A Comparative Study on Willingness to Manage Urban Parks by Age - Focusing on the Case of Incheon City Park -

Abstract

For urban parks' rational and efficient management, research on creating green spaces in living area through citizen participation is continuously being conducted. However, in existing studies, citizens are recognized as a homogeneous group, and research on the intention to participate in park management according to user characteristics has not been conducted. A few studies have attempted to show differences through conceptual variables, such as user satisfaction and attachment to parks, but studies on sociodemographic factors, such as the users' age, have not been conducted. This study was conducted to ascertain the differences in preferred parks and park management participation methods by age, targeting various parks located in ten districts of Incheon Metropolitan City. Regression analysis was performed after collecting 1,226 questionnaires, applying a population-proportional allocation in the ten districts. As a result of the study, it was found that the difference according to the age of users has the most influence on the willingness to manage the park rather than the satisfaction or other factors. Also, a chi-square analysis was conducted to find the differences in preferred urban parks and management methods by age. The results showed that the choice to manage parks was statistically higher for those in their 50s or older, and the differences in preferred park types and desired park greening methods suggested implications for park management plans by age.