The outcomes of this research will be beneficial for future park development, design, and management.
... In spite of proposed recreational services from greenery, the actual contribution needs to be seen in context of what type of environment (Kleerekoper et al., 2017), where in the world (Benton-Short et al., 2019), and for whom doing what type of recreational activity (Ekkel and de Vries, 2017;Krellenberg et al., 2021) and how the environment meets the contextual needs . Trees provide large passive recreation potential and aesthetic appeal (Palliwoda et al., 2020;Schroeder et al., 2006), whereas lawns provide places where people can come together to engage in social activities (Hartig et al., 2014;Seeland et al., 2009;van Dillen et al., 2012). Aesthetics and naturalness (Knez et al., 2018) are important aspects of greenery for passive activities such as walking or relaxing, whilst it for more active activities such as playground visits or badminton has low importance compared to amount open space (Ekkel and de Vries, 2017;Krellenberg et al., 2021). ...
... Trees and lawns are assessed by all age groups as the most important types of greenery creating enjoyable residential outdoor areas (Table 4). Trees provide opportunities for recreation and enhance the aesthetic appeal of outdoor spaces (Palliwoda et al., 2020;Schroeder et al., 2006), while lawns serve as social gathering spaces (Hartig et al., 2014;Seeland et al., 2009;van Dillen et al., 2012). These attributes are essential features for creating enjoyable outdoor residential environments. ...
... Such interventions were found to promote prosocial behaviours and academic outcomes (small to moderate effect) (Forrest-Bank et al., 2016;Rousseau et al., 2005;Su and Tsai, 2016;Tucker et al., 2021;VanLith et al., 2021), and to reduce PTSD (large effect) (Eruyar and Vostani, 2020;Feen-Calligan et al., 2018;Kevers et al., 2022;Schottelkorb et al., 2012;Ugurlu et al., 2016), depressive symptoms (large effect) (Rousseau et al., 2005;Sirin et al., 2018;Ugurlu et al., 2016) and anxiety symptoms (large effect) (Gerami, 2021;Rousseau et al., 2005;). However, when reviewing this body of work a notable gap was identified with only two studies investigating nature play outcomes in CALD children, and doing so qualitatively (Hordyk et al., 2015;Seeland et al., 2009). For example, Hordyk et al. (2015) identified the nurturing role of nature for children, especially those facing migration-related stressors, while Seeland et al. (2009) found that green spaces have the potential to foster social inclusion and cross-cultural friendships. ...
... However, when reviewing this body of work a notable gap was identified with only two studies investigating nature play outcomes in CALD children, and doing so qualitatively (Hordyk et al., 2015;Seeland et al., 2009). For example, Hordyk et al. (2015) identified the nurturing role of nature for children, especially those facing migration-related stressors, while Seeland et al. (2009) found that green spaces have the potential to foster social inclusion and cross-cultural friendships. Such limited and predominantly qualitative literature on the impact of nature play programs on CALD children suggests that this field is in its early exploratory stage, highlighting the need for further comprehensive and diverse studies. ...
Nature play can significantly benefit children’s development, health and well-being, however, limited literatureon the considerations needed to deliver such programs for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) com-munities exists. Co-design methods in health promotion program design are gaining popularity, yet practicalguidance is lacking. Using a synthesised operational co-design framework, engaging industry experts and CALDchildren’s primary carers, a series of workshops were undertaken to develop a population-acceptable nature playprogram. The findings highlight the importance of providing culturally appropriate information and messaging,promoting social connectedness and cultural awareness, incorporating learning and education and addressingfears and judgments. This research contributes to varying bodies of literature and offers practical insights forprograms aiming to improve the health and well-being of CALD communities through nature play, warrantingfurther research to evaluate their impacts and long-term effects
... Especially for individuals aged 10-17, outdoor activities are an important way to make new friends. Offering the possibility of increased social cohesion on behalf of future generations, the coexistence of diverse individuals belonging to this age group in urban green spaces including immigrants should be encouraged to provide positive returns (Seeland et al., 2009;Peters et al., 2010). ...
... Looking at the age distributions in this study, it is seen that the participation rate of individuals between the ages of 25 and 34 years was 64%, and it is also known that most surveys are conducted with individuals from this age group. Gentin et al. (2019) and Seeland et al. (2009) explained that younger individuals interact more with immigrants in green spaces. Based on that information, it is possible to say that the younger population in this study also interacts more with immigrants or is more active than older individuals. ...
The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions of the people of Istanbul regarding Syrian immigrants and their common use of urban green spaces. The causes of conflicts that Istanbul residents and Syrians immigrants have experienced in green spaces are also addressed. An exploratory sequential design was used, being one of the mixed methods in which qualitative and quantitative approaches are used together. Semi-structured interviews and content analysis were conducted for the qualitative part of the study. For the quantitative part, data were collected from 389 people in Istanbul with a survey consisting of Likert-type scale questions. Explanatory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on the obtained data-set. As a result, it was found that Istanbul’s citizens have problems with Syrian immigrants in urban green spaces due to differences in activities, they expect Syrians to speak Turkish in mutual communication, and they do not want to interact with this group due to their negative attitude towards Syrian immigrants. More detailed research should be conducted to reduce the conflict between these groups. In addition, this study reveals that conflicts have increased due to the lack of green spaces, and an increase in green spaces may be proposed as a solution.
... Nature has traditionally played a central role in the Finnish identity, although there are signs of polarisation in relation to nature among younger generations (Hakoköngäs & Puhakka 2021). Meanwhile, it is increasingly recognised that contact with nature promotes psychological, physiological, and social well-being and health (Keniger et al. 2013). Contact with nature can play an important role for social cohesion and immigrant integration (Jay & Schraml 2009). ...
... Contact with nature can play an important role for social cohesion and immigrant integration (Jay & Schraml 2009). Green spaces seem to be especially important for immigrant youth to make contacts and friends across cultures (Seeland et al. 2009). Hence, nature can be an important means for integration, but it should also be understood as a resource that should be equally accessible to all . ...
... Green areas that promote social contact and a feeling of community benefit human health and social cohesiveness [30]. Gardens and parks are urban green spaces that have been demonstrated to help children and adolescents with social networking and inclusion [31]. Greenery has been related to increased social cohesion in neighbourhoods in quantity and quality [32]. ...
... People's windows may observe public green areas, resulting in sizeable green space distributions throughout the city, which can aid psychological concerns. Green space may boost the aesthetic value of a building's property while decreasing noise levels inside and outside [6] [31]. Green space benefits buildings and human lifestyles [18]. ...
The pandemic issue is frequently discussed in the news or mass media. In 2002, Ebola, SARS, and SARS-CoV-2 were highly infective viruses that caused a global pandemic, according to the pandemic chronology. Animals in the forest spread each of these viruses to people. Since the 1918 influenza pandemic, the unique human coronavirus COVID-19 has caused the fifth documented pandemic. In this era, there has been an increase in public awareness about urban green spaces. Many studies suggest that proper landscape planning and design with a sustainable mindset may provide a helpful and responsive environment for healthy urban improvement during pandemic crises. Thus, this study aims to look into the functions of urban green spaces for long-term environmental health, especially during pandemic crises. The research revealed that urban green spaces improve immune system performance, promote social capital and cohesiveness, reduce mortality, lengthen life expectancy, and potential adverse health impacts. The findings also emphasised various advantages of urban green spaces during pandemics, such as enhanced mental and physical well-being, less risk of disease transmission, and enhanced social cohesion. In summary, urban green space sustainability may support a healthy environment and lifestyle in metropolitan areas amid pandemic crises.
... Green space (GS) is critical to making cities inhabitable. It provides a wide range of cultural ecosystem services, improving inhabitants' health (Kaplan, 2001;Keniger et al., 2013), well-being and cognitive abilities (Berman et al., 2008;Browning & Lee, 2017;Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989), reducing stress and fatigue (Kaplan, 1992;Sheets & Manzer, 1991), and fostering altruism and social relationships (Coley et al., 1997;Seeland et al., 2009;Weinstein et al., 2009). These benefits depend largely on the use made of GS, in particular the type and the diversity of activities practised there (O'Brien et al., 2017), and the frequency and duration of exposure to nature (Cox et al., 2017). ...
... Social isolation encourages visits among younger groups through two pathways. First, public green spaces facilitate socialization, providing a place for personal interaction and face-toface communication (Seeland et al., 2009). This benefit can be especially prominent during periods of social isolation when indoor public spaces frequented by young people, such as cafes and tea rooms, are closed. ...
The COVID‐19 pandemic has profoundly influenced urban lifestyles, particularly the utilization of green spaces. While existing studies have primarily focused on the immediate effects of COVID‐19‐induced isolation, less attention has been given to the enduring impacts on green space usage patterns. This study addresses this gap by conducting three comprehensive surveys in Dezhou, China—before, during, and after the first wave of social isolation (December 2019, March 2020, December 2020). These surveys assessed socioeconomic conditions, commuting habits, green space usage habits, and landscape preferences, specifically focusing on usage frequency, duration of stays, and activities undertaken. Using Mann‐Whitney U tests and Spearman's rho correlations, we identified significant long‐term changes, including an increase in the frequency of visits by previously infrequent users, a reduction in visit durations, and a rise in high‐intensity activities. These trends persisted 9 months post‐isolation, highlighting the pandemic's lasting impact on green space usage and its critical role in enhancing public health and pandemic preparedness through thoughtful urban environmental design. This study not only sheds light on behavioral adaptations during a public health crisis but also offers evidence‐based strategies for urban planning to bolster societal resilience in the face of future pandemics.
... "Social", on the other hand, was uncorrelated with changes in CEB, a result that extends the findings of Chen and Lin [37]. Despite the ability of forests to promote social inclusion and build cross-cultural connections [82], Kaplan [83] argued that being alone in the forest gives people the opportunity to think about their self-worth and realize what is important to them. Kim et al. [25] used controlled experiments to demonstrate that being alone in a forest environment does indeed allow people to focus on thinking, reflecting, and cultivating mindfulness. ...
The decision-making process of China’s national forest park (NFP) system typically excludes the consideration of the public’s perceived benefits. In this regard, the objective of this study was to elucidate the type of cultural ecosystem benefits (CEB) that NFP can provide and to inform the evidence-based design of forest parks by establishing its linkage to the public’s perceived sensory dimensions (PSD). A CEB evaluation scale was developed for forest parks, and a 6-day public participation GIS (PPGIS) survey was conducted in Fuzhou NFP to collect evaluations of CEB and PSD at different sites from 853 respondents. The findings revealed that the CEB furnished by NFP is comprised of three dimensions. The three dimensions of cultural ecosystem benefits (CEB) are identities, experiences, and capabilities. The impact of different PSDs on CEBs varies, as do the impacts of high and low scores on CEBs for the same PSD. It can be concluded that the creation of more serene and open spaces will result in an increase in the CEB available to the public. Furthermore, designers may wish to consider enhancing single dimensions of PSDs in order to characterize different areas, which may prove to be a more effective approach than enhancing PSDs across the board. In summary, our PPGIS survey is expected to enable community-based governance of the NFP and provide a basis for a comprehensive sustainability dialogue between people and forests.
... physical and psychological well-being (Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989) (Liu et al., 2021;Sop Shin et al., 2005). Socializing is also another outcome of urban forest parks (Jay and Schraml 2009;Seeland et al., 2009). Urban forest parks contribute to the air quality improvement (Rowntree and Nowak, 1991), water management (Sanders, 1986), and other ecological services of the city by increasing the green space capacity, strengthened through biodiversity (Gao et al., 2020). ...
The excessive population growth leading to urbanization and, subsequent to it, urban sprawl, increases the size and number of urban settlements. Consequently, to fulfill the land needed for this expansion, humans encroach the public open areas, including highly crucial urban green spaces. Generally, any kind of greenness within the city, known as urban green spaces, benefits the ecosystem and the inhabitants. Hence, the green infrastructure, universally, should be preserved. Urban parks, specifically urban forest parks, serving as recreational green public spaces, are beneficial for environmental issues and human’s mental and physical health, in other words, well-being, by enabling them to interact with nature. To appropriately preserve the urban forest parks, being aware of the motivational factors for the visitors have a key role. While the willingness factors vary amongst people, it is important to know whether different people can experience the same park diversely, which is almost attractive in terms of general park features. Hence, the study refers to the concept of sense of place, capable of turning spaces into the desired places, framing the users’ behavior and transmitting cultural meaning.
Augmentation occurs using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in urban environments. It can be as simple as telecommunication technologies or very complicated ones. With their everyday use in peoples’ lifestyles, they have penetrated humans’ real lives, fading away the border detaching the real world from the world of computer-mediated services. Nowadays, a holistic technological perspective dominates the urban areas rather than individual ICT projects, which can reshape people’s interaction with their surroundings. Hence, the ICT-enriched spaces result in augmented spaces that convey a sense of place, supporting meaning-making and behavior framing.
With its recent definition, gamification, which is the process of making activities more game-like, is a sample of augmentation. While triggering motivation in the users, it can support inducing new behaviors or reshaping the existing ones. Currently, gamification is spread out to various domains, both in academia and amongst practitioners. However, while gamification may involve any type of content, it is called a serious game in the case of transmitting serious educational content besides being entertaining. They are able to engage the player with the education of a certain topic or enhancement of a specific skill.
The recent covid-19 outbreak and consequent confinement periods affected people's everyday lifestyles. While suddenly, people lost the freedom of being outdoor, experiencing new places, and interacting with each other, the technology rescued them from such a phenomenon. Virtual environment served them as a mediator to be in the same place, interact, and experience their daily activities in a novel form. Additionally, gamification changed even the sense of their virtual places.
This thesis aims to enrich the park visitors’ experience via entertainingly introducing the Atatürk urban forest park to them, accompanied with educational content, by means of a locative serious game. The game benefits from the public awareness reinforcement to serve urban green space preservation. It generates a sense of placeness in its in situ mobile version and desktop version, played remotely, to frame the players’ behavior for the sake of its aim.
The thesis is divided into six chapters to achieve its intended aim:
The first chapter, the introduction, describes the excessive population growth leading to urbanization and its subsequent, urban sprawl, which increases the size and number of urban settlements and decreases the area of highly crucial urban green spaces. Discussing the green infrastructure benefits, this part emphasizes the importance of its preservation. After a brief debate around the possible ways of this conservation, this chapter continues with the thesis's purpose, method, and content.
The literature review part, located in the second and the third chapter, introduces the types, definitions, and the benefits of the urban green spaces, instanced as parks and urban forest parks. This chapter continues with a description of the park experience, followed by the concept of the sense of place. Augmentation and the use of ICTs for behavior framing are described, followed by the idea of gamification, serious games, related case studies, and software.
Next, in the fourth chapter, the thesis continues with the research part. Firstly, it introduces the selected area, Atatürk Urban Forest Park, with its detailed fauna and flora information. Then, it proceeds with the game development part, introducing the operated 360° panoramic field photography with a smartphone and using 3dvista Virtual Tour PRO software as the game development tool to provide a locative serious game.
For the evaluation of the developed game’s success, in the fifth chapter, the thesis conducts an online survey, including a Google form questionnaire, requested to be filled after the gameplay, focused on the remote version, inspired by the pandemic situation.
Finally, in the last chapter, the thesis results are concluded, and the discussions around the future possibilities of the provided method and its capabilities are made to enlighten the field for further studies.
... Z kolei brak dostępu do terenów zielonych wiąże się z poczuciem izolacji i brakiem wsparcia społecznego, podkreślając negatywne konsekwencje urbanizacji pozbawionej elementów naturalnych. Badania wskazują, że miejskie tereny zielone, takie jak parki czy ogrody, mogą służyć jako przestrzenie integrujące społeczności, zwłaszcza dzieci i młodzież, poprzez stwarzanie okazji do interakcji i wspólnych aktywności [29]. ...
W ostatnich latach zaobserwowano istotne zmiany w relacjach dzieci z naturą, które mają wpływ na ich zdrowie i rozwój. Rozdział ten analizuje trend „deficytu natury” oraz jego wpływ na dzieci w kontekście miejskim. Poprzez zestawienie wyników badań i obserwacji terenów zielonych oraz przestrzeni publicznych, rozdział skupia się na identyfikacji korzyści zdrowotnych wynikających z interakcji dzieci z naturą oraz parkami miejskimi. Omawiane są także różnorodne czynniki środowiskowe, cywilizacyjne i psychospołeczne, które wpływają na dostęp dzieci do terenów zielonych oraz ich zachowania w tych przestrzeniach. Wnioski z analizy literatury przedmiotu podkreślają kluczową rolę parków miejskich i terenów zielonych jako środowiska wspierającego zdrowie psychiczne, fizyczne, społeczne i poznawcze dzieci. Opracowanie sugeruje, że odpowiednie projektowanie i zarządzanie terenami zielonymi w miastach może przyczynić się do zwiększenia dostępności i atrakcyjności dla dzieci, co ma kluczowe znaczenie dla ich zdrowego rozwoju.
... The promise of sociable engagement with others has long been associated with children's motivations for playing in the digital space (Albarello et al., 2021;Olson, 2010). The opportunity to meet other players, in particular their friend group offered a value to their digital play that is not dissimilar to the experiences children value from other play spaces (Seeland et al., 2009;Skar et al., 2016;Ziaesaeidi et al., 2023). Studies of playgrounds and play materials highlight the links between the features, layout and design with children's playability and sociability (Morgenthaler et al., 2023;Stanton-Chapman & Schmidt, 2021;Wenger et al., 2023). ...
... In addition, urban green spaces offer opportunities for recreation, relaxation, and connection with nature, improving the overall well-being and mental health of city dwellers (Akpinar et al., 2016;World Health Organization, 2016 1 ). Urban green spaces can also contribute to the cultural identity and sense of place for urban communities (Seeland et al., 2009;Keleg et al., 2021). Blue spaces (including man made surface water) are also associated with improved human well-being and mental health (Smith et al., 2021). ...
The significance of urban landscapes in safeguarding biodiversity is often disregarded, even though a considerable amount of conservation focus is directed toward biodiversity hotspots where urban land conversion is happening at the fastest pace. Maintaining biodiversity in urban areas not only benefits the environment, but along with social, economic, and technological factors can increase the stability of urban systems to disturbance, a concept known as “urban resilience”. In this synthesis paper, we explore the ecological dimension of urban resilience and specifically focus on avian biodiversity because birds are easy to observe, relatively abundant, and can serve as an indicator of the overall health of urban environments. We first examine the concept of ecological resilience and discuss the role of environmental stressors associated with urbanization in the ongoing avian biodiversity crisis. We then provide an overview of characteristics of the urban environment that may promote ecological resilience in birds, and associations between social and economic factors and urban ecological resilience. Finally, we provide recommendations on future research regarding strategies to improve urban ecological resilience and thus, urban resilience as a whole, at the intersections of urban ecology, ecosystem ecology, environmental justice, and urban planning. Since 68% of the world’s population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050, it is imperative that scientists, urban planners, civil engineers, architects, and others consider urban ecological resilience as a dimension of both environmental health and the resilience of cities to future natural and anthropogenic stressors.
... Urban parks, along with forests, squares, gardens, planted alignments, and other categories of green spaces, as well as wetlands and floodplain rivers (Rojas, Páez, Barbosa, & Carrasco, 2016 represent a component of paramount importance to the urban environment, bringing numerous environmental (Haase et al., 2014;Ngom, Gosselin, & Blais, 2016;Wu & Rowe, 2022), social (Peters, Elands, & Buijs, 2010;Seeland, Dübendorfer, & Hansmann, 2009) and economic benefits (Hoshino & Kuriyama, 2010;Kong, Yin, & Nakagoshi, 2007). Additionally, urban parks are extremely beneficial for ameliorating population health (Nutsford, Pearson, & Kingham, 2013;Zhang, van Dijk, Tang, & van den Berg, 2015): thus, some studies show their positive effects such as increasing the level of physical activity, psychological well-being (Lee & Maheswaran, 2011;Tinsley, H.E.A, Tinsley, Tinsley, & Croskeys, 2002), reducing obesity (Toftager et al., 2011;Wolch et al., 2011) or diminishing the level of stress (Fan, Y., Das, K.V., Chen, Q., 2011;Ward Thompson et al., 2012). ...
Green space accessibility is an important component of life quality, due to the many benefits it brings to human communities. This aspect is especially relevant in urban environments, which are characterized by a high density of residential and commercial buildings, as well as by higher levels of pollution (especially air and noise pollution) caused mainly by transportation or industrial activities. Thus, city inhabitants must have good access to green spaces, where they can enjoy peace, tranquility, clean air, vegetation and which if properly equipped, will allow them to carry out multiple recreational, sporting, social and cultural activities. This study reveals accessibility levels to urban parks in the city of Constanța, calculated in a GIS environment using the Balanced Floating Catchment Area (BFCA) approach on three distance thresholds: 400 m, 800 m and 1200 m. The results of this study reveal both low general values and important territorial differentiations regarding the accessibility of urban parks. The highest level of accessibility was observed for the 400 m threshold, while the lowest level was observed for the 1200 m threshold. These aspects can have important implications in the process of sustainable urban planning of a city that encouraged residential construction (19.1% increase from 1990 to 2021) at the expense of green spaces and the quality of life of its inhabitants.
... Therefore, this phenomenon likely results from a mix of cultural background, social needs, and adaptability, reflecting older adults' unique context. Similarity, the subjective dimension of urban park accessibility plays a key role in influencing park use and health-related behaviors and significantly affects the correlation between green space and social relationships [100]. In this study, participants were predominantly young retirees. ...
Urban parks play a crucial role in enhancing the social interactions of older adults. However, despite the broad recognition of urban parks’ benefits, there is a notable gap in research focusing on their role in promoting social interactions, particularly in Asia. This study explores the effects of personal, social, and physical factors and park use patterns on older adults’ social interactions. Survey data from 589 older adults aged 50 years or older were collected through face-to-face and online questionnaires and were analyzed using a hierarchical multiple regression model. The results showed that personal factors, social factors, physical factors, and park use patterns explained 10.8%, 8.2%, 9.4%, and 2.3% of the total variance in park social interactions, respectively. Key factors like gender, health status, social cohesion, features, conditions, accessibility, and park use patterns were found to significantly influence these interactions. This study provides empirical evidence to support the important role of urban parks in facilitating social interactions among older adults and contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex factors affecting these interactions. To meet the needs of older adults and maximize the social health benefits, these prominent factors should be emphasized in policy development and interventions, integrating older adults’ perceptions and personal experiences.
... In a city with poor air quality, people will try to avoid outdoor activities and thus have less chances to meet other people, reducing the possibility of social networking and participation in social and political activities. Furthermore, parks, open spaces, and streets where people of all socioeconomic classes can naturally interact are often recognised as important spatial elements for promoting exchange and social inclusion (Sauter and Huettenmoser 2008;Seeland, Dübendorfer, and Hansmann 2009). ...
Spatial inclusion is defined as the availability of space and mobility for underprivileged people, as well as the physical closeness of different social groups. This study seeks to uncover the key components of spatial inclusion that increase social inclusion by investigating the links between spatial and social inclusion characteristics in South Korean cities and regions. A micro-dataset on personal health and social life, as well as other publicly available data, such as Census data are examined. The results suggest that increased spatial inclusion improves social inclusion of socially underprivileged people. However, the effects of each component of spatial inclusion are distinct. While housing affordability has mixed effects on different dimensions of social inclusion, an open settlement environment generally has a positive effect on social inclusion. The findings provide important implications for promoting social inclusion in cities and regions.
... It could also promote the integrity of the amygdala as an effect of stress reduction (Kühn et al. 2017). Green spaces, especially within playgrounds, also have a positive influence on the social competence of children by facilitating their communication and interactions (Seeland et al. 2009). Studies have also shown that green spaces can have a positive impact on selfsatisfaction and social contacts amongst teenagers (Dadvand et al. 2019). ...
... It could also promote the integrity of the amygdala as an effect of stress reduction (Kühn et al. 2017). Green spaces, especially within playgrounds, also have a positive influence on the social competence of children by facilitating their communication and interactions (Seeland et al. 2009). Studies have also shown that green spaces can have a positive impact on selfsatisfaction and social contacts amongst teenagers (Dadvand et al. 2019). ...
... A parkokban az elidegenedés valamelyest eltűnik, a rekreációs tevékenységek pedig a társas kötelékek kialakulásának fontos alkalmaivá válnak. A kellemes mikroklíma, a nyugodt környezet ideális helyszínt kínál a szabadidős aktivitásokhoz, indirekt módon támogatva az informális társadalmi interakciók, a kultúrák közötti párbeszéd kialakulását és a hátrányos helyzetűek integrációját is (Sullivan et al., 2004;Seeland et al., 2009;Thompson et al., 2014;Wolch et al., 2014). A parkokba látogató családokat, baráti társaságokat is vonzza az eszményi környezet, a gyakori parklátogatás által elégedettebbnek érezik magukat, az együtt eltöltött idő pedig megszilárdítja kapcsolataikat (Mohamad Muslim et al., 2018). ...
A rendszeres fizikai aktivitás pozitív egészségügyi hatásairól megdönthetetlen bizonyítékok állnak rendelkezésünkre. A városi zöldterületek helyszínt biztosítanak a rendszeres testmozgáshoz, így – ökológiai jelentőségükön túl – részt vesznek a városlakók egészségének, jóllétének megőrzésében is. Jelen munkánk egy már megkezdett szegedi empirikus vizsgálatunkhoz, a szegedi Erzsébet-liget sportrekreációs parkhasználatának feltárásához kapcsolódó szakirodalmi áttekintés. Bemutatja a városi parkok jelentőségét, funkcióit, valamint azok szerepét az ember jó szomatikus, pszichés és szociális közérzetének létrehozásában, különös tekintettel a fizikai aktivitásra és néhány olyan változóra, ami mindazt befolyásolja (pl. elérhetőség, szociodemográfiai különbségek). Annak ellenére, hogy a fizikai aktivitást, valamint a zöldterületek elérhetősége és használata közötti összefüggést vizsgáló kutatási eredmények meglehetősen szerteágazóak, általánosságban elmondható, hogy a szabadtéri rekreációs infrastruktúra könnyebb elérhetősége elősegítheti a fizikai aktivitás növekedését, csökkentheti az inaktív életmód egészségügyi kockázatait, s vele együtt annak társadalmi terheit is. Figyelembe véve, hogy egy-egy lakóhely sport, rekreációs és egészségcélú aktivitásainak keresleti és kínálati oldalát az adott településre jellemző természeti, társadalmi, gazdasági és infrastrukturális tényezők befolyásolják, szükség mutatkozik azokra a további feltáró vizsgálatokra, amelyek közelebb visznek bennünket a problematika megértéséhez.
... Yet, crucially, other research suggests that encounters between strangers with different cultural ancestries tend to be too fleeting (Stodolska et al. 2017b) and cursory (Jay and Schraml 2009;Seeland et al. 2009) to sustain social integration wellbeing benefits. Fleeting interactions mainly occur around conversation hooks such as sports, children, dogs and foreign accents . ...
In this review, we synthesise the results of studies that examine how the relationships between public urban nature spaces and wellbeing vary by ethnicity in cities of the Global North. We searched for articles that reported on the relationships between public urban nature spaces, ethnicity and wellbeing. We found 65 articles that met our inclusion criteria. From our review, we found positive and negative relationships between public urban nature spaces, ethnicity and wellbeing in four interrelated domains: integration/relationship building, therapy, safety and capabilities/competency building. The findings of this review inform park management by offering twelve wellbeing pathways to design urban nature spaces that are more inclusive to all residents.
... The historical significance can include living memorial sites that are embedded in green infrastructure such as the case study of a beloved Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana Decne.) that survived the terrorist attack at the 2011 World Trade Center in New York City, providing a reference to community resilience ). Shared values and interests such as gardening ) and growing local food ( ) with other users of the greenspace can also increase attachment to the space and others, promote social interactions, and thereby facilitate social cohesion ( Soga et al., 2017;Egerer et al., 2018;Jay and Schraml, 2009;Nath et al., 2018;Chang, 2020;Kabisch and Kraemer, 2020;Keith et al., 2018;Rogge et al., 2018;Gasperi et al., 2016;Seeland et al., 2009) ; Table 3). ...
... These answers underline those general statements, which speak, that to be engaged in regular physical activities suitable infrastructural background (DUNCAN -MUMMERY, 2005;HILLSDON et al., 2006) as well as closeness to nature are needed the most ( VAN HERZELE -DE VRIES, 2012;KOTHENCZ et al., 2017). In addition, our results -based on the opinion of each third respondent -also demonstrate that green areas play an extremely significant role in socialization and shaping social and cultural relations (SULLIVAN et al., 2004, SEELAND et al., 2009. A positive feature of our research is that a personal query was used, and the data were gained on the spot; these features provided new information with the help of previously never investigated variables. ...
Objective: Our research was aimed to explore the opportunities Szeged’s largest park, the Erzsébet Liget's offers in the area of sport recreation, in addition, the composition, the sports habits, and the contentment of the park's adult visitors who came from nearby and also from more distant places. We hypothesized that the characteristics of access to the park and the characteristics of park use depend on the proximity of the user's residence. At the same time, their socio-demographic features and contentment are unrelated. Method: Our primary data were gained using random paper-based questionnaires (N=108). Those people were asked who was doing some physical exercise at various sports scenes in the park. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to explore the relationship between different categorical variables. Results: The proximity of the park and the users' place of residence was strongly related to the travel time and the chosen mode of transport. At the same time, it did not show any significant relation to the features of park use for sports. These features, primarily due to the elderly visitors, only impacted the frequency of park visits with an aim other than sport. Also, no significant difference was found concerning the park's proximity, contentment with the services, and socio-demographic variables, although some tendencies were identified. Conclusion: The park's proximity did not have an impact of significance concerning the composition and the contentment of park visitors and their use of the sports facilities.
... Η ενσωμάτωση των διαφορετικών πολιτισμών των αλλοδαπών νέων κατοίκων είναι μια πρόκληση για την πολιτική ηγεσία και τα εκπαιδευτικά ιδρύματα. Οι δημόσιοι αστικοί χώροι πρασίνου παίζουν ένα σημαντικό ρόλο για τα παιδιά και τους νέους ώστε να κάνουν επαφές και φίλους μεταξύ διαφορετικών πολιτισμών κάτι το οποίο θεωρείται απαραίτητη προϋπόθεση για την κοινωνική ένταξη (Seeland et al. 2009). Οι δραστηριότητες στο φυσικό περιβάλλον χρησιμεύουν ως εργαλείο για την υγεία και την ευημερία των μεταναστών (των παιδιών και των οικογενειών τους) παρέχοντας συναισθηματικά και σωματικά εφόδια ενάντια στις αντιξοότητες (Hordyk et al. 2015). ...
... Patterns of socialising and making friends in these outdoor locations were found to vary by age, school level, gender, and the percentage of immigrants in each residential area. A main observation was that public urban green spaces play an important role for children and youths in making contact and friends across cultures (Seeland et al., 2009). ...
A primary goal of the welfare state is to ensure that children and young people have a good upbringing and that families feel secure. However, several studies indicate that the risk of marginalisation and social exclusion increases, especially among children of low‐income and immigrant families. Why some children seem to be more loosely connected to people and the world around them is poorly understood. Based on a Foucauldian critical discourse review, this article aims to explore the most cited academic discourses on children’s connections to the social and material environment—typically referred to by terms such as “social inclusion,” “social participation,” “social integration,” and “social exclusion.” The main research questions are: What has been addressed in this literature, by whom, and what are the knowledge gaps? Some of the most important observations are that the most influential literature on children’s connections is typically written by psychologists, address children settled in the US, and tends to neglect important explanation factors, such as the material conditions of children’s everyday life. Implications for the (re)production of knowledge and knowledge gaps are discussed.
... Individual capacities determine to what extent an actor is able to derive benefits from UGS. They can be related to their physical attributes or health condition, e.g., allergies (Seeland et al. 2009, Raymond et al. 2017. Furthermore, personal resources, such as time budget and finances can represent a barrier depending on factors like age, family situation, and professional status or gender (Rutt andGulsrud 2016, Holt et al. 2019). ...
Although potential urban green space accessibility is being discussed widely, specific barriers that affect accessibility are often under-estimated. They do not equate to limited or uneven accessibility nor are they exclusively related to physical settings. Rather, the range of barriers and their complex interactions, including people’s perceptions, personal conditions, and institutional frameworks, make this topic less clear cut and difficult to put into practice for planning purposes. Given the importance of barriers when people make decisions, we present a conceptual framework to capture the cumulative and interactive effects of different barriers on realizing recreational benefits of urban green spaces. The framework classifies physical, personal, and institutional barriers and highlights their interactions based on three case studies: Stockholm, Leipzig, and Lodz. We argue that constraints to the accessibility of urban green spaces are not so much the interactions between various physical, personal, and institutional barriers, but more the significance that beneficiaries assign to them as perceived barrier effects. Studying barriers seeks to improve the knowledge about the non-use of urban green spaces and to enable us to draw conclusions about the actual accessibility of recreational benefits. Deduced from the conceptual framework, three pathways are contrasted for improving accessibility to the recreational benefits of urban green spaces: the environment, knowledge, and engagement. We argue that these pathways should not be a diffuse objective, but a sensitive and scale-dependent re-balance of individual, physical, and institutional factors for considering justice in environmental and green space planning and management. Our systematic conceptualization and classification of multidimensional barriers enables a more comprehensive understanding of individuals’ decisions in terms of accessing recreational benefits.
... In addition, knowledge mapping of sustainable building design development was performed using Cite Space software by Guo Yanlong et al. [43]. Seeland et al. [44] suggest that activities inside the park have a positive impact on improving the mood of those who play in the park. Kang et al. [45] also proposed a theoretical framework for the restorative nature of soundscapes, stating that soundscapes have a direct effect on individual recovery in terms of psychological, physiological and attentional aspects, as well as an indirect effect due to audiovisual interactions, and also proposed a semantic description of the restorative characteristics of soundscapes and their counterparts [46]. ...
Urban Forest parks are indispensable areas in cities and have ecological and social advantages, and the quality of their acoustic landscapes is an important factor influencing visitors’ visiting experience. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the acoustic landscape on psychological stress relief in selected urban forest parks in China. This study used a questionnaire to construct an index system for psychological stress reduction and designed a questionnaire for the perceived impact of stress-reducing acoustic sources with user perception and stress-reducing restoration evaluation as the entry point. The research team conducted field research and online questionnaire survey on the questionnaire.com platform from 1–5 July 2022, in Huolu Mountain Forest Park, an urban forest park in Guangzhou, and collected 266 valid questionnaires. SPSS26.0 was used to analyze the results of the impact of the urban forest park on users’ psychological stress relief. Spearman’s rho correlation analysis and a Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric test were used to reveal the relationship between social, demographic and behavioral factors of tourism and sound source perception, and multiple regression analysis was used to identify the key factors of urban forest park. The results showed that, first, there were significant individual differences and correlations between respondents’ age, education level, visit time and frequency on soundscape perceptions; the older the respondent or the higher the education level, the higher the psychological stress relief evaluation of natural sounds such as birdsong in urban forest parks; the more frequent the visit, the more sensitive the users were to sound source perceptions; and the different visit time periods showed that, when the frequency of the visit was higher, the more sensitive the users were to the sound source. Secondly, natural sounds are important factors for psychological stress relief in soundscape, and natural sounds such as birdsong, cicadas, flowing water, and the sound of breeze blowing leaves have positive benefits and significant contributions to psychological stress relief. Third, the overall restorative evaluation of soundscape perception and the separate evaluation of natural, mechanical, and human-made sounds had significant effects, and the overall restorative evaluation showed that the cumulative contribution value of attractiveness was greater than that of compatibility and consistency. Fourth, soundscape plays a role in psychological stress relief, as evidenced by significant differences in pleasure and arousal levels but not in control.
... Private gardens are scored 'medium' as they can offer both the potential for incidental and deliberate interaction -but in terms of overall impact they are considered to deliver less impact than communal gardens, which may offer space for interactions for many different users (de Bell et al. 2020), and are assigned a value of 'high'. Pocket parks and parks offer greater potential than communal gardens and are rated 'very high', given potential use by dog walkers, recreational users and for planned social activities (Seeland et al. 2009, Peschardt et al. 2012. Botanical and heritage gardens are rated 'high', because use may be restricted by the facilities or planting arrangements. ...
Urban Green Infrastructure (GI) provides multiple benefits to city inhabitants and can be an important component in nature-based solutions (NBS), but the ecosystem services that underpin those benefits are inconsistently quantified in the literature. There remain substantial knowledge gaps about the level of service supported by less studied GI types, e.g. cemeteries, or less-studied ecosystem services, e.g. noise mitigation. Decision-makers and planners in cities often face conflicting or incomplete information on the effectiveness of GI, particularly on their ability to provide a suite of co-benefits. Here, we describe a feature-based typology of GI which combines elements of land cover, land use and both ecological and social function. It is consistent with user requirements on mapping, and with the needs of models which can conduct more detailed ecosystem service assessments which can guide NBS design. We provide an evidence synthesis based on published literature, which scores the ability of each GI type to deliver a suite of ecosystem services. In the multivariate analysis of the typology scores, the main axis of variation differentiates between constructed (or hybrid) GI types designed primarily for water flow management (delivering relatively few services) and more natural green GI with trees, or blue GI such as lakes and the sea, which deliver a more multi-functional set of regulating services. The most multi-functional GI on this axis also score highest for biodiversity. The second element of variation separates those GI which support very few cultural services and those which score highly in enabling physical wellbeing and social interaction and, to a lesser extent, restoring capacities. Together the typology and multi-functionality matrix provide a much needed assessment for less studied GI types, and allow planners and decision-makers to make a-priori assessments of the relative ability of different GI as part of NBS to address urban challenges.
This article presents a review of methodological advancements and transformative potential in participatory processes with young people in urban landscapes. It offers a framework understanding of current types of participatory processes in relation to urban landscape planning, and underlines lifeworld and action as two key components in transformative participatory processes with young people. The two-step scoping review of a literature sample (n = 44 studies) finds a prevalence of less-interactive approaches to young people’s participation in urban landscapes, and subsequently analyses openings for lifeworld and action in the more interactive approaches described (n = 17 studies). The interactive methods described demonstrate opportunities to facilitate young people’s own articulations of lifeworlds within the urban landscape, especially in extended processes deploying multiple creative methods. The relatively few examples of actions and interventions resulting from participatory processes points to the need for further development and the ambition to include young people in transforming urban landscapes towards increased sustainability.
The rapid pace of urbanization and increasing urban density in India has led to critical concern about the sustainability and livability of urban environments. In the city of Gurugram, public open spaces (POS) like parks and playgrounds are limited, highlighting the problem regarding their availability and accessibility. This study analyzes the current distribution of POS in the city of Gurugram at the ward level and compares the existing situation with national planning guidelines. It also aims to identify the population served by POS and the areas deficit in POS provision. The analysis reveals a deficit in per-capita POS at the city level, which stands at 3.14 m2 and shows high variability across different wards. A significant gap in the provision of housing area and neighborhood level POS was observed. The accessibility index calculated using Geographic Information System (GIS) based network analysis, reveals uneven access patterns across the city, with five wards lacking POS accessibility for residents, located primarily in central and southern-central areas. None of the wards of the city had all of its area serviced by POS, and only six wards had above 50 percent of the population residing in area serviced. These findings emphasize the need for strategic interventions to ensure universal access to POS, aligning with the sustainable development goals for urban areas.
(...) Od początku pracy nad monografią obie redaktorki były przekonane o interdyscyplinarnym poszukiwaniu tożsamości, wskazywaniu kierunków odnowy i rozwoju zdewastowanych parków, a także możliwości ich rewitalizacji wraz z połączeniem nowych form projektowych. Wszystkie zabiegi miały dążyć do przywrócenia parków miejskich, podworskich i przypałacowych jako otwarte dla społeczeństwa przestrzenie zielone.
Rozdziały zawarte w monografii zatytułowanej „Parki publiczne miejskie, podworskie i przypałacowe jako przestrzenie wielofunkcyjne – perspektywa interdyscyplinarna” tworzą zbiór czternastu różnorodnych prac.
Outdoor thermal comfort has become an important factor affecting human mental and physical health due to rapid urbanization. This study aimed to investigate the influence of brightness and prominent colors on thermal perception in hot summer and cold winter regions. Meteorological measurements were conducted accompanied by subjective thermal and visual questionnaires (n = 2020) during summer and winter. The physiological equivalent temperature (PET) was applied as thermal indices to evaluate the influence of visual conditions on thermal perception. The results showed that (1) the neutral PET is 20.2 °C with a range of 14.8 ~ 25.7 °C in Chongqing and neutral illumination range is 0 ~ 8663 lx. (2) Thermal sensitivity is most great in neutral brightness than bright and too bright groups. The influence of outdoor prominent colors in winter supports hue-heat hypothesis. However, in summer, result only supports the hypothesis under low thermal stress. Both cool and warm colors can reduce the thermal sensitivity of visitors compared to neutral colors (gray and white). (3) The interactions between colors and brightness are more obvious under low thermal stress levels. (4) Thermal perceptions of females are more greatly affected by brightness and prominent colors compared with males. These results could help landscape designers better understand the correlation between the thermal and visual environments and provide a reference for comprehensive designs of urban open spaces.
Urban parks support community well-being and foster social connections through their restorative effects. This study examined the benefits of visiting parks, particularly perceived stress reduction and community attachment. Moreover, we analyzed the restoration effects as perceived by park users to gauge potential improvements in stress management and community bonding. Our findings revealed that spending time in urban parks offers significant benefits, notably enhancing stress management abilities and attachment to the community. In particular, park users’ perception of restorative effects was associated with increased levels of community attachment. A lack of perceived restorative effects negatively impacted stress management capabilities. These findings have critical implications for the sustainability of urban park development and management, emphasizing their contribution to residents’ mental health and community bonding. By recognizing and maximizing the restorative potential of urban parks, policymakers and park managers can create spaces that foster improved mental health, stronger social connections, and enhanced community well-being.
The aim of the thesis is to determine the perception of the people of Istanbul towards Syrian immigrants in the common use of urban green spaces. In addition, the causes of the conflict that the Istanbul citizens and Syrians have experienced in green areas are also included. Exploratory Sequential Design was used, which is one of the mixed methods in which qualitative and quantitative used together. Semi-structured interviews and content analysis was conducted for qualitative part. For quantitative part, data were collected from 389 people in Istanbul between 14 March – 1 May 2020 with a survey consisting of Likert-scale questions. Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed on the obtained data set. As a result, it was found that Istanbul’s citizens have problems with Syrian migrants in urban green spaces due to the activity difference, they expect Syrians to speak Turkish in mutual communication, and they do not want to interact with this group due to their negative attitude towards Syrian immigrants. It has
been observed that scientific studies should be carried out in more detail to reduce conflict between groups. In addition, it has been stated that conflicts have increased due to the lack of green spaces, and to minimize, green space increasing has been proposed as a solution.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, social interaction in parks became important outdoor activity for urban residents to mitigate social isolation and achieve mental health benefits internationally. While literature primarily researched what park feature and characteristics influence the self-reported social interaction, the purpose of this study is to expand the overall park quality measurement by incorporating both objective and subjective park attributes from multiple aspects, and explored their associations with social interactive behaviors assessed through an established protocol. A case study in Utah was conducted to assess the relationships between both overall and separate park qualities and social interaction through hierarchical linear models (HLMs). The results indicated overall park quality was the most significant predictor of social interaction, followed by sub-areas, including green space and playground, and park size. Aesthetic features, maintenance and cleanliness can promote social interaction while numbers of facilities and amenities didn't show effects. The subjective attributes of park environment are more effective in influencing social interaction than the objectives. To assist municipal planners and policy makers to create socially harmonious and cohesive communities in various cities, we provided a general design guideline to encourage social interaction and promote health benefits through the enhancement of urban park quality.
Introduction
Exposure to green space can bring many benefits to physical and mental health, but in China, the attractiveness of green space to youth groups seems to be not significant. The question of how to encourage young people to go out of the house to better perceive green space, enjoy nature, and promote physical and mental health is on our minds.
Methods
This study combines young people’s green space perception, green space use, and purpose of visit to explore its impact on the emotional health of youth groups, combined with the PANAS psychological data scale, an online questionnaire survey of 426 residents (18–35 years old) in three Chinese cities, and was used to construct a multiple regression model and AMOS structural equations.
Results and discussion
The results of the study showed that, firstly, environmental attractiveness, environmental odor, and number of facilities were the key factors influencing adolescents’ landscape perception evaluation, while activity space, environmental odor, and environmental attractiveness had a greater impact on adolescents’ emotional well-being. Second, among adolescents’ visit purposes, socializing and fitness were more likely to help them generate positive emotions while resting and viewing activities were effective in helping them alleviate negative emotions. In addition, in terms of usage, residents who took public transportation as well as those who arrived on foot were the most emotionally healthy. The findings of this paper provide insights for public policymakers, urban planners, and landscape architects to better encourage youth participation in green spaces when they are installed.
نعرض من خلال هذه الورقة العلمية بعنوان "المساحات الخضراء ضمن تخطيط الاحياء السكنية في المدن- بين الضرورة والاهمال-" الدور الذي تاديه المساحات الخضراء داخل المدينة حيث يعتبر العنصر الاخضر احد المكونات الاساسية للحياة الحضرية وذلك ما يقدم للانسان من فوائد في جوانب عديدة منها الجانب الاجتماعي و النفسي والبيئي، كما يعد الاهتمام بالعنصر البيئي في المدن دلالة على المستوى الثقافي و التنموي للمدن، فهذا ما كانت عليه المدن في الحضرات السابقة
والبلدان المتقدمة في العصر الحالي ما يشير الا ان العنصر الطبيعي ضروري في الحياة الحضرية للانسان. ومن هنا نطرح التسائل العام: ماهو دور المساحات الخضراء داخل المدن؟، وماهي التوجهات الحديثة للدول في هذا المجال؟ .
We show through this scientific paper entitled "Green Spaces within the planning of residential neighborhoods in cities- between necessity and neglect-" the role that green spaces want inside the city, where the green element is one of the basic components of urban life, and this is the benefits offered to the human being in many aspects, including the social aspect And psychological and environmental, as interest in the environmental component in cities is an indication of the cultural and developmental level of cities, this is what the cities were in the previous civilizations.
The developed countries in the current era indicate that the natural element is necessary in the urban life of a person. Hence we offer general question: What is the role of green spaces within cities?, What are the modern trends of countries in this field? .
This article aims to show the importance of green space and the need to include it in the programs and projects of residential neighborhoods in the city and its embodiment. Green spaces provide social, environmental and psychological benefits to the residents of urban neighborhoods, in addition to the aesthetic character and creating a balance between what is physical and natural in the sense of "ecology of the city", and considering it an element of belonging and social cohesion and creating social ties that contribute to reducing the rate of violence and crime in residential neighborhoods, as well as Understanding the relations between man and nature, this is what the results of foreign studies in America and Europe have concluded, and this article also seeks to determine the position of Algeria according to this direction.
Advancing engagement and representation of racially and ethnically diverse communities in parks is an increasing priority for addressing environmental injustices. However, to date, few quantitative tools exist to assess and monitor the effectiveness of such practices. This study included the development, testing, and validation of a new scale focused on three integrated factors reflecting multiple dimensions of racial environmental justice: Park Engagement, Procedural Participation, and Ethno-racial Representation (PEPPER). The PEPPER scale performed well in a Pennsylvania state level pilot sample (N = 611) and subsequently in a national sample (N = 1,212) of racially and ethnically diverse park users, exhibiting strong model fit in first and second order confirmatory factor analyses as well as measurement invariance by race/ethnicity and park user status. Findings provide evidence of the measure’s potential utility as a tool for capturing public perceptions of racial environmental justice in park contexts.
Social interaction is significant for individuals’ mental and psychological well-being in communities. With the
growing demand for outdoor activities in urban settings under the COVID‑19 pandemic, urban parks have
become important public resources for human social activities. Researchers have developed numerous instruments
to measure park use behaviors, but most are designed for assessing physical activity while ignoring
social interactive behaviors. Despite the importance, no single protocol objectively assesses the range of social
interactions in urban outdoor environments. To bridge the research gap, we have developed a social interaction
scale (SIS) based on Parten’s scheme. The innovative protocol, named Systematically Observing Social Interaction
in Parks (SOSIP) was developed based on the SIS, allowing systematic evaluation of human’s interactive
behaviors in outdoor environment both from their levels of social interaction and group size. The psychometric
properties of SOSIP were established through the verification of content validity and reliability tests. Additionally,
we applied SOSIP to explore relationships between park features and social interaction via hierarchical
linear models (HLMs). Statistical comparisons between SOSIP and other forms of social interaction were discussed
and indicated strong reliability of applying SOSIP. The results indicated SOSIP is a valid and reliable
protocol for objectively assessing social interactive behaviors within urban outdoor environments and informing
better understanding of individuals’ mental and psychological health benefits.
With the growing number of nuclear families that have a higher disposable income, and a willingness to spend for disparate reasons possibly on the only child in the family, children are unquestionably emerging as a critical market segment that marketers would do well to target. However, while marketing to children is necessary, given the current focus on sustainability, encouraging responsible consumption seems to be a prerequisite. Making children environmentally literate would thereby, significantly help in the ongoing efforts to save our planet from environmental degradation. Based on this backdrop, this study investigates the significance of encouraging children to consume ‘sustainably’. Drawing upon Richard H Thaler and Cass R Sunstein's Nudge theory, along with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG -12), we employ a novel methodology to visually encode information gleaned from the extant literature. Specifically, we discuss the significance of developing sustainable habits in children and analyze the ‘nudges’ that motivate children to adopt sustainable habits. Additionally, we specify different nudge elements derived from the extant literature and plot them in a RADAR chart. We observe that 'simplified process' and 'ease of access' nudging have the greatest effect when delivered in school. This study has academic, managerial, and societal implications. The findings of the study would help managers to focus on the nudges in their campaigns. Research scholars and academicians could understand the significance of using the ‘RADAR’ chart methodology and can expand their studies in various other domains. The present study also helps to understand the extant literature and plan for future research in the domain of sustainable consumption. The findings of the study would help schools and parents understand the effective nudges that result in creating responsible consumers that would largely benefit society.
Faced with the prospect that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change will be far-reaching and long-term, the international community is showing interest in urban green space (UGS) and urban green infrastructure utilization as a solution. In this study, we investigated how citizens’ perceptions and use of UGS have changed during COVID-19. We also collected their ideas on how UGS can raise its usability. As a result, more people became to realize the importance of UGS. In particular, the urban environmental purification function from UGS was recognized as giving great benefits to respondents. On the other hand, the patterns of UGS use were mixed with decreasing UGS use to maintain social distancing or increasing UGS use to maintain health or substitute other restricted facilities. More than half of respondents had their UGS visit patterns impacted by COVID-19. In particular, the increase rate of UGS use was rather high in the group that seldom used UGS before COVID-19. In addition, they increased the use of UGS to replace other limited facilities, and thus tended to demand an increase in rest facilities. Based on these results, this paper suggested securing social support and sustainability for the policy by reflecting users’ demand in landscape planning related to the increase of UGS in the city. This study can contribute to improving the resilience of UGS and the sustainability of urban space planning.
The preservation and advancement of grassroots associations, such as community garden groups, often depend upon an association's ability to leverage a variety of resources situated within itself, that is, among its membership and outsiders whom it can convince to support its cause. With the salience of resource mobilization in mind, this study aimed to understand how the social relationships formed within community garden settings assisted community garden leaders in accessing resources. The findings suggest "leisure episodes" are particularly important to building strong ties, a common source of social capital, and therefore serve as the social lubricant for social capital production.
This study examines how the availability of nature influences the use of outdoor public spaces in two Chicago public housing developments. Ninety-six observations were collected of the presence and location of trees and the presence and location of youth and adults in semiprivate spaces at one high-rise and one low-rise public housing development. Results consistentiy indicated that natural landscaping encourages greater use of outdoor areas by residents. Spaces with trees attracted larger groups of people, as well as more mixed groups of youth and adults, than did spaces devoid of nature. In addition, more dense groupings of trees and trees that are located close to public housing buildings attracted larger groups of people. These findings suggest that natural elements such as trees promote increased opportunities for social interactions, monitorng of outdoor areas, and supervision of children in impovershed urban neighborhoods.
Children growing up in the inner city are at risk for a range of negative developmental outcomes. Do barren, inner-city neighborhood spaces compromise the everyday activities and experiences necessary for healthy development? Sixty-four urban public housing outdoor spaces (27 low vegetation, 37 high vegetation) were observed on four separate occasions. Overall, inner-city children's everyday activities and access to adults appeared remarkably healthy; of the 262 children observed, most (73%) were involved in some type of play, and most groups of children (87%) were supervised to some degree. In relatively barren spaces, however, the picture was considerably less optimistic: Levels of play and access to adults were approximately half as much as those found in spaces with more trees and grass, and the incidence of creative play was significantly lower in barren spaces than in relatively green spaces.
This qualitative and quantitative research investigates the leisure activities of 265 young adolescents in Tasmania, Australia, in relation to their social constructs of home and neighbourhood as private and public spaces, and in the practical contexts of their day to day lives. As these young people search for meaning and identity in a fast changing world dominated by economic and technological globalisation, the symbolic materials available to them both socially and spatially are examined using innovative research methods which involve visual as well as verbal triggers. Findings show that their chosen activities, while reflecting global trends in the use of information and communication technology, focus mainly on friendship network building in the immediate locale and take place predominantly in home and neighbourhood. Favourite places for leisure pursuits also emphasise the importance and idealisation of the ‘traditional’ home and of the natural environment in the search for private places in which to withdraw and reflect. Findings also suggest that the adolescents seek private spaces for safe seclusion or group activities with close friends as part of the process of construction of self as a reflexive and symbolic project. The inherently ‘conservative’ and highly gendered responses of the sample are discussed in the context of current sociocultural theories linking space, place and identity.
In the study reported in this article the roles of social cohesion, residential satisfaction, and place identification are examined for their effect on place-related social identity and its consequential impact on attitudes to environmental sustainability. Two neighborhoods in Guildford, Surrey, England were selected on the basis of their social histories, housing types, and socioeconomic composition. Ninety residents in each neighborhood were sampled. Research methods included cognitive mapping and a questionnaire survey. A structural equation model was used to analyze the covariances between the different factors. The results show clear differences between the two neighborhoods in terms of residential satisfaction, with only some differences in terms of identification and social cohesion and sustainability. Conclusions are drawn that suggest an important relationship between identity and sustainability behavior that is suggestive for future research.
Investigated the degree to which pre-adolescents as well as adolescents associate with parents and peers in their leisure time. Based on recent theoretical conceptions of childhood sociologists, a questionnaire was designed for children and young teens (aged 10–15 yrs). 927 Dutch juveniles from different social classes participated. A leisure kids typology was constructed by means of Principal Components Analysis for categorical data (PRINCALS). It was found that 10–12 yr olds from higher social classes were family kids. They spend a substantial part of their leisure time with parents and siblings. Male 14–15 yr olds, especially those from higher social classes, strongly focused on peer groups. In contrast, females of the same age have a salient preference for dyadic friendships. Questions on parental attitude towards leisure activities and choice of friends show that 10–12 yr olds, especially those from higher social classes, experience most parental interference in their leisure activities. Teenage girls from lower social classes encounter most parental attention concerning peer contacts. Findings partially support theoretical conceptions regarding the parent–peer orientation of children and teens, but add some important nuances to these general perspectives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The increasingly multicultural character of modern urban society creates challenges and opportunities for the urban forester. For the urban forestry strategy to respond effectively to contemporary social issues, it must include policies and programs that promote social inclusion and the involvement of disadvantaged ethnic communities. This can be accomplished through a distinct community strategy. Although the fundamental principles of community involvement still apply, their application needs to reflect the multicultural diversity of the individual city or neighborhood. The education, consultation, and participation elements of the community strategy are delivered through a wide range of events and activities specifically designed to promote social inclusion and the engagement of ethnic communities.
The availability of accessible and attractive green spaces is an integral part of urban quality of life. This paper presents an integrated indicator designed for: (1) the monitoring of the urban green space provision against quantitative and qualitative targets; (2) the comparison between cities and city parts; (3) the assessment of the effects of future policy scenarios; (4) the indication of locations where action is required. The indicator development was guided by five principles: “citizen based”, “functional levels”, “preconditions for use”, “variety of qualities”, and “multiple use”. The parameters were derived from the available research on public preferences and use of green spaces. The indicator is made operational in a GIS-based working procedure starting from the residential places and based on a two-step approach: (1) The accessibility: which green spaces are within reach at different functional levels? (2) The attractiveness: which are the accessible green spaces’ qualities? The GIS-model was applied in four cities of Flanders (northern part of Belgium): Antwerp, Ghent, Aalst and Kortrijk. This article explains the underlying ideas and the construction of the monitoring tool and discusses the suitability as a touchstone for current and future policy as well as its possible guiding role in local planning situations.
This paper attempts to provide an explanation of why reductionist approaches are not adequate for urban sustainability policy-making. Concepts derived from ecology such as urban environmental carrying capacity and ecological footprint. and concepts coming from economics such as cost benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis are discussed. Social multi-criteria evaluation (SMCE) is proposed as a general multi-dimensional framework for urban sustainability policies. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which participation in leisure activities directed towards cooperation and effective communication affected the development of social capital and sense of community in a group of children at an international camp. Methods of data collection included participant observation and focus groups, which included drawings as a part of the focus group procedure. Through an inductive analysis of qualitative data gathered from 32 eleven-year old campers, leisure was observed to provide a common ground for the children's relationship building and the development of shared meanings. The findings suggest that leisure can provide a foundation for the development of shared meanings through the process of participation and social learning, which in turn is conducive to the emergence of social capital and community.
Urban forests and parks are forested areas that can serve as refuges for privacy. This article presents a conceptual argument for urban forests and parks as privacy refuges, and data that support the argument. On-site visitors (n = 610) to four Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., Metroparks were surveyed in 1995. Results indicated that considerable amounts of privacy were obtained during visits to the urban forests and parks, that people spent an average of two-plus hours per visit to these privacy refuges, that certain settings (habitats) within the refuges were preferred over others for privacy, and that "reflective thought" was the most important function (benefit) that privacy served within the refuges. The findings have implications for preserving and managing urban forests and parks as nearby refuges where the basic human need for privacy can be found.
This paper examines the determinants of recreational practices amongst members of three diverse voluntary associations in the North West of England, focusing on being hosts and guests in private homes and eating and drinking outside the home. Using multi-level models analysing a rich data source on the social networks of members, we show how respondents' sociability is affected less by their socio-demographic characteristics than by the nature of their social networks. We show, against expectations, that there is little evidence of homophily in these recreational practices, which indicates that informal social contacts may be especially important in generating "bridging" and "boundary-spanning" types of social capital. We use the evidence to argue the need for a "sociology of companionship" which highlights routine sociability around rccreational practices.
Within the framework of the ethnologic seminar held at the Basle University and of the prioritary « politics of integration and development of the city » of the government programme the cantonal delegate for immigration was charged to elaborate a model and concept of action for a future politics of integration. A reflexion conducted to this end on emigration themes showed that the immigrants’ culture was not to be considered only from an ethnologic point of view, but within a more socio-economic problematics. On the example of the town of Basle one determines which mechanisms generate social inegality and inhibiting factors of integration.
Subjects from Senegal, Ireland, and the United States were asked (a) to identify their favorite place and (b) to give the reason it was chosen. The purpose was to see whether people from different cultures share a preference for certain environmental forms or features, built or natural, that could indicate the existence of cultural universals. The study found far more similarity in place preferences among the different cultures than differences between them, with each country generating almost identical categories of favorite places. Overall, 38% of the subjects identified their own place, belongings, or family home, and 61% identified some part of the natural environment. As favorite places, built environments-parficularly those offering social interaction, such as sports centers and places of entertainment-were more often mentoned by those from Senegal. The reasons given for the choice of favorte place fell into place centered, person-centered, and interactive perspectives.
In this paper the powerful relations between mental health and nature are explored with reference to past asylum horticultural practices and to contemporary community gardening schemes for people with mental-health problems in the United Kingdom. Through the use of archival evidence, alongside contemporary voices of experience, understandings of the therapeutic and social dimensions to nature work are outlined and deconstructed. It is argued that particular discourses concerning the powers of nature (work) in managing madness and mental-health problems are largely consistent across time and space (from the asylum to the community). However, in the contemporary era it is particular types of nature work that arguably contribute most directly to state agendas for social inclusion, and therefore to securing the place of people with mental-health problems in mainstream society. By briefly profiling the voices of staff and 'volunteers' from two urban garden schemes in England and Scotland, different experiences of garden work as 'restorative' and as 'interventionist' will be discussed. I conclude by evaluating how embodying and enacting gardening work act as a sustainable vehicle for new versions of social citizenship for people traditionally marginalised in mainstream society.
Following long-term social change in the UK there is a growing political recognition that social and economic disadvantage and exclusion have racial and age-related dimensions. In addressing these issues, much emphasis has been placed on the rhetorical connection between the provision of public leisure facilities and the promotion of social and racial integration. However, while there has been much work related to leisure centres and other built facilities, there has been little consideration of the potential role of urban parks and playgrounds. In addressing this imbalance, the paper finds that public parks are more accessible to ethnic minority youth than other types of leisure facility. However, this accessibility is highly localized and, consequently, uneven. Using a reading of Foucault's heterotropia, the paper argues that while such levels of access reflect the significance of parks and public spaces to ethnic minority youths, such accessibility does not, in itself, imply any degree of social or ethnic integration. Indeed, the colonization by ethnic minority youths of poorly maintained local spaces (rather than good quality parks further from home) suggests that these local spaces may represent little more than temporary havens from the disciplinary structures of the external world.
In the paper that follows, Enzo Mingione identifies five different models of postwar welfare capitalism. The models were all based around “full” employment, the nuclear family and the regulatory monopoly of the nation‐state. He argues that as a result of economic and demographic change, the very foundations of each model are eroding. As a result certain groups not previously catered for in traditional welfare systems (particularly migrants, single parents, the young, the poorly skilled and low income nuclear families) are now facing social exclusion. Mingione’s analysis has abroad European focus, but also looks at the cases of specific cities (Rennes, Milan and Bremen among others) which demonstrate pressures on welfare services of a varied nature. The variety of local scenarios requires a localised response; though Mingione states that these should include: “three main ingredients: the development of forms of partnership between private and public agencies; activation and professionalisation of new and old institutions in the third sector [and] professional and coordinating abilities on the part of local authorities”.
Community gardens vary enormously in what they offer, according to local needs and circumstance. This article reports on research and experience from the USA. The context in which these findings are discussed is the implementation of Local Agenda 21 and sustainable development policies. In particular, emphasis is given to exploring the social dimension of sustainable development policies by linking issues of health, education, community development and food security with the use of green space in towns and cities. The article concludes that the use of urban open spaces for parks and gardens is closely associated with environmental justice and equity.
How important is ethnicity for group formation in immigrant societies? Multiculturalism and the racialization (or ethnicization) hypothesis give opposing answers to this question. This article provides an empirical contri-bution to the debate by looking at patterns of group formation on the level of social categories and personal networks in the immigrant neighbourhoods of Basel, Bern and Zürich. We find that ethno-national categories are secondary principles of classification only but that the social networks are ethnically largely homogeneous even in the second generation. We conclude by advocating the use of more differentiated analytical tools to explain this variability of patterns.
Social integration is examined on the basis of friendship ties with Germans, using the concept of social capital. Applying methods of social network analysis, indicators for interethnic friendships (e.g. homogeneity of friendship networks) are constructed. The database of the analysis is provided by the ‘Integrationssurvey’ of the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), a survey with Germans, Italians and Turks aged 18 to 30. Migrants of Italian origin more frequently engage in friendship ties with Germans than do migrants of Turkish origin. Young female immigrants are less frequently engaged in friendship ties with Germans than men of the same ethnic descent. The host-country specific social capital and therefore the social integration increases in the second generation. German-Italians, i.e. respondents descending from Italian-German parents, as well as naturalized German-Turks are particularly well integrated. An analysis of comparable subgroups of the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) show similar results. Thus the findings are confirmed that without appropriate consideration of double citizens and naturalized immigrants the integration success of ethnic groups is underestimated.
A field study was conducted to assess the effect of an intervention designed to promote contact between international and Australian students in an Australian university residential hall on their subsequent intercultural contact with, and acceptance of, unfamiliar outgroup members. In addition, the research was designed to assess the extent to which three variables (i.e. cultural stereotypes, cultural knowledge, and cultural openness) mediated the effect of intercultural contact. Seventy-six Australian and international students in one residential hall (vs 71 Australian and international students in a control residential hall) experienced an intervention designed to promote intercultural contact over a 7 month period. The results revealed considerable support for the intercultural contact hypothesis — the pattern of residential hall contact tended to impact directly upon the dependent measures. However, the results also indicated that the intervention impacted differentially upon the responses of the Australian and international students and that the most plausible explanation for this effect related to the students’ intercultural knowledge and openness.
Use of informal greenspace, such as urban fringe woodlands, by children and teenagers is potentially an important aspect of their development, allowing opportunities for free play and for experiencing nature at close quarters. The ways in which children and teenagers make use of woodlands can be classed as either positive (use) or negative (abuse) by landowners, managers and by different groups of children and teenagers themselves. As part of a wider study examining local use and social inclusion in woodlands close to towns in central Scotland, qualitative research techniques, including focus groups and site observations, were used to explore in depth the contested views of freedom and control as expressed by site managers, adults, children and teenagers. The results give further support to findings in the literature about the importance of access to natural areas for children and society's ambivalent attitude towards teenagers in public places. It also uncovered aspects of the attitudes of older teenagers and the ways in which their perceptions conflict with those of managers. In particular, older teenagers' needs and the opportunities woodlands can provide for developing a sense of identity and testing of boundaries are poorly understood or tolerated by managers. Further research is proposed, including more detailed examination of the degree to which children's and teenagers' engagement with nature today is restricted by comparison with previous generations, and the likely consequences of such restriction.
The objective of this ongoing research is to analyse the social potential of urban green spaces to create opportunities to integrate youths, elderly people, foreigners, unemployed and other social groups into the urban life of large Swiss agglomerations. Urban green-space data are linked with social demographic data for these particular social groups. Three large cities in the different language regions of Switzerland have been selected for a comparative study: Geneva (French-speaking), Lugano (Italian-speaking) and Zürich (German-speaking). The green-space data derived from vector25, the digital landscape model in a vector format of the Swiss Federal Office of Topography, and the social demographic data from the 1990 Swiss census are compiled for further processing with the geographical information systems ArcInfo and ArcView. In this way, a contribution to the development of a GIS-based research methodology is made. The goal of this approach is to obtain a highly aggregated planning tool for urban forestry and green-space development.
Bedrohte Stadtgesellschaft: Soziale Desinte-grationsprozesse und ethnisch-kulturelle Konfliktkonstellationen Interethnische Freundschaftsbeziehungen und soziale Integration
- W Heitmeyer
- R Anhut
In: Heitmeyer, W., Anhut, R. (Eds.), Bedrohte Stadtgesellschaft: Soziale Desinte-grationsprozesse und ethnisch-kulturelle Konfliktkonstellationen. Juventa Verlag, Weinheim, pp. 347–400. Haug, S., 2003. Interethnische Freundschaftsbeziehungen und soziale Integration
Urban forestry in a multicultural society Des espaces publics à Genève: Fréquentations et représentations
- Kölner Zeitschrift
- Sozialpsychologie Soziologie
- M Johnston
- L D Shimada
Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie 55 (4), 716–736. Johnston, M., Shimada, L.D., 2004. Urban forestry in a multicultural society. Journal of Arboriculture 30, 185–192. Joye, D., Meury, M., Bassand, M., Compagnon, A., Stein, V., 1999. Des espaces publics à Genève: Fréquentations et représentations. Revue Économique et Sociale 4, 271–283
Gute Beziehungen schaffen: Integrationsprojekte der Stadt Zürich
- Präsidialdepartement
Präsidialdepartement der Stadt Zürich (Ed.), 2002. Gute Beziehungen schaffen: Integrationsprojekte der Stadt Zürich. Fachstelle für Stadtentwicklung Zürich, Zürich
Der Park als multikultureller Ort
- Milchert
Milchert, J., 1998. Der Park als multikultureller Ort. Stadt und Grün 47, 667–671.
Wurzeln schlagen in der Fremde: Die Internationalen Gärten und ihre Bedeutung für Integrationsprozesse Social multi-criteria evaluation for urban sustainability policies
- C Müller
Müller, C., 2002. Wurzeln schlagen in der Fremde: Die Internationalen Gärten und ihre Bedeutung für Integrationsprozesse. Ökom Verlag, München. Munda, G., 2006. Social multi-criteria evaluation for urban sustainability policies. Land Use Policy 23, 86–94.
Freiräume in der Stadt: Nutzung und Planungsperspektiven von Grünflächen, Plätzen und soziokulturellen Einrichtungen in Basel
- F Rossé
Rossé, F., 1991. Freiräume in der Stadt: Nutzung und Planungsperspektiven von Grünflächen, Plätzen und soziokulturellen Einrichtungen in Basel. Wepf, Basel.
Raumbedürfnisse ausländischer Jugendlicher; Konsequenzen für Planung und Pflege von Parkanlagen — zwei Beispiele aus Basel und Zürich
- Emmenegger
Emmenegger, M., 1998. Raumbedürfnisse ausländischer Jugendlicher; Konsequenzen für Planung und Pflege von Parkanlagen — zwei Beispiele aus Basel und Zürich. In: Wien, Stadtplanung (Ed.), Migration und öffentlicher Raum in Bewegung. Werkstattberichte. Stadtplanung Wien, Wien, pp. 25–39.
Des espaces publics à Genève: Fréquentations et représentations
- D Joye
- M Meury
- M Bassand
- A Compagnon
- V Stein
Joye, D., Meury, M., Bassand, M., Compagnon, A., Stein, V., 1999. Des espaces publics à Genève: Fréquentations et représentations. Revue Économique et Sociale 4, 271–283.
Does the New Immigration Require a New Theory of Intergenerational Integration? Mannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Sozialforschung Growing up in the inner city: green spaces as places to grow
- H Esser
Esser, H., 2003. Does the New Immigration Require a New Theory of Intergenerational Integration? Mannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Sozialforschung, Mannheim. Faber Taylor, A., Wiley, A., Kuo, F., Sullivan, W.C., 1998. Growing up in the inner city: green spaces as places to grow. Environment and Behavior 30, 3–27.
Community gardening: a model of integration and well-being. The role of horticulture in human well-being and social development
- J W Reuter
- C Reuter
Reuter, J.W., Reuter, C., 1990. Community gardening: a model of integration and well-being. The role of horticulture in human well-being and social development. A National Symposium, Arlington (Virginia).
People Places: Design Guidelines for Urban Open Space
- C Francis
Cooper Marcus, C., Francis, C., 1982. People Places: Design Guidelines for Urban Open Space. Van Nostrand/Reinhold, New York.
Periurbane Natur im Spiegel zukünftiger Nutzungsbedürfnisse. Biosphärenpark Ballungsraum. Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald
- K Seeland
Seeland, K., 1999. Periurbane Natur im Spiegel zukünftiger Nutzungsbedürfnisse. Biosphärenpark Ballungsraum. Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft (WSL). WSL, Birmensdorf, pp. 7–11.
Natur ums Schulhaus 1 Ich möchte, dass es kein Scheisspark gibt
- M Brennecke
- Gartenbau
- Stadt Landwirtschaftsamt
- Zürich
- Zürich
- H Brühwiler
- A Gwerder
Brennecke, M., 2001. Natur ums Schulhaus 1. Gartenbau-und Landwirtschaftsamt der Stadt Zürich, Zürich. Brühwiler, H., Gwerder, A., 2000. Ich möchte, dass es kein Scheisspark gibt. In: Soziothek, Bern (Ed.), Bericht über die Planungsarbeit mit Jugendlichen an einem Parkprojekt der Gemeinde Köniz.
Zuerst ich denke: ‘Schweiz ist Schwein’, aber jetzt ist besser
- Emmenegger
Emmenegger, M., 1995. Zuerst ich denke: 'Schweiz ist Schwein', aber jetzt ist besser. Neuzugezogene fremdsprachige Jugendliche, Situationen – Orte – Aktionen: Eine sozialgeographische Studie in Basel. Peter Lang, Bern.
Devenir suisse: Adhésion et diversité culturelle des étrangers en Suisse
- P Centlivres
Centlivres, P., 1990. Devenir suisse: Adhésion et diversité culturelle des étrangers en Suisse. Georg, Geneva.
Ich möchte, dass es kein Scheisspark gibt
- Brühwiler
Brühwiler, H., Gwerder, A., 2000. Ich möchte, dass es kein Scheisspark gibt. In:
Soziothek, Bern (Ed.), Bericht über die Planungsarbeit mit Jugendlichen an einem
Parkprojekt der Gemeinde Köniz.
Growing up in the inner city: green spaces as places to grow
- Faber Taylor
- A Wiley
- A Kuo
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