Perceptions and Patterns of Use of Blue Spaces in Selected European Cities: Tartu, Tallinn, Barcelona, Warsaw and Plymouth

Wilczyńska, Anna; Niin, Gloria; Vassiljev, Peeter; Myszka, Izabela; Bell, Simon

doi:10.3390/su15097392

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 59 publications

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“…The Vistula river is the main element of the blue infrastructure in the city, and its preserved oxbow lakes and partially preserved valleys of other minor rivers are the most significant accompanying elements, so researchers have focused mainly on them [32,33]. The results of a questionnaire study on the perception of the Vistula Valley landscape by Warsaw residents confirmed that the Varsovians appreciated the naturalness of this landscape [34,35].…”

Section: The Context Of Warsawmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Structure of Beauty: Informal Green Spaces in Their Users’ Eyes

Gawryszewska,

Łepkowski,

Pietrych

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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Informal Green Spaces (IGS) in towns and cities are areas of varied appearance, representing a wide range of aesthetic values. In this study, we have focused on how users perceive such space and which elements match some particular values. Based on the analysis of photographic images taken by chosen IGS visitors, the technique called Visitor-Employed Photography (VEP), we elicited three primary groups of IGS images, namely landscape, scenery, and special elements. It is possible to define several visual structures in each category, with highly preferable spatial fragments and particular attributes. They are aesthetic prototypes, centers of aesthetic preferences among users of informal green areas. Recognizing proximity to the preference core allows us to define the preferred IGS landscape aesthetics. Based on the data collected, we have concluded that IGS users prefer vast grass areas, dense groups of trees and shrubs, water, and the absence of anthropogenic elements.

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Section: The Context Of Warsawmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Structure of Beauty: Informal Green Spaces in Their Users’ Eyes

Gawryszewska,

Łepkowski,

Pietrych

et al. 2024

Sustainability

Self Cite

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Shifting perceptions of green and blue spaces during the COVID‐19 pandemic in gentrifying neighbourhoods: Experiences of inclusion and exclusion by women and non‐binary residents

Calderón‐Argelich,

Anguelovski,

Cuenca

et al. 2024

People and Nature

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The COVID‐19 outbreak triggered a combined health, social and economic crisis, imposing multiple restrictions that altered the use and perception of public green and blue spaces (PGBS). In this article, we explored how the different stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic restrictions affected the use and perceptions of public greenspaces and seafront in gentrifying neighbourhoods, focusing specifically on women and non‐binary residents. We conducted a comparative analysis of two densely populated neighbourhoods in Barcelona, Spain, employing a participatory mixed‐methods approach including surveys, focus groups, participatory walks and semi‐structured interviews. We collected the perceptions from women and non‐binary residents for the pre‐pandemic period, the lockdown period and the period during the post‐lockdown gradual ease of restrictions. Our findings reveal that during the COVID‐19 lockdown, the use of neighbourhood PGBS was maintained or intensified, highlighting the existing deficit in the denser areas of the city. However, post‐lockdown, use patterns changed, with differences based on neighbourhood characteristics and gentrification pressures. This suggests that while COVID‐19 seemed to temporarily impact how people used PGBS, these changes were rapidly reversed once mobility restrictions were lifted. During and after the pandemic, PGBS facilitated informal care networks and community cohesion that helped residents endure the impacts of the pandemic, but the return of gentrification and touristification pressures disrupted these networks, heightening feelings of displacement and exclusion among women and non‐binary residents. The research underscores the dual role of PGBS as both essential community spaces and sites of exclusion, emphasizing the need for inclusive and just green planning strategies. Policy implications. Urban planning must prioritize the quality and accessibility of PGBS with a gender‐sensitive approach and address broader issues of gentrification and touristification to protect vulnerable populations. An environmentally just greening approach should consider proximity, safety, accessibility and design to facilitate the use of PGBS by socially vulnerable groups. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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