Informing the design of urban green and blue spaces through an understanding of Europeans' usage and preferences

Abstract

1. In light of global climate change and the biodiversity crisis, making cities more resilient through an adjusted design of urban green and blue spaces is crucial.Nature-based solutions help address these challenges while providing opportunities for nature experiences, and providing cultural ecosystem services that support public health. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated stressors highlighted the interrelated socio-ecological services provided by nature-based solutions like urban green and blue spaces.2. This pan-European study therefore aimed to enhance the socio-ecological understanding of green and blue spaces to support their design and management. Using an online survey, green and blue space preferences, usage, and pandemic-related changes in greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies were examined.3. Greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies were associated with respondents' (N = 584 from 15 countries) geographical location, dominant type of neighbourhood greenspace and greenspace availability during the pandemic, but not greenspace perceptions or sociodemographic background. 4. Greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies were generally high; however, Southern Europeans reported lower greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies both before and during the pandemic than Northern Europeans. Many Southern Europeans also reported having few neighbourhood greenspaces and low greenspace availability during the pandemic. 5. The most common outdoor recreational activity among respondents before the pandemic was walking or running with the most frequently stated purpose of time spent outdoors being restorative in nature (i.e. relaxing or calming down).Most Europeans had positive perceptions of green and blue spaces with preferences for structurally diverse and natural or unmanaged green elements.6. This highlights the importance of accessible green and blue spaces both in everyday life and during times of crisis. Stakeholders, their preferences, and regional and cultural differences should be included in the co-design of urban green and blue spaces to maximize their potential for both people and nature.

The Usage and Constraints of Urban River Corridor from a Socio-ecological Perspective: a Systematic Review

“…Individuals visit urban riversides primarily for physical exercise, recreation and leisure, including activities such as walking or jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing, skateboarding, rowing, dragon boat racing, water marathons, dog walking, picnicking, dining, photography, social gatherings, commuting, chess, and camping (e.g., Chen & Ma, 2023;Gargiulo et al, 2020;Guo et al, 2022;Gong et al, 2019;Liu et al, 2023;Meng et al 2020;Vierikko & Yli-Pelkonen, 2019;wade et al, 2023;Wu et al, 2019a;Yu et al, 2022;Zhang et al, 2022b;Zingraff-Hamed et al, 2022). Furthermore, two studies also discussed the motivation for restoration (Gargiulo et al, 2020;Jakstis et al, 2023). River proximity is a significant attraction for many individuals, as they prefer to be as close to the wa-Landscape Online 99 (2024) 1121 | ter as possible (Eid et al, 2021), particularly during hot summers, eliciting feelings of relaxation or tranquillity upon encountering water (Ćwik et al, 2021).…”

“…In Finland, it was observed that during the summer season, most visitors resided in rental apartments rather than vacation homes, while non-summer visitors predominantly stayed in their own detached houses (Vierikko & Yli-Pelkonen, 2019). A study encompassing fifteen European countries conducted separate examinations for the Nordic, Central European, and Southern European regions and found variations in the frequency of urban river green space visits before and during the pandemic across the three different regions (Jakstis et al, 2023). Xie et al (2023) indicated a negative correlation between homeownership rate and riverside utilization frequency.…”

“…In Egypt, the imperative for ground vegetation along the Nile waterfront in central Cairo also restricts user access (Eid et al, 2021). Most Europeans prefer diverse, natural, or unmanaged green elements (Jakstis et al, 2023). In Kurd-Landscape Online 99 (2024) 1121 | istan, children showed considerable enthusiasm for water-related activities and natural elements in urban riversides (Mansournia et al, 2021).…”

Unearthing green potential: Assessing the state of managed urban landscape curricula in Minnesota's higher education institutions

“…Increasing urbanization means more pressure is placed on urban landscapes to provide multifunctional benefits. These managed urban landscapes, green spaces built or maintained by humans in urban settings such as sports fields, parks, and even backyards, have seen a significant and sustained increase in usage throughout the course of the COVID‐19 pandemic (Jakstis et al., 2022; Ugolini et al., 2021). Contact with and proximity to urban nature can have important implications for health and well‐being of urban residents and provide important environmental benefits (Groenewegen et al., 2006; Hunter et al., 2019).…”

Associations between natural blue and green space and preschool children's movement behaviours

“…The diversity of blue and green spaces are important for healthy ecosystems, impacting planetary health (Beninde et al, 2015). The diversity of blue and green spaces also has implications for how children and adults engage with these spaces, and their associated health-related benefits (Georgiou et al, 2021;Jakstis et al, 2023). The animals, plants, smells and experiences people have in these spaces differ, as do people's preferences.…”