Are All Urban Parks Robust to the COVID-19 Pandemic? Focusing on Type, Functionality, and Accessibility

Abstract

Many people visited urban parks during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce the negative effects of lack of physical activity, social isolation, anxiety, and depression. It is unclear whether all parks are robust against the pandemic, helping people sustain healthy daily living through the diverse activities within them. Nevertheless, few studies have identified the specific relationship between park visits and the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate how physical features such as type, functionality, and access influenced daily visiting to parks during the pandemic, using mobile phone data at a micro level. This study first classified urban parks as point-type parks with an area of less than 1 ha, plane-type parks with 1 ha or more, and line-type parks with elongated shapes, while measuring accessibility to residential, employment, transportation, and auxiliary facilities within the park. The study employed the multi-level regression model with random intercept to investigate the effects of differing park visits, focusing on Goyang city, South Korea. Our analysis results identified that easy access from home was more important than the park size during the pandemic. If we look at the types of parks, the use of both plane- and point-type parks increased more than that of line-type parks. However, line-type parks near homes, along with shopping and sports facilities, were found to be more robust to the pandemic. These findings can be informative to provide specific guidelines to fulfill the enhanced role of parks in sustaining public health during an infectious disease pandemic that may strike again.

Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Perception and Use of Urban Green Spaces in Korea

“…In addition, due to the nature of survey research, questions about the reliability of responses (response bias or self-selection bias) may be raised [ 86 , 87 ]. In other words, there is a limit in that perceptions and attitudes can vary depending on the situation, time, and conditions of survey period [ 88 ]. For example, it is difficult to expect that responses collected through the survey will be consistent over time.…”

Exploring the impact of pandemic fear on visitation to park attractions in urban city: A case study in Seoul, South Korea

“…Furthermore, experts argue that linear parks are ideal for the post-COVID-19 era, as they provide linear spaces for physical activities like walking, enabling people to maintain social distancing. This contrasts with traditional parks, which often encourage closer interactions and gatherings [ 51 , 52 ].…”

Revisiting Spatial Justice and Urban Parks in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Systematic Literature Review

“…By the first quarter of 2020, it escalated into a global pandemic, affecting almost every country [17]. In response to curbing its spread, various unprecedented measures were implemented, including long-term lockdowns, social distancing, mobility restrictions, border closures, and other containment strategies [16,18,19]. Many countries restricted human movement, permitting travel only for essential services [16,20].…”