Snapshot of the Use of Urban Green Spaces in Mexico City during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The present qualitative research explores the factors that have influenced the use of urban green spaces (UGS) in Mexico City during the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications of their usage on residents’ well-being. This study was conducted using a combination of solicited audio and written diaries, photography, and in-depth interviews with 16 participants, aged 22 to 58. The article provides a critical reflection on the incentives and deterrents to the UGS use of participants while social distancing measures were in place. The results show that in Mexico City: (1) participants’ lack of access to UGS has hampered their use, mainly among those of low-income neighborhoods; (2) UGS size did not directly impact participants’ UGS use during the pandemic; and (3) women were deterred from accessing UGS due to safety concerns related to the fear of violence. Overall, the results suggest that UGS use has served as a coping mechanism to decrease the effects of stress and isolation caused by the pandemic, increasing users’ physical and mental well-being. This study’s conclusions can help develop future citizen participation tools that are useful for resilience in urban design, as they provide interesting insights into the perceptions of residents, such as the most valued characteristics of UGS.

Natural Environments, Psychosocial Health, and Health Behaviors in a Crisis – A Scoping Review of the Literature in the COVID-19 Context

“…The underlying mechanisms for these differences remain to be investigated and are essential for the planning of nature-based solutions and interventions when aiming to contribute to the sustainable development goals (Faivre et al, 2017;Maes & Jacobs, 2017;UN, 2015). For instance, in a qualitative study, women indicated that fear of violence hinders positive well-being experiences when visiting an urban park in Mexico during COVID-19 (Huerta & Cafagna, 2021). The issue of different mechanisms for different populations in the nature-health relationship has been summarized in a review by Masterton et al (2020).…”

“…Furthermore, heterogeneity has not only been investigated regarding population characteristics, but also with regards to nature characteristics, e.g., between different park types (Cheng et al, 2021;, as well as nature quality, in the studies of this review operationalized as higher greenness and vegetation (Cheng et al, 2021;Huerta & Cafagna, 2021). The few studies investigating heterogeneity and disparities regarding nature types in relation to mental health mirror a research gap that researchers has been identified prior to COVID-19 (Bratman et al, 2019).…”

Rethinking the distribution of urban green spaces in Mexico City: Lessons from the COVID-19 outbreak

“…Consequently, urban planners, policymakers, and researchers have sought to determine which measures or policies can help maintain or improve overall health and build resilience amidst the public health crisis ( Chwaszcz et al, 2020 , Zhang and Ma, 2020 ). One activity that has had positive effects on residents’ general well-being during the novel coronavirus outbreak is the use of urban green spaces (UGS) ( Mayen Huerta and Cafagna, 2021 , Pouso et al, 2021 ). Given the restrictions on the use of indoor recreational spaces, UGS became especially important during lockdown periods because they allowed residents to perform physical activities, enjoy natural landscapes, and relax while socially distancing, thus making them a highly effective public health tool ( Geary et al, 2021 , Luo et al, 2021 ).…”

Nature’s contributions in coping with a pandemic in the 21st century: A narrative review of evidence during COVID-19

“…There are numerous reasons for the negative impact of lockdowns on physical and mental health; some key reasons include (but are not limited to) increased sedentary lifestyle, physical inactivity, infection fears, financial loss, inadequate information, feeling of loneliness and boredom (Brooks et al, 2020;Peçanha et al, 2020;Ledford et al, 2021). In contrast, nature exposure including contact with blue and green spaces, indoor plants, gardening have the potential to mitigate against or buffer the negative health consequences with the potential for little/no negative impacts (Pouso et al, 2021;Mayen Huerta and Cafagna, 2021;Yang et al, 2021;Ribeiro et al, 2021).…”